Modifications to Remove Internet Cookies and Such


	WindowsÒ has several undesirable features, that routinely collect and save Internet website data, commonly called "cookies", on your computer. Worse yet, the operating system makes it very difficult to delete the data. First, the Internet Explorer does not have a feature to delete cookie files or cookie data. Secondly, Windows stores some of the data in locked files.

	WindowsÒ deposits cookie data in at least four (4) different places. First, there is the usual "cookie.txt" file, created and saved in a folder associated with your Internet Provider (the "C:\CompuServe 7.0" folder on UserName machine). Secondly, WindowsÒ records website data in the C:\WINDOWS\COOKIES and C:\WINDOWS\TEMPORARY INTERNET FILES\CONTENT.IE5 folders. There are two (2) types of files here. One is a unique "Index.dat" file in each folder. The two (2) Index.dat files are associated with the Internet Explorer application. They are always locked (and therefore inaccessible), because the Internet Explorer is integrated with the operating system and is always open. Finally, there are "cookie-type" files that the Internet Explorer stores in the C:\WINDOWS\COOKIES subdirectory. In summary, we have the following cookie data files:

	A.	C:\Documents and Settings\Default User\Cookies\Index.dat

	B.	C:\Documents and Settings\UserName\Cookies\Index.dat

	C.	C:\WINDOWS\PCHealth\HelpCtr\OfflineCache\Index.dat

	D.	C:\WINDOWS\system32\config\systemprofile\Cookies\Index.dat

	E.	C:\Documents and Settings\UserName\\Cookies\*.*
	 	(various cookie-type files in this folder)

	F.	C:\Program Files\CompuServe 7.0\gecko\usr\Profiles\BMotin\gxv4v392.slt\*.*
		(Cookies.txt file in this folder)

	I took the following steps to rid and regularly clean these files from UserName system:

	1.	WindowsÒ Bootup Phase:

			A.	Delete the three (3) Index.dat files, using the C:\XP.CMD file during the bootup phase. This file loads under DOS, before WindowsÒ loads. Therefore, the three (3) Index.dat files are not locked, when XP.CMD loads and it can delete them

			B.	Copy the C:\HCM1.DAT and C:\HCM3.DAT replacement files to C:\Documents and Settings\UserName\Cookies\Index.dat and C:\WINDOWS\system32\config\systempprofile\Cookies\Index.dat, respectively


	2.	CompuServe 7.0 ISP Application Startup, Using the CS.BAT Batch File:

			A.	Delete the Cookie.txt file in C:\Program Files\CompuServe 7.0\Gecko\usr\Profiles\Bmotin\gxv4v392.slt\

			B.	Delete all files in the directory, C:\Program Files\CompuServe 7.0\Gecko\usr\Profiles\Bmotin\gxv4v392.slt\Cache\


	3.	Internet Explorer Application Startup, Using the IE5.BAT Batch File:

			A.	Delete the cookie-type files in C:\Documents and Settings\UserName\Cookies\


	Note that I replace only two (2) of the three (3) Index.dat files (with C:\HCM1.DAT and C:\HCM3.DAT). These are simply renamed Index.dat files, saved under empty cookie data conditions (default Index.dat files). I could delete the Index.dat files during the bootup and not replace them. WindowsÒ would then create default Index.dat files during bootup. The bootup would take a little longer, however. I have not yet created a HCM2.DAT file for the Index.dat file stored under C:\WINDOWS\PCHealth\HelpCtr\OfflineCache\. WindowsÒ has not yet recreated a default Index.dat file in that directory.

	Note that the above steps are not fully effective, if one uses the Internet in two (2) or  more separate sessions, without shutting down the computer in between each one. Basically, the Index.dat files will contain website information from all Internet visits between the last bootup and this next visit. The Index.dat files cannot be cleaned (by erasing them and replacing them with default ones) until the next bootup.