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Which Cookies Should I Delete?

I had previously thought that all cookies were bad and should be deleted but I think from what I have read recently, there are some you shouldn't delete. How do you know which ones to keep and which ones to delete? I have Trend Micro PC-cillon installed on my computer and whenever it has done a search it comes up with a list of cookies with numbers and asks me if I want to delete them? I've followed the link to their web page for more info but it doesn't tell me much other than whether it's low risk and the web page address. I've found out how website addresses for websites I haven't visited send cookies to my computer but out of everything I've read, I still can't work out which ones to keep. Also, I wondered if there was a list or legend of cookies associated with the numbers that Trend Micro shows beside each cookie as it's a pain when you have over 20 cookies, having to link back to the website to find out more information for each one.

Thank you.

r-k

This is a losing battle, and I would not spend time worrying about it. Cookies can be bad, but not bad enough that I worry about them. Mainly they can track your browsing habits, but if you feel this is not desirable then just delete all cookies every now and then, or block all cookies.

Good cookies can save your login information so you don't need to keep typing username/password for every site, such as this one, e.g.. Also, some sites won't even let you in without enabling cookies, so it's a hassle if you disable them.

On balance, it's a matter of preference. I only delete cookies if I have a specific reason, such as a site not working, or browsing getting sluggish etc. which is very rarely. If you are more paranoid then you should just delete all cookies regularly or block them altogether, and live with the inconvenience. Trying to separate good cookies from bad will waste more time in the long run.

Cookies are not excutable programs, so they can't infect your system like viruses or spyware.

rsivanandan

Depends very much on your browsing habits! I would rather delete 'em all once in a while (a week)?

Cheers,
Rajesh

bluedognoosa21

ASKER

Hi r_k - Thanks for your answer. That has given me peace of mind not to worry about them.

Cheers
Kim

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

dragonjim

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