How to Clean Up Cookies on Your PC

The word Internet.

Cookies---text-based files---are exchanged between your computer's browser and the websites you visit. Each time you view a webpage, the site downloads a cookie to your computer's hard drive. Cookies serve several purposes including storing your preferences and shopping cart, authenticating your computer or tracking your session. Cleaning up cookies on your PC requires that you remove them using your web browser's options or tools menu.

Instructions

Internet Explorer

1. Open Internet Explorer. Locate and double-click the Internet Explorer icon on your desktop. Alternatively, click "Start", point to "All Programs" and click "Internet Explorer."

2. Open your "Delete Browsing History" options. On the Command Bar, click "Safety", then click "Delete Browsing History."

3. Delete all cookies. Click the check box next to "Cookies" and click the "Delete" button. Internet Explorer deletes cookies from your computer's hard drive.

Firefox

1. Open Firefox. Locate and double-click the Firefox icon on your desktop. Alternatively, click "Start", point to "All Programs", then "Mozilla Firefox" and click "Firefox" from the pop-up menu.

2. Open the "Options" window. Click "Tools", then "Options." Click the "Privacy" tab located along the top of the window.

3. Delete all cookies. Click the "Show Cookies" button and click the "Remove all cookies" button in the "Cookies" window. Click the "Close" button when complete.

Google Chrome

1. Open Google Chrome. Locate and double-click the Google Chrome icon on your desktop. Alternatively, click "Start", point to "All Programs" and click "Google Chrome" from the "Start" menu.

2. Open the "Options" menu. Click the tools menu---the wrench in the upper-right corner---and click the "Under the Hood" tab.

3. Delete all cookies. Click the "Clear browsing data" button. Click the check box next to "Delete cookies and other site data" and click the "Clear browsing data" button. Click the "Close" button once complete.

References

• Louisiana State University: Google Chrome: Removing Personal Information
• University of Wisconsin-Madison: Web Browsers - Clearing Cookies