Tracking Cookies That are Blacklisted

Thanks John! I d/l CCleaner and Spyware Blaster. The CCleaner wiped out a bunch of files. Haven't surfed yet so don't know how Blaster works. As for Firefox, I am so leery of trying a new browser, but will think that over, and have been wanting to DARE to try it. I don't understand the username in the string to delete Classmates...I don't know anything about Admin etc. either, so I've always left that alone.

I don't know what ActiveX controls are either nor whether they are good or bad. I've USED computers in my life but till now never even tried to UNDERSTAND what I'm doing, so forgive my learning curve.

Now that you've run CCleaner, those cookies should be history, as it erases all of those types of files by default. To make sure, you can run the PCPitStop scan again, or browse to the cookie directory. (In my previous post, ''local drive'' refers to your drive letter (typically ''C''), and the ''username'' part refers to the name you use to sign into Windows.) As far as the Administrator folder goes, unless you've used the "Administrator" account , only the standard files and folders should be present.

ActiveX Controls (found in the directory ''C:\WINDOWS\Downloaded Program Files'') are a type of file that are used by numerous sites, including Microsoft Updates and PCPitStop to provide the desired content/actions. (When using an updated version of Windows XP, you sould be prompted to install such the first time you visit a site that requires it.) However, these controls can also be used for malicious purposes. SpywareBlaster takes it one step further, preventing a long list of malicious ActiveX controls from ever being installed. It all happens in the background, and you'll never be notified, but it's an extra layer of security I like to have.

Finally, when it comes to Firefox, there's little to worry about. When speaking of normal use, it's very similar to Internet Explorer, and very easy to use. Over time you'll get used to some of its powerful features, and wonder how you ever lived without them. Until then, it will blanket you in better online security. I would like to point out a few things about Firefox:
* Upon installation, it will allow you to import all of your favorites from Internet Explorer.
* Initially, you'll be prompted to download Flash and Java plugins, as Firefox doesn't have them built in. (Helps reduce the size of the initial download.) However, it ill guide you though the process, and never bug you again.
* For the time being, you have to download a fresh copy of Firefox whenever it is updated. However, they are currently preparing a version that will support automatic updates.
* A few sites, such as Windows Update, can only be accessed using Internet Explorer. In that case, you can load the site in IE, then close it and go back to Firefox.
* If you ever need any help with it, or want to take advantage of some of its features, just stop by the Browsers forum. The next representative will be with you shortly.

Hope this helps,
John


P.S. Don't think twice about your ''newbie'' status...the same can be said about me and the law...I've obided by it, but I still don't understand a lot of that legal jargin...I'd probably understand Hebrew first!

Are not all cookies in the cookies file (C:\Documents and Settings\User Name\Cookies)? If I clear cookies here does that include both IE and Firefox?
If so, using a cookie management program such as 12Ghost could be effective.
BTW, I think anyone who does even a small amount of browsing on the web should keep track of their cookies. Maybe that is another subject but that is the way the cookie crumbles. (Had to say that).

DC

1. Please read the applicable Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) article that may apply to your question but be aware that some may equally apply:

a. Internet Explorer version 5 and below:

(1) "Information About the Security Alert Message for Cookies in Internet Explorer and Outlook Express (Q154360)."

(2) "Emptying Temporary Internet Files Folder Leaves Cookies Files (Q158769)."

Note: As you can learn from the information in this article, cookie files are not removed from the TIF using this procedure. #13 below explains the cookie deleting process but even though the button labeled Delete Cookies... is used from the General tab, the cookies deleted are those in the TIF which then causes cookie deletion from the Cookies folder after the browser has been closed.

(3) "How to Disable Prompt When You Receive a Cookie (Q166326)."

Note: IOW, how to turn them on or off for all versions including Netscape.

(4) "Not Accepting Cookies (Q175662)."

(5) "Error Message When You Click Search in Internet Explorer (Q178141)."

(6) "How to Set and Customize Cookies Settings in Internet Explorer (Q196955)."

(7) "Unable to Export Favorites or Cookies (Q221045)."

( "Options Unavailable in the Import/Export Wizard (Q221067)."

(9) "Description of Persistent and Per-Session Cookies in Internet Explorer (Q223799)."

(10) "Per-Session Cookies Are Not Cleared Until You Close Browser (Q224304)."

(11) "Content Advisor Causes Server Cookies Redirection to Fail When Server Does Not Have Content Rating (Q226996)."

(12) "Description of Cookies (Q260971)."

(13) "How to Delete Cookie Files (Q278835)."

(14) "The Default Privacy Settings for Internet Explorer 6 (Q293222)."

(15) "The How and When of Cookies: Life Span and Implementation."

Note: If you've read through this document and understand the cookie gist, and if you haven't recorded any information at a site for storing to a cookie, a cookie wouldn't have anything to store other than the fact that your computer had accessed that site whether directly or indirectly and even though it gets stored with meaningless information and takes up a little drive space, there is nothing to worry about. Internet Explorer supports the initial specification, which was 300 cookies, 4,096 bytes per cookie, and 20 cookies per host or domain name.

b. Internet Explorer version 6:

(1) "How to Manage Cookies (Q283185)."

(2) "The Default Privacy Settings for Internet Explorer 6 (Q293222)."

(3) "Cookies Settings Are Not Retained After You Upgrade (Q296363)."

(4) "Cookies Are Unexpectedly Blocked or Saved on Your Computer (Q298621)."

(5) "Privacy Icon Is Displayed in the Status Bar Even Though Privacy Settings Allow Cookies (Q298636)."

(6) "How to Restore Default Settings After Importing Custom Privacy Preferences (Q301689)."

