# Questions about cookies and internet history **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 26, 2002, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-cookies-and-internet-history/116045 "2002-06-26T15:15:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cichlidiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f9b8f/32.png) [@cichlidiot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cichlidiot)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-cookies-and-internet-history/116045/1 "2002-06-26T15:15:55Z")
Is it okay to delete my internet history folder? I am using IE and all the sites I have found mention Netscape Navigator. I know how to delete the folder, and that’s really the only information I could find, a “how to” on deleting it. I honestly don’t see the purpose in this folder, other than to take up needed space. Next question, is it okay to delete internet cookie folders? I notice that I have several (read: more than 10) folders with an 8 character name, eg. 8vrs1tuQ, in each of these folders is the exact same set of cookies. When I clear the cookies from one folder, they are cleared from all of them. Last question, when I run my anti-virus program (AVG), it still scans each one of those cookie folders for a virus even though they are deleted (not in my recycle bin either, same filepath as before). This is not a huge deal, but it really adds a lot of time onto the virus sweeping time. It behaves as if the cookies are still present, why does it do this? ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-cookies-and-internet-history/116045/2 "2002-06-26T18:42:35Z")
As for deleting, I think it’s perfectly safe to delete the contents of the folders, but I wouldn’t recommend deleting the folders themselves. Most likely, IE will recreate them, but you never know. I’m not sure about your virus program. Also, you may want to check out TweakUI, which is a window utility that allows you to clear out history, cookies, and other stuff, as well as having other useful tools. ---
**Author:** ![cichlidiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f9b8f/32.png) [@cichlidiot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cichlidiot)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-cookies-and-internet-history/116045/3 "2002-06-26T20:32:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SenorBeef \* > \*\* > > Also, you may want to check out TweakUI, which is a window utility that allows you to clear out history, cookies, and other stuff, as well as having other useful tools. \*\* Thank you **SenorBeef** , sounds like a great suggestion. I didn’t realize utilities like that existed. Will be sure to look into it. I’ll leave the folders alone (for now, I really want them gone), until I find some more information. I’ve left them alone to this point, as I’m sure they’re there for a purpose, but other than annoying me with duplicate cookies, I haven’t discovered it. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f9ae1b/32.png) [@kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kirk)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-cookies-and-internet-history/116045/4 "2002-06-26T20:43:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cichlidiot \* > \*\*Is it okay to delete my internet history folder? You can delete it, but it will just be recreated the next time you use IE. The purpose of the folder is to store a list of the webpages that you have visited. If you don’t want IE to save this information, go to TOOLS/INTERNET OPTIONS and set the History to 0 days. > [@](#): > > Next question, is it okay to delete internet cookie folders? I notice that I have several (read: more than 10) folders with an 8 character name, eg. 8vrs1tuQ, in each of these folders is the exact same set of cookies. When I clear the cookies from one folder, they are cleared from all of them. Those weirdly named files aren’t cookie folders. Those are “special” folders and are part of the Temporary Internet Files directory. They all seem to contain the same files because Explorer treats them as one. If you were to go to DOS and look at the contents they would all be different. They seem like “cookie” directories because they are initially sorted by file name and cookies are displayed first. Cookies are actually stored in the directory named Cookies. You can delete these directories if you wish, but new ones will be created the next time you use IE. > [@](#): > > Last question, when I run my anti-virus program (AVG), it still scans each one of those cookie folders for a virus even though they are deleted (not in my recycle bin either, same filepath as before). This is not a huge deal, but it really adds a lot of time onto the virus sweeping time. It behaves as if the cookies are still present, why does it do this? \*\* Clear your internet tempory files from TOOLS/OPTIONS first or set NAV to ignore that directory. ---
**Author:** ![cichlidiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f9b8f/32.png) [@cichlidiot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cichlidiot)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-cookies-and-internet-history/116045/5 "2002-06-26T21:46:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kirk \* > \*\* > > If you don’t want IE to save this information, go to TOOLS/INTERNET OPTIONS and set the History to 0 days. \*\* Okay, I had this set at 1 day, but changed it to 0. I don’t know, I guess I thought it would blow up on me or something if I didn’t leave some sort of history. > [@](#): > > \*\* > Cookies are actually stored in the directory named Cookies. You can delete these directories if you wish, but new ones will be created the next time you use IE. > \*\* Well, that makes a lot of sense. I’ve hesitated to delete them beause of the warning prompt I get each time. Once again, I think I’m worried I’m going to blow something up. Thank you for the information **kirk** , you are very cool and I am happy to avoid mangling my computer. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-cookies-and-internet-history/116045/6 "2002-06-26T22:19:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SenorBeef \* > \*\*As for deleting, I think it’s perfectly safe to delete the contents of the folders, but I wouldn’t recommend deleting the folders themselves. Most likely, IE will recreate them, but you never know. > > I’m not sure about your virus program. > > Also, you may want to check out TweakUI, which is a window utility that allows you to clear out history, cookies, and other stuff, as well as having other useful tools. \*\* * * * ``` I have something similar (?) called Norton CleanSweep. It is very easy to install and run. I just have to remember to use it every time I'm finished with the Internet. ``` ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2002, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-cookies-and-internet-history/116045/7 "2002-06-27T02:33:10Z")
You can get free batch files to do cleanups like this at this page: [http://www.langa.com/cleanup\_bat.htm](http://www.langa.com/cleanup_bat.htm)