Cookies breeding like rabbits

[Dunroamin]

I looked at my cookies and was horrified to see there
were 580. I deleted about 120 (into the recycle bin -
where they duly arrived) but found to my horror that
there were then nearly 850 cookies still in the folder.
When I checked I found that for every cookie I deleted
there were two more coming back into the cookie folder
and that I have now got to copy 31 of some of
them. "Delete cookies" did absolutely nothing - they
never moved. Can anyone help before they take over
completely

 

[JR]

For starters, you could set your "privacy" level to High.
Your browser will then block most of the cookies.

Why not delete the cookies and temperary Internet Files
to have a clean start ?

Also look here:
Dealing with Unwanted Spyware and Parasites:
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/unwanted.htm
Note the security recommendations.

 

[Liz]

unfortunately, you will have to delete all cookies and
start fresh. Which means you will have to enter all of
your usernames and passwords into all websites at which
you previously had them saved. It's a real bother, and to
keep it from happening again, go to tools, internet
options, privacy, advanced, check override, accept first
party, block third party, and check always allow session
cookies. I initially had it set to prompt for third
party, but every other website had advertisers trying to
sneak cookies into my computer and it became annoying to
have to refuse them all of the time. The only instance
that I am aware of where 'do not allow third party' might
cause a problem is in secure online banking websites,
some of them require third party cookies to access your
account, so I set them to prompt when I get to my bank's
homepage before I get to the login page, just in case.
Don't forget to set them back to disable to prevent those
annoying popups.
The next thing to do is get ad-aware and spybot, they are
free software which scans your computer and helps you
eliminate spyware. Download and update them before
scanning the first time and update before each scan. I
still get tracking cookies, but only a few each week,
must be from popup windows which create them before I can
close the window. You might want to get those two
programs before you empty your cookies so you can see
what has been put there by advertising and spyware
programs.
Good luck...
Liz

 

[Opinicus]

I looked at my cookies and was horrified to see there
were 580. I deleted about 120 (into the recycle bin -
where they duly arrived) but found to my horror that
there were then nearly 850 cookies still in the folder.
When I checked I found that for every cookie I deleted
there were two more coming back into the cookie folder
and that I have now got to copy 31 of some of
them. "Delete cookies" did absolutely nothing - they
never moved.

As others have said, raising your security level will help. However in the
end even that doesn't prevent the cookies from multiplying out of control.
I've started using "Cookie Pal" http://www.kburra.com/cpal.html and find it
extremely useful. One neat trick that it does is, when you reject a cookie,
it sends a false message back to a site saying that you've accepted it. This
will allow you to access sites where refusal to accept cookies can keep you
out.

I tried CP for two days and was so impressed that I bought a registered copy
(for USD 15).