cookies - how to keep?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Yabbadoo
  • Start date Start date
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Yabbadoo

My system is set to automatically delete cookies (automatic housekeeping).
There's a couple of cookies I would like to keep permanently (site
log-ins) - short of manual selective deletion, is there a way to protect
them from deletion ?
 
Yabbadoo said:
My system is set to automatically delete cookies (automatic
housekeeping). There's a couple of cookies I would like to keep
permanently (site log-ins) - short of manual selective deletion, is
there a way to protect them from deletion ?
Click to expand...

I don't believe so. That would be nice, though.

--
Frank Saunders, MS-MVP, IE/OE
Please respond in Newsgroup only. Do not send email
http://www.fjsmjs.com
Protect your PC
http://www.microsoft.com./athome/security/protect/default.aspx
http://defendingyourmachine.blogspot.com/
 
Agreed, but your PC is only a machine - how does it distinguish between the
ones you want & the ones you don't want.
Ask MS to do a fix :-)
 
I only allow SpyBot Search and Destroy to handle my cookies. You can choose
which ones you want the program to ignore.

--
Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User

Quote from: George Ankner
"If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!"
 
Yabbadoo said:
My system is set to automatically delete cookies (automatic housekeeping).
There's a couple of cookies I would like to keep permanently (site
log-ins) - short of manual selective deletion, is there a way to protect
them from deletion ?
Click to expand...
What program are you using to delete the cookies? Browser-external? Which
browser are you using? If it's Firefox, you have the option to allow/block
cookies in Tools->Options->Privacy->Cookies. You may also set their lifetime
(session/expiring).
 
Thanks, Frank, JohnF and Richard.
I was pondering along the lines of changing the file attributes for "wanted"
cookies, but I guess that's too simplistic (apart from which, no doubt the
malicious cookie makers would cotton on PDQ and load them with protection
against deletion - thus compounding the existing problem).

I do have Spybot S&D, but several other more comprehensive utilities too -
might be overkill, but I've yet to find ONE program which finds everything,
so I run a sequence. Must have done something right, it's years since I had
an infestation - at least 2 pc's ago if not 3, and I only change about every
3 - 4 years, when necessary).

Cookie prob is especially a bane when permanently on-line (via cable) and no
"off" switch on the modem, hence the need for constant clear-out.
 
I think you under a bit of a miscomprehension in that last par.
AFAIK, cookies are only downloaded when you visit an I'net site.
 
No misconception - (miscomprehension).

The cookies I'd like to keep/protect are the ones which retain site log-in
ID's for "subscribed" sites which require user log-in - these are not
re-dowloaded if already extant, and save time in id look-up and keying.
About a dozen, all told. Nor do they compromise security on "secure" sites
(like banks), just save looking up the user ID. They do NOT store the
passwords.

Over any day, we accumulate about 30 "unwanted" ones (wife and daughter
surf, too) - hence my obsession with housekeeping.
 
Try AutoComplete for your sites that you want to keep your login info, and,
as mentioned, Firefox has a password type manager which gives you the option
to save all that data.
 
Yabbadoo said:
No misconception - (miscomprehension).

The cookies I'd like to keep/protect are the ones which retain site log-in
ID's for "subscribed" sites which require user log-in - these are not
re-dowloaded if already extant, and save time in id look-up and keying.
About a dozen, all told. Nor do they compromise security on "secure" sites
(like banks), just save looking up the user ID. They do NOT store the
passwords.

Over any day, we accumulate about 30 "unwanted" ones (wife and daughter
surf, too) - hence my obsession with housekeeping.
Click to expand...
Another option may be to get a password manager. I found a pretty good
one that allows up to 20 passwords for free and unlimited for a small fee.
Take a look at Password Depot 2.

gls858
 
Ivee, gls858, thanks for the input.
I've been wary of password managers (obvious target for "crackers" - am I
paranoid?).
Method I use is a "notepad" text doc, named BIOS SETTINGS ( not really, but
you get the point - it ISN'T named "passwords" ). It's on the desktop - I
just copy/paste the detail (and the passwords are memory triggers - for
example "She who must be obeyed" = wife's name)
For ease of use, the "remember me" (= cookie) on several sites is
preferable, but Notepad works just fine. If I were really paranoid, I
wouldn't trust cookies at all!
 
Why not copy of the cookies you want to keep to another folder, then create a
..bat file to clear cookie folder and copy cookies back to the cleared folder.
 
In Yabbadoo <[email protected]> had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:
My system is set to automatically delete cookies (automatic
housekeeping). There's a couple of cookies I would like to keep
permanently (site log-ins) - short of manual selective deletion, is
there a way to protect them from deletion ?
Click to expand...

Well, it's not completely what you're after - having read the thread...

Karen's Cookie Viewer:
http://www.karenware.com/powertools/ptcookie.asp

I use Iolo's System Mechanic which allows me to selectively save or delete
cookies. I have a few dozen (preferences for search engines and various
forums) that I don't allow to be deleted.

Galen
--

"But there are always some lunatics about. It would be a dull world
without them."

Sherlock Holmes
 
Sounds good - will investigate further. THanks!
Galen said:
In Yabbadoo <[email protected]> had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:


Well, it's not completely what you're after - having read the thread...

Karen's Cookie Viewer:
http://www.karenware.com/powertools/ptcookie.asp

I use Iolo's System Mechanic which allows me to selectively save or delete
cookies. I have a few dozen (preferences for search engines and various
forums) that I don't allow to be deleted.

Galen
--

"But there are always some lunatics about. It would be a dull world
without them."

Sherlock Holmes
Click to expand...
 
Hmmm .. back to school for me, for this one. I remember .bat files from good
old DOS 3 and up, but in Windows ??!! Good idea, if I can get it to work.
Thanks for the idea - sounds good.
 
Yabbadoo said:
Ivee, gls858, thanks for the input.
I've been wary of password managers (obvious target for "crackers" - am I
paranoid?).
Method I use is a "notepad" text doc, named BIOS SETTINGS ( not really, but
you get the point - it ISN'T named "passwords" ). It's on the desktop - I
just copy/paste the detail (and the passwords are memory triggers - for
example "She who must be obeyed" = wife's name)
For ease of use, the "remember me" (= cookie) on several sites is
preferable, but Notepad works just fine. If I were really paranoid, I
wouldn't trust cookies at all!
Click to expand...
Check the site. All passwords are encrypted and the master password to
open the program isn't stored in the system. You forget it and you're SOL.
Also it has a auto complete function and a random password generator. It
has a color code bar that indicates complexity from Red to weak to dark
blue for safe. Using the auto complete lets you use really complex passwords
since you don't have to type them. I have to remember about 15 passwords
for all the different accounts and servers. I've become very dependant on
it.

gls858
 
Easy. Find the cookies you want to keep. They are under Documents and
Settings / Your username / Cookies. Mark the ones you want to keep as read
only.

courtney sends...

Frank Saunders said:
I don't believe so. That would be nice, though.

--
Frank Saunders, MS-MVP, IE/OE
Please respond in Newsgroup only. Do not send email
http://www.fjsmjs.com
Protect your PC
http://www.microsoft.com./athome/security/protect/default.aspx
http://defendingyourmachine.blogspot.com/
Click to expand...




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