Even though you configured your browser to manage cookies in the last Step, there are some extra things you can do to better protect your privacy: getting rid of the ones you already have. There are two approaches to doing this. The first one, and the one I most strongly recommend, is simply to keep your computer from maintaining cookies. This is very different from setting your browser up to deny cookies altogether, which some security professionals and many computer magazines recommend. Unfortunately, doing that will make half the web unavailable to you. But, there are a few little tricks to simply keep your browser from keeping them permanently, so you still have full usability of websites, but they can't track you from session-to-session by the cookies themselves. The only downside is that you may have to re-enter passwords every time you restart your browser and use, say, Yahoo or Hotmail. You may also lose some "personalization" features at certain websites (which is usually a good thing if you're at all privacy or security conscious: usually folks don't want websites knowing too much about them.) In my experience, that's a pretty small inconvenience considering the major privacy and security benefits for keeping cookies off your computer entirely.
The other alternative is for the folks who absolutely cannot put up with something so simple as putting in your screen name and password when you want to use Yahoo or something, there is an option for you. But let me stress that I really recommend against this. However, if you're adamant about this, go here now. Otherwise, continue reading below.
Ok, so, if you recognize the need to keep permanently-saved cookies off your computer, stay with me. I've created a batch file that will delete cookie files off your hard disk automatically. You can download it here. You must save it as C:\CLEAN.BAT
Now, just go to your Start menu, select Run, and type or paste in this line exactly as it appears right here: c:\windows\command\edit c:\autoexec.bat and click Open. Now, add a line at the top of the resulting text file: CALL C:\CLEAN.BAT C:\WINDOWS (if you use Windows NT or 2000, substitute WINNT for WINDOWS. You may also substitute another drive letter if your Windows is on another drive.) Save and exit.
Reboot and follow the instructions on the screen. Your cookies and other stuff are cleaned out permanently!
Now, just delete that entry you made in autoexec.bat a minute ago. Again, from the Start/Run menu, enter c:\windows\command\edit c:\autoexec.bat then click Open and then edit out that line you added.
The reason why it has to be done this way is because there is peculiar problem with Windows in that it will not simply let you completely delete cookies. Plus, Windows Me and XP do not really have DOS, so you're kind of stuck doing it this way. Unless you want me to walk you through a bunch DOS commands (which I can do, later on) I suggest you use this batch file.
What this will do: Deleting cookies prevents you from being tracked around the Internet by eliminating (mostly) the ability of websites to be able to identify you, which is the primary purpose of a cookie. They still will be able to set temporary (per-session) cookies that are good for as long as your browser is running in this session. They get deleted when you exit your browser. Usually, you will have to log into email or chats by entering your screen name and password. Otherwise, you won't notice many differences. In fact, you might notice less ads targetting your interests, since cookies allow advertisers to know what you like. (That's one of the reasons why many people find cookies to be a major invasion of privacy, or just really eerie.) Of course, if you installed DNSKong and Proxomitron, you won't see many, if any, ads anyway. :-)
It does NOT totally eliminate the possibility of websites tracking you or profiling you. If you log in to, say, Yahoo, and visit certain shopping sites there, your browsing habits and interests can still be tracked. But as long as you don't login first, then tracking you is much harder.
If you subscribe to newsletter on Yahoo, Hotmail or the like, it won't prevent you from getting them while you're actually logged in, because when you log in, you identify yourself. Also, some websites still collect marketing and other information on you when you're logged in. There's generally not much you can do at the computer level to change that, though you might have some options to opt-out of that. Check the privacy policies at individual sites or Junkbusters to find out more about this.
If you downloaded and ran my cookie eliminator file, you're pretty much done with this step and can move on.
If you wanted to know exactly what the batch file does, or to remove cookies manually, I've listed exactly how to do it from DOS here. However, you'll need to restart in DOS in order to carry them out, so you'll have to print this if this is the route you want to go. Also, some versions of Windows (Me and XP) don't have a full implementation of DOS. I don't think XP even has DOS, so you will have to use my batch file if you want to delete your cookies. Sorry, blame Microsoft for that. Anyway, click on that link if you want to use the DOS commands and print it. Otherwise, skip to the next step.
Click here to go back to Step 4.
Click here to go on to Step 6.
In case you get lost, this page is located at http://www.oocities.org/yosponge/cookiecl.html
