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Web cookies, browser cookies, tracking cookies or whatever name you use, these little text files are very useful when visiting your favorite web sites. Placed on your computer to identify you from the millions of other web users out there, web sites use these for a number of purposes. Some web sites will not work without these items while, for other sites, they're simply used to know who's visiting. But some of these cookies can be used for malicious purpose and others you just might not want to keep for a variety of reasons.

To delete cookies you can use the General tab of the Internet Options applet. From the tools menu select "Internet Options. This will default to the "General" tab. On that tab select the "Delete" button and you have a number of choices of files to delete. By clicking the "Delete cookies" button you will clear all the cookies from your system. Keep in mind that if you have any passwords for websites saved on your system you will have to log in again if you visit those sites. And, you will be unable to return to any shopping carts or other similar things you have been working with.

You may just wish to delete selected cookies. The easiest way to find where your cookies are located is to search for them. To start a file search go to "Start" and select "Search" from the lower right. To be able to see the folder containing the cookies you need to turn on the ability to see the operating system files. To enable this, when you have your search window open, select the "Tools" menu and "Folder Options". On the "View" tab you're given a number of choices. Uncheck the box next to "Hide protected operating system files". Once you've done this you must be very careful not to change any files for which you don't know the purpose. Click "OK" and the files that were previously hidden will now be shown.

After you've enabled viewing of operating system files go ahead with your search. If you know the exact name of the site with the cookie you wish to delete you can just type that into the search box. Under "More advanced options" make sure that "Search system folders", "Search hidden files and folders" and "Search subfolders" are checked. Then you can click "Search" and you should come up with a file with a name starting with "cookie:" somewhere in your search results, likely followed with your user name and "@" followed by the website. If you no longer want that cookie, go ahead and delete it. An alternative would be to search on the word "cookie" and look through the entire list deleting any cookies you don't wish to keep.

Cookies play an important part in making the Internet easy to use. However, you don't have to accept everything that is pushed on you by websites. It is a good idea to know how to control how you interact with the web, and how the web interacts with you.

Learn more about this author, Keith Hamburger.
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