CookieCrunch

[sprocket]

Situation: Whenever I sign in to a customised home page, forum (pprune) etc my 'puter receives a cookie so that I can come and go without having to sign in each time after that. :)

Problem: I clear my cookies, temp files etc on a regular basis and then next time I go to to my home page, pprune etc., I need to sign in all over again. I 'delete' the cookies because other unwanted cookies (advertising etc) start to build up in numbers as well and, apart from going into the 'temp files' folder and selectively deleting the uninvited cookies, I cannot retain my wanted cookies. :(

Question: Is there a way to make my wanted cookies 'immune' to mass deletion when I click the delete cookies button? :confused:

System: W98, IE6.

[Engineer]

If you are concerned about the storage of cookie one way to overcome your problem is to set you privacy setting such that you are prompted when a cookie is about to be placed on your computer. This setting is a tab on the internet options table.

Click advance settings when privacy tab selected. You can override the computer auto settings so that you are prompted to block or accept the required cookie. Over a period of time you build up a data base of those cookies that you wish installed and those that you do not want.

This method results in all cookie text files in the internet temp and cookie files of the window folder contain only those that you want. Hence alleviating the necessity do delete the temp folder on exit. In the case of this BB you will note that two extra cookies are transported i.e doubleclick and valueclick

If you wish further info try Cookie Central (http://www.cookiecentral.com/content.phtml?area=2&id=2) or Unofficial FAQ (http://www.cookiecentral.com/faq/)

Hope this is useful

[cossack]

You could try Window Washer (http://www.webroot.com/washer.htm)
It has a setting that enables you to keep your favourite cookies. There's a free trial download then you need to pay to keep using it.

[sprocket]

Engineer: "Whale Oil Beef Hooked!" I am now trying what you have suggested and it seems to be working at present .... accepting all first party and session cookies and blocking third party cookies. Thanks mate!

cossack: I've bookmarked the Window Washer in case my new cookie settings fail to help in the future. Cheers!

[Engineer]

sprocket

As an aside you can block any cookie not required and the web page will still load. Had a look at window washer look like a similiar program to Norton Cleansweep (http://www.symantecstore.com/dr/sat2/ec_MAIN.Entry17c?CID=39910&PN=5&SP=10007&SID=27674&PID=336529&DSP=&CUR=840&PGRP=0&CACHE_ID=39910) in which you select required cookie to delete and ones you want saved. But why pay for a service that you can do free with IE6 privacy tab ;)

[Groundgripper]

For those of us without IE6, WebWasher also has a cookie filter enabling you to select individual cookies as good, indifferent or bad, and to nominate how long the indifferent ones are allowed to stay on the machine.