Web Browser Cookies

What are cookies? A cookie is a message given to a Web browser by a Web server. The browser stores the message in a text file. The message is then sent back to the server each time the browser requests a page from the server.

The main purpose of cookies is to identify users and possibly prepare customized Web pages for them. When you enter a Web site using cookies, you may be asked to fill out a form providing such information as your name and interests. This information is packaged into a cookie and sent to your Web browser which stores it for later use. The next time you go to the same Web site, your browser will send the cookie to the Web server. The server can use this information to present you with custom Web pages. So, for example, instead of seeing just a generic welcome page you might see a welcome page with your name on it.

Are cookies bad? Cookies do not act maliciously on computer systems. They are merely text files that can be deleted at any time - they are not plug-ins nor are they programs. Cookies cannot be used to spread viruses and they cannot access your hard drive. This does not mean that cookies are not relevant to a user's privacy and anonymity on the Internet. Cookies cannot read your hard drive to find out information about you; however, any personal information that you give to a Web site, will most likely be stored in a cookie. In only this way are cookies a threat to privacy. The cookie will only contain information that you freely provide to a Web site.

For more information on cookies, see Howstuffworks: How Internet Cookies Work, Cookie Central and Webopedia.

How to delete cookies

Windows Internet Explorer 5 & 6

1. Open Internet Explorer, click the Tools menu and choose Internet Options.
2. Click the Delete Cookies button.
3. Click OK.

1. Open Internet Explorer, click the Tools menu and choose Internet Options.
2. Click the Settings button.
3. Click the View Files button.
4. Click the View menu and select Details.
5. Click the Internet Address column header to sort, then locate the Internet addresses of the cookie files. For example, a cookie Internet address may be named similar to the following: Cookie:user@websitename.com
6. Highlight the cookies you wish to delete, then press the Delete key.

Windows Internet Explorer 4

1. Open Internet Explorer
2. On the view menu, click Internet Options, and click the Settings button.
3. Click the View Files button.
4. Click the View menu and Select Details.
5. Click the Internet Address column header to sort, then locate the Internet Addresses of the cookie files. For example, a cookie Internet address may be named similar to the following: Cookie:user@websitename.com
6. Highlight the cookies you wish to delete, then press the Delete key.

Macintosh Internet Explorer 4.5 & 5

1. Open Internet Explorer.
2. Click the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
3. Expand the Receiving Files category by click the triangle to the left, and click Cookies
4. Select the item or cookies you want to delete in the Server list and click Delete.

Windows Netscape 4.x

1. Locate the Netscape folder on your hard drive (usually located in c:/Program Files/Netscape/).
2. Double click the Users folder within the Netscape folder.
3. Double click your Profile Name folder (this will usually be your username).
4. Click the cookies.txt file once to highlight it, then click the File menu and choose Delete.

Macintosh Netscape 4.x

1. Double click the Hard Drive icon and open the System Folder.
2. Double click Preferences and locate the Netscape Users folder.
3. Double click Your Profile folder.
4. Single click the MagicCookie file so that it is highlighted, click the File menu and choose Move to trash
5. Or, drag and the MagicCookie file to the Trash folder.

Netscape 7

1. Click the Tools menu and choose Cookie Manager
2. Choose Manage Stored Cookies from the submenu. The Cookie Manager window opens with a list of all the cookies stored on your computer.
3. Select one or more cookies and click Remove Cookie, or click Remove All Cookies.

Opera for Macintosh

1. Click on Window then Special Window and select Cookies.
2. You can click the cookie files listed in the folders. To delete a cookie, highlight the file you want to delete. Press the Shift key to select multiple files.
3. Click the Delete button.
4. The ones remaining will be saved.

Opera for Windows

Mozilla

1. Click Tasks and select Privacy & Security then choose Cookie Manager.
2. On the submenu, choose View Stored Cookies. The Cookie Manager opens and lists the cookies stored on your computer.
3. Select one or more cookies and click Remove Cookie. Clicking Remove All Cookies will delete all cookies.
4. Optional: Choose to prevent removed cookies from being re-accepted later.

How to enable cookies

1. Select the Internet Options option from the View menu.
2. Click on the Advanced tab and scroll down to the Security option, and select Cookies.
3. Click on the appropriate radio button to enable cookies.
4. Click OK.

Windows Internet Explorer 5

1. On the Tools menu, select Internet Options.
2. Click on the Security tab, select Internet and then click on Custom Level...
3. Scroll down to the Cookies section and, under Allow cookies that are stored on your comptuer, click to select Enable.
4. Click OK and OK again.

Windows Internet Explorer 6

1. In Internet Explorer, on the Tools menu, click Internet Options.
2. Click the Privacy tab, and then click Advanced.
3. Move the slider up or down to select the level of security.
4. In addition to using the slider, you can override cookie handling clicking the Advanced Privacy Settings window and checking the box marked Override automatic cookie handling.
5. Click Accept.
6. Click Always allow session cookies.
7. Click OK and OK again.

Macintosh Internet Explorer 4.x and higher

1. On the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Click to expand Receiving Files. Click Cookies.
3. Next to When receiving cookies:, choose Never ask from the drop-down list.
4. Click OK.

Netscape 4.x for Windows and Macintosh

1. Select Preferences from the Edit menu.
2. Select Advanced.
3. Select Accept all cookies.
4. Click OK.

Netscape 6.x and 7.x for Windows and Macintosh

1. Select Preferences from the Edit menu.
2. Expand the Privacy & Security category in the Preferences window.
3. From the list of options, select the Cookies subcategory.
4. Select the option labeled Enable all cookies on the right.
5. Click OK.

Opera for Windows

1. Click the File menu and select Preferences and then Privacy.
2. Set Opera to "Automatically accept all cookies and "Accept from all servers" .
3. Make sure cookies aren't blocked under "Edit server filters..." .

Mozilla

1. Open the Edit menu and select Preferences.
2. Under the Privacy & Security category, choose Cookies.
3. Click the radio button next to "Enable all cookies".
4. If you want to be notified when a web site tries to set a cookie, select "Warn me before storing a cookie."