Re: Want to clear ALL Temp Internet Files/Cookies

Close all instances of IE first before clearing Temporary Internet Files
folder and deleting cookies.

As with anything involving Temporary Internet Files, this gets confusing.

The "cookies" in the Temporary Internet Files Folder are just pointers to
the real cookies.

Real cookies are stored here >>
%userprofile%\Cookies
or
C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Cookies

The Delete Cookies button deletes the cookies here >>
%userprofile%\Cookies
or
C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Cookies

But it also deletes the pointers to the real cookies here >>
%userprofile%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files
or
C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name Here\Local Settings\Temporary Internet
Files

If you manually delete a cookie file from the Temporary Internet Files
folder, both the pointer to the Cookies folder and the cookie file located
in the Cookies folder are deleted.

If you delete a cookie from the cookies folder it leaves the pointer to the
cookie behind. But it's worthless. Just like a shortcut that does not
point to anything.

Anything related to Temporary Internet Files is smoke and mirrors.

[[When you empty the Temporary Internet Files folder in Internet Explorer,
files that start with the word "Cookie" may remain in the folder.]]

[[These files are pointers to the actual cookies that are located in the
Windows\Cookies folder. To retain the association between these pointers and
the actual cookie files, they are not deleted when you empty the Temporary
Internet Files folder. However, if you manually delete a cookie file from
the Temporary Internet Files folder, both the pointer to the Cookies folder
and the cookie file located in the Cookies folder are deleted.]]

Emptying Temporary Internet Files Folder Leaves Cookies Files
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[LN];158769

Even though IE 6.0 with Windows XP is *not* listed under The information in
this article applies to: it does apply.

To delete *all* Temporary Internet Files...

1) Start | Run | Type: inetcpl.cpl | Click OK
Or right click the Internet Explorer icon on your Desktop
Or Start | Settings | Control Panel | Internet Options
Best to do this with all instances of Internet Explorer closed. Especially
if there are a large number of files.
2) On the General Tab, in the middle of the screen, click on Delete Files
3) Check the box ? Delete all offline content {This cleans >>
%userprofile%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files
AND
%userprofile%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5
and \Content.MSO (Created by an MS Office program)}
4) Click on OK and wait for the hourglass icon to stop after it deletes the
temporary internet files
5) You can now click on Delete Cookies and click OK to delete cookies that
websites have placed on your hard drive.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In news:odffs15p7deu204655dqunca3q2fm03bfo@xxxxxxx,
Edw. Peach <bogus_addie@xxxxxxxx> hunted and pecked:
> I am confused about why I can't clear some temp internet files from
> IE. When I access Accessories > System Tools > Disk Cleanup and
> remove the temp internet files and recycle bin, and then open IE >
> Tools > Internet Options, and on the General tab, delete cookies and
> files, then check the Settings > View Files, I see about 40 files
> there, gif files, images, txt files about cookies, etc. How come this
> stuff is still here? I just cleared the cookies. It's there if I
> close IE and fire up again, without going anywhere else. I read in a
> XP book I have that copies of Windows > Cookies are stored here. I
> thought I just deleted the cookies? I don't like storing many cookies
> on my computer and try to be very careful about where I go online and
> what I do.
>
> Can I rid my computer of ALL cookies from my computer, except for the
> handful of exceptions I have listed as Trusted?

.