How to Clean AOL Cookies

Cookies use space on your computer's disk; removing them clears up space.

All web browsers store cookies, unless you specifically set them not to. A cookie is a message that gets sent from a website's web server to your browser whenever you visit a site. The role of a cookie is to monitor information about web page traffic. Cookies can also record information. Indiana University states that shopping sites use them to keep your personal details, so you don't have to type them in for every visit. The method for cleaning AOL cookies differs slightly depending on what version of the browser you use.

Instructions

1. Open the AOL browser on your computer.

2. Find the AOL Toolbar, located at the top of the browser and select "Settings" or "Keyword." AOL versions 8.0 or lower will have a settings section. If you use AOL 9.0 select "Keyword" from the browser's toolbar menu.

3. Select "Go to Keyword" if using AOL 9.0 from the menu that pops up under "Keyword." A box will pop up that has a search box you can type into. Click "Preferences" from the "Settings" menu if using AOL 8.0 or lower.

4. Type "Browser Settings" into the search box and then click "Go." In AOL 8.0 or lower, click "Internet Properties" from the menu.

5. Click on the "Clear My Footprints" tab in the "Browser Settings" box for AOL 9.0. In AOL 8.0 or below, click "Delete Files" and then "OK," finishing the cookie cleaning process.

6. Chose the "Select Footprints to Clear" button located in the box under the "Clear My Footprints" tab. A new box that has five options will appear.

7. Tick the third box from the top titled "Cookies" with your mouse. You may also want to tick the "Browsing History" box and the "Browser Cache" box. Clearing out the history and cache can help your browser run more smoothly, according to AOL. Clearing the cache will mean that the most up to date version of a web page will load when you visit it.

8. Click the "Clear Selected Footprints" at the bottom of the "Select Footprints to Clear" box. When the clearing process finishes, click the "Close" button at the bottom of the box.

Tips & Warnings

• Clean your cookies, history and cache regularly to ensure your browser runs optimally.

References

• Indiana University, University Information Technology Services: What Are Cookies?
• AOL Help: Clear Cookies, Cache, History and Footprints on AOL 9.0 and higher