What are cookies? The one on the computer? Should I delete them? Thanks.?

Question

My Internet speed is very slow now. Is it because of cookies?

Answer 1

HTTP cookies, sometimes known as web cookies or just cookies, are parcels of text sent by a server to a web browser and then sent back unchanged by the browser each time it accesses that server. HTTP cookies are used for authenticating, tracking, and maintaining specific information about users, such as site preferences and the contents of their electronic shopping carts. The term "cookie" is derived from "magic cookie," a well-known concept in Unix computing which inspired both the idea and the name of HTTP cookies.



Cookies have been of concern for Internet privacy, since they can be used for tracking browsing behavior. As a result, they have been subject to legislation in various countries such as the United States and in the European Union. Cookies have also been criticised because the identification of users they provide is not always accurate and because they could potentially be used for network attacks. Some alternatives to cookies exist, but each has its own drawbacks.



Cookies are also subject to a number of misconceptions, mostly based on the erroneous notion that they are computer programs. In fact, cookies are simple pieces of data unable to perform any operation by themselves. In particular, they are neither spyware nor viruses, despite the detection of cookies from certain sites by many anti-spyware products.



Most modern browsers allow users to decide whether to accept cookies, but rejection makes some websites unusable. For example, shopping baskets implemented using cookies do not work if cookies are rejected.



Yes you can delete them

Answer 2

cookies are snippets of text files from webservers that are saved in your system everytime you visit them, in that way, you wouldn't have to wait long for a visited website to load. Cookies also serve as a transcript for every transactions you've made in the internet, thus quite harmful if visited upon by an intruder.



It is safe and recommended that you delete cookies every other time to save disk-space and processing speed. If you feel that your internet connection is quite slow (and assuming that you're using hi-speed internet and not dial-up), the first troubleshooting step is to do a disk-clean up to delete cookies. The next thing is to reconnect to the network server. If the connection is still slow, I highly recommend that you get these following software: CCleaner (a registry cleaner), Spy Bot or better yet, Spy-Sweeper (sadly, you have to purchase this), and AD-Aware from Lavasoft.



After you download those programs, read the user's manuals on how to clean your system. Those manuals can give you better insights about computer security and how-tos.

Answer 3

Cookies are actually harmless text files that certain web sites will place onto the hard drive of your computer. Your Internet Browser will then load the information into memory while you are visiting their site. The Cookie itself, actually takes up very little space and acts as an identification card for the visiting site. You can compare this to visiting your favorite restaurant where your food server will usually remember certain aspects of how you like your food prepared and what you usually order. This information would obviously be based upon his familiarity of your prior visits. Well Cookies actually act in a similar manner and do not contain viruses as a virus must be executable file. Let us look at some of the ways that Cookies act as an identification card.

Answer 4

Cookies do not slow your internet connection speed down.



Cookies are just small .txt (text) files that by themselves cannot hurt your computer. They are not a virus, but some people consider "tracking" cookies to be an invasion of privacy.



It all depends on one's level of paranoria.



Tracking cookies are mostly "3rd party cookies" from advertising servers. They can track your movements around the web in order to deliver to you customised, targeted advertising.



If you are using Internet Explorer for a browser, you can permanantly block all 3rd party cookies. Go to tools > internet options > privacy > advanced > checkmark "override automatic cookie handling" > third party cookies > tick "block" > ok > ok.

Answer 5

cookies are just junk files that get on your computer from websites

youve visited. after awhile, they can make you computer go

slightly slower than it normally would, so yes you should delete them

when you are done on your computer for the day.



if you dont know how, right click on internet explorer, go to internet

options, and under the general tab (which is the 1st one)

click delete cookies. you should also delete you files and history.

this way, computer will run more smoothly..



hope this helped.

Answer 6

cokkies are sessions which maintain the user interactions with the server, which means tht when the user visits the web page cookie will remmber u and save in the computer which are temporary internet files , cookies contains name and value pair ,as cookie contains text data if there is any virus iny text data it will spread in the computers harddisk.so in internet explorer go to tools option and disable the cookies it is safe for computer

Answer 7

These links should give you a clear explanation :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTTP_cookie

http://www.howstuffworks.com/cookie.htm

Yes, when too many cookies accumulate in your PC, they do reduce the internet speed. You can safely delete them, without in any way affecting the other programs, or software in your PC.

Answer 8

They sure won't help your speed.

I clean as much from my caches, when I get off the internet, as I can.

If a site requires cookies and you clean ( delete them ) the next time you go to the site it will just put them back.

Get rid of them.

Answer 9

Try Spybot Search & Destroy



http://www.safer-networking.org/en/mirrors/index.html

Answer 10

files that are stored on your computer, when you surf the Net. Use CCleaner to clear the cookies and all the redundant files, that may slow your computer.

Answer 11

Yeah cookies are just junk files you accumulate as you visit websites yes delete them so they eventually dont flood your whole harddrive with crap.

Answer 12

Click on programs, click on accessories, select system tools, select disc cleanup, select which hard drive letter usually C ,select temporary internet files select delete!

That's it!

Answer 13

hmmm probably not from cookies but probably slow because of spyware and viruses!