How to Erase Cookies In Internet Explorer

What are cookies?

Cookies are small pieces of information in the form of text that web servers pass to your web browser while you visit a website. Usually, the browser you use stores each message in a small file named cookie.txt. Your browser sends the cookie file back to the web server when you visit the same website again. Cookies helps the websites to track the number of visit to a specific website, how long you take to visit throughout web site, you login information and some important information regarding your computer.

Where the cookies are stored?

Cookies are stored in the hard disk drive of the user. The file name in which cookie is stored in each platform is different. For Windows Operating System, cookie is stored in text files.

Are there different kinds of cookies?

Yes, there are two known types of cookies named temporary and permanent. Also known as session cookies, temporary cookies are those which are stored in a browser’s memory and automatically deleted once you close the browser window. Permanent cookies, otherwise known as persistent cookies, are those which are stored on your hard disk drive permanently. If you delete the permanent cookies, it appears again when you revisit the website that placed the cookie there.

Where you can see the cookies?

You can see cookies in a specific folder on your hard disk drive. Location of the cookies may vary depends on the version of operating system used.

If you are using either of these operating systems Windows Me, Windows 98, Windows NT or Windows 95, you can find cookies folder in one of the below mentioned locations.

1. C:\Windows\Cookies
2. C:\Windows\Profiles\Cookies

Windows XP and Windows 2000 users can find cookies folder in C:\Documents and Settings\Cookies

How to erase cookies in Internet Explorer ?

To delete cookies in internet explorer you have to perform below mentioned things

Erasing Cookies Internet Explorer 7.0:

* Select the “Tools” menu from the top of the explorer window.
* Click on “Internet Option” on the dropdown list.
* Click on “General” tab.
* You can see a “delete” button on the browsing history area. Click on that button.
* A new window named delete browsing history appears and there you can see the “delete cookies” button.
* Click “delete cookies” and then proceed by selecting ‘yes’ option.
* Click to close and then click ok.

Erasing Cookies Internet Explorer 6.x/5.x:

* Select the “Tools” menu from the top of the explorer window.
* Click on “Internet Option” on the dropdown list.
* Click on “General” tab.
* Click “Delete cookies” button on the temporary internet files area.
* Click ok to proceed.

What is index.dat file?

This file includes the URLs with date/time stamps and pointers to each and every cookie file on the hard disk. Whenever you visit a website on your PC, a cookie will be stored on your hard disk drive. At the same time, Internet Explorer updates the information of the cookie in the index.dat files and this connects a web page with a cookie file.

You can erase cookies manually, but the index.dat file which stores internet surfing information could not be deleted. It can’t be deleted manually because this file is used by windows every time.