cookie cleanup

[Guest]

I'd like to cleanup my cookies but don't want to delete all of them. I've found cookies stored in two spots: a "cookies" folder and a "temp internet files" folder ... both are sub-folders of my "user" folder.

How do these two folders relate?
Which folder is linked to the "delete cookies" button of the Internet Properties dialog (General tab)?
Which folder should I be editing?

Thanks!

 

[Wesley Vogel]

As with anything involving Temporary Internet Files, this gets confusing.

The "cookies" in the Temporary Internet Files Folder are just pointers to
the real cookies.

Real cookies are stored here >>
C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Cookies

The Delete Cookies button deletes the cookies here >>
C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Cookies

But it also deletes the pointers to the real cookies here >>
C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Local Settings\Temporary Internet
Files

If you manually delete a cookie file from the Temporary Internet Files
folder, both the pointer to the Cookies folder and the cookie file located
in the Cookies folder are deleted.

If you delete a cookie from the cookies folder it leaves the pointer to the
cookie behind. But it's worthless. Just like a shortcut that does not
point to anything.

To delete a cookie
1 In Internet Explorer, on the Tools menu, click Internet Options.
2 On the General tab, click Settings, and then click View files.
3 Select the cookie you want to delete, and then, on the File menu, click
Delete.

To delete all of the cookies on your computer, click Delete Cookies on the
General tab.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the EXCELLENT response!! You addressed each one of my issues with clear, consise instructions ... top-notch help ... THANKS!!!

 

[Wesley Vogel]

James,

Keep having fun! ;-)

 

[Carl]

Great! But this cookie "Index Dat File" Will not delete
get message that it is being use.

 

[guzarva]

As with anything involving Temporary Internet Files, this gets confusing.

The "cookies" in the Temporary Internet Files Folder are just pointers to
the real cookies.

Real cookies are stored here >>
C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Cookies

The Delete Cookies button deletes the cookies here >>
C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Cookies

But it also deletes the pointers to the real cookies here >>
C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Local Settings\Temporary Internet
Files

If you manually delete a cookie file from the Temporary Internet Files
folder, both the pointer to the Cookies folder and the cookie file located
in the Cookies folder are deleted.

If you delete a cookie from the cookies folder it leaves the pointer to the
cookie behind. But it's worthless. Just like a shortcut that does not
point to anything.

To delete a cookie
1 In Internet Explorer, on the Tools menu, click Internet Options.
2 On the General tab, click Settings, and then click View files.
3 Select the cookie you want to delete, and then, on the File menu, click
Delete.

To delete all of the cookies on your computer, click Delete Cookies on the
General tab.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.
Wes

In