Windows\Cookies Deleting Safely (WME)

[jmagecko]

How do I safely and prpperly delete WINDOWS cookies that are in the WINDOWS cookies folder?

How do I safely adjust or remove the "index.dat" Windows shared-access control file in that same folder?

I am left with Spyware and Adware warnings until I can resolve this.

NOTE: These are NOT the temporary internet cookies that can be deleted or exported from within IE (tools-internet options) menus. (and yes, I tried it anyway)

Just ran into a spyware exposure, and was pointed to eliminating some cookies in the folder "C:\WINDOWS\Cookies".

These typically have the form: "xyz@widget.txt"

Windows does NOT let me move or delete the "index.dat" file as it is apparently in permanently SHARED state.

I tried copying the entire "WINDOWS\Cookies" subdirectory, then deleting all files, but could only remove all the *.txt files.

After I did that (with the large 288KB) "index.dat" file remaining, Internet Explorer and Explorer seemed to have problems (anything from extremely long delays to displaying empty pages. I restored the subdirectory contents and these problems went away.

Obviously, the "index.dat" file is a data file for the *.txt files in this subdirectory, and when I deleted the files, the index.dat was reporting "bad" info...hence the problems.

I've looked for info on this subject, and all I've found is info for handling the internet cookies via the IE tools. This doesn't address these WINDOWS cookies.

[Booter]

There are "good" cookies and the other kind.

Good cookies are used by some sites to remember your user name and password when you visit the site again. If you delete these, you"ll find yourself having to reenter your user name and password when you visit that site again. Not a big deal, but time consuming.

The other kind have been put on your computer for some ulterior motive, such as keeping track of sites you visit, or perhaps steering you to particular advertising.

Index.dat (to the best of my knowledge) is simply an index of all cookies currently on your computer in that file. I think trying to delete it would NOT be a good idea.

You might try downloading the trial version of Spyware Doctor and trying it. The trial version is fully functional, and does what it says. I'm on XP, and it finds cookies on my system, and several other things I was unaware of. It also finds things that AdAware and Spybot do not.

As far as I know, there is no time limit on how long you can use the trial version, and you only have to pay if you want to receive the updated dat files containing the latest and newest threats. I guess, if you want to stay abreast of the latest and newest, that might be a way to do it.

The trial version of Spyware Doctor can be downloaded from this site (under PC Tools), ZDnet, or many other places. No Charge.

The quick scans with this program are fairly fast, the problems well identified and described, and it provides three mechanisms for handling them.

Most (if not all) of the cookies it finds are the "other kind", and can be simply deleted (removed). When you do that, they are gone. I've had no problems simply removing permantly the cookies it finds.

Problems found involving the registry or files, I prefer to "quarantine and remove". That way, if you find you've made an error, you can always undo it later. For this category of corrections, the fix shows up on your next reboot.

If you find detection of a problem you don't want to "fix", and you don't want to have it detected in later scans, you can mark it to be "ignored".

I've been using it for a week or two now, and I think it works good. I still keep AdAware, Spybot, and a few others on my system, just in case.

Bruce