Cookie spy

You can already see, at a glance, what cookies you have, and delete the ones you don't want to keep.

In IE:

Tools > Internet Options > General > Settings > View Files

Craven- I only have my computer less than three months, and there must be HUNDREDS of cookies (I just looked). There are probably only maybe a dozen that I would want to keep, but going through the whole shootin' match is just too much trouble.

I wish that there were a way were I could put cookies that I wanted to retain in a spot that was relatively permanent. Then I would just blow away any cookies that I collected every day!

Well, what I'd do is one of the following.

A) Copy the cookies you want to a separate folder (e.g. in my documents).

Make sure to keep copies of the ones you consider important.

Then, when you delete all the cookies, you can copy those ones back.

B) Block the cookies from being set.

You can specify that you want to block all cookies except the ones you allow.

Then you can setup rules where, for example "able2know.com = always allow or always block".

Many sites won't function withut cookies, but when a cookie is blocked there will be an eye icon and a red circle over it in the lower right of IE. Double clicking that will open a box where you can allow that site to use cookies.

This can drastically cut down on the cookies but you will find many forms etc not working and some sites won't alert you to the fact that cookies were the problem (internet savvy users will just know).

But lastly, as I have said time and time again, it's almost impossible for a cookie to pose a danger to you.

If you are worried about space on your computer you should know that this isn't really an issue as it is limited by IE and because you'd be hard pressed to visit enough sites in 10 years to make cookie space an issue on a decent sized hard drive.

If you are worried about privacy implications then you might try using the setting to block all third part cookies.

These tend to be ads and such. Of course, these cookies are not dangerous, most of the time they are used to avoid showing the same ad to you repeatedly, because advertisers don't want to pay for ads to the same person over and over.

If you block them they'll just rely on IP and such to try to lessen repeat delivery.

One day I'll write a tutorial on cookies.

Cookies per se really aren't that big a deal, IMHO ... some are nasty, but most are benign, and they don't take up that much filespace. As CdK mentions, many websites won't function properly, if at all, without cookies. For those that want to feel reasonably secure, without thinking about it too much, I'd suggest going to PC Pitstop, run their tests, then heeding their Internet Security Settings advice (use the AutoFix if you want to), then downloading AdAware, Spybot and ZoneAlarm. All are free (though for AdAware and ZoneAlarm fuller-featured versions are available ... the free versions are fine for most casual users). Read the instructions that come with each. Update them before using them, then keep them updated and use them ... all of them. IMO, SpyBot and AdAware work well together, provided you read, understand, and follow the instructions for both, and 2 yuckware scanners will catch more stuff, and different stuff, than will either alone.

Note ... be careful about where you get SpyBot from ... use the link I provided above, otherwise you may be directed to an outfit that wants you to buy their own spyware stuff ... a rather sneaky deal on their part, if you ask me. The legitimate SpyBot download page should look like this:



While the rip-off scam artist's page looks like this: