...a small text file that is placed in the computer by some websites that the user visits. The website reads the text file the next time the user visits the site, letting the site keep track of a user's preferences. This way, the web browsing experience is personalised becasue the site remembers details such as a logo name, which operating system is used, which version of Microsoft Media Player is running, and what a user prefers to view while visiting. A website might also know what has been previously purchased, and it can guess what a user will want to see on the next visit.

There are several types of cookies:

• Persistent: These cookies remain on the computer even when your browser is closed down.
• Temporary: These cookies are stored on the computer only during a browsing session and are deleted when the browser is closed down.
• First Party: These cookies are sent to a computer from the website being viewed. They can be persistent or temporary and are generally harmless.
• Third Party: These cookies are sent to a computer from a website not presently being viewed. They generally come from advertisers on the website that is being viewed, and these cookies track web page use for advertising and marketing purposes.
• Session: A session cookie is a temporary cookie that is deleted from a computer when the browser is closed.

Because cookies can store information on your computer such as a login name or even a password, deleting cookies should be a routine part of computer maintenance. To do this, open up your browser (in this example we are using Internet Explorer 7), then select Internet Options from the Tools menue at the top of the page. On the General tab select the 'Delete' button (arrowed).

You will then be presented with several option, depending upon what you want to delete. We recommend you delete everything!

Quick and Easy Cookie Disposal?

Want to get rid of cookies and temporary internet files quickly and easily? Download an excellent bit of free software from Finn Ekberg Christiansen & Delphi. This clever stuff does it all with a few clicks of a button - try it and see!