(7) "Unable to Refresh Web Page That Uses Cookies if Set to Prompt for Cookies (Q306027)."

2. This paragraph is a partially edited excerpt of the article The Web-Bug Boondoggle June 25, 2001, "Don't be suckered in by the latest security hysteria. "Web bugs" aren't the threat you fear they are" written by "Fred Langa", which you may find interesting:

Cookie hysteria, the bad rap they got several years ago when millions of people panicked because cookies were "tracking" them from site to site and "sending the collected information to spammers." A lot of companies made a lot of money--and still do--selling anticookie software to prevent this evil, covert tracking.

I adds a personal note here: Do you know of anyone who really got caught up in the Y2K (year 2000) process and that all banks failed, all airplanes fell out of the sky, etc. -- how I'd like to have all that money they earned from hype.

Of course, the great cookie scare turned out to be almost entirely groundless. Cookies are just static text files (you can open any cookie with NotePad or your favorite text editor), and they normally record prosaic information such as "this person already saw ad number X from us today, don't show him the same one again." Or: "Here's a returning visitor who's previously logged in. Instead of asking for her password again, use the password stored in this private cookie."

Most cookies are not only benign; they're helpful. But because they normally use space-saving codes (example: a "1" might mean "returning visitor who's previously registered"), they seem mysterious, and thus cause some people to freak out.

3. The article [Q229940] explains and give instructions for disabling the password caching feature in Internet Explorer -- which has nothing to do with cookies -- by manually editing the system registry.

And I did receive! Thanks cursorcowboy. I have saved your answer in a file so I can refer to it and spend some time on it.

DC

OMG, guess I'm one of those ''loonies'' in your quote,(despite being a fella Texan heah in the Hill Country) but this list of things to read is overwhelming in itself! I will try and slog through all this and see if anything sticks. I appreciate the thoroughness of your answer and all the info and promise to give it a good study.

I know this because frequently when running spyware scans on computers, after clearing out the standard Cookies folder for Internet Explorer, the spyware scan will still find inappropriate cookies from the Firefox cache. Internet Explorer stores cookies in the location you mentioned..Likewise, it stores the Temporary Internet Files "cache" in the C\Documents and Settings\Username\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files.

But Firefox uses a different "cache" location. The cookies are stored in two files "cookies.txt" and "hostperm.1" that reside in the C\Documents and Settings\Username\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\default.1g9(or something similar) folder. The TIF/cache files are stored in the C\Documents and Settings\Username\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\default.1g9(or something similar)\Cache. If I remember correctly, AOL's browser also stores it's cache at a different location as well.

Hope this helps.

Grif

those two files. I do not have C\Documents and Settings\Username\ApplicationData\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\default.1g9(or something similar) folder.
I do not even have C\Documents and Settings\Username\ApplicationsSettings\Username\
Applications. I have other subfolders but not "Applications"
I searched the two files but came up with nothing.
In view of what I am reading here, this might be a moot point. On the other hand if I should clear the cookies in Firefox at some point I need to know where they are.

DC

Your computer DOES have an "Application Data" folder as per previously designated, not an "Applications" folder.

Try this one:

C\Documents and Settings\Username\Application Data\Phoenix\Profiles\Default\cetrb0gr.slt

This also contains cache and cookies.txt files.

If your computer doesn't have the path below, then is should have the path above.:

C\Documents and Settings\Username\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\default.1g9

My computer has both. Then again, I've installed and uninstalled multiple versions of Firefox on this machine.

Hope this helps.

Grif

that path.
Here is what I did. Right click on "start", click on "explore". I am now looking at window "Start Menu". The heading "Folders" includes "Documents and Settings". Under that are "Administrator", "All Users", and "Username" (my name). After that are "Program Files", etc.
I can not find any mention of "Application Data".

Although I can not find a "path" to the cookies in Firefox I have "located" them. While in Firefox I clicked on Tools, Options, Privacy, Cookies, View Cookies. I am now in the "Cookie Manager" (a new found Firefox plus) and can save and/or delete at will.
I haven't digested all of the posts in this thread so maybe Cookie Manager" has been mentioned.
I am still curious at to why I can not get to them via the path you mention. Or, why "Application Data" is not mentioned on my PC.
Oh well, I got there.
As always, many thanks for your help.

DC

First, it appears like you don't have the settings set to "Show All Files" so RIGHT click on Start, choose "Explore". When the Explorer window opens, click on "Tools", choose "Folder Options", then click on the "View" tab. When that loads, place a dot/tick in the "Show hidden files and folders", then UNCHECK the box next to "Hide file extensions for known files types" and UNCHECK the box next to "Hide protected operating system files". Click on "Apply", then OK.

Next, you should be able to find the path described before by following the procedure YOU described earlier..If necessary, click on the + sign next to "Username" to display all the subfolders.

Although you have correctly used Firefox to find the Cookies settings, the Windows Explorer path I mentioned earlier IS there and you WILL find it eventually..LOL.

Hope this helps.

Grif

Thanks for your tenacity, Grif. That clears everything up.
I have a relatively new PC and I thought that column looked kinda' short. Now I know why.
Thanks again for hanging in there with me.

DC

I couldn't understand why you weren't seeing the appropriate folders till you described exactly which folders were present.

Good job!

Grif

I had aready emptied cookies/files. But scan showed the two blacklisted ones still there.

I did go in and block classmates.com on IE. Does blocking the cookie still let me check on the site if I want to?

Thanks so much for the tip/info.

If the website requires a cookie to be placed on your computer, then NO, the site won't work correctly when you attempt to visit it.

Next, you haven't described exactly where the problem cookies are being found..After clearing the Cookies folder, they shouldn't be there..Did you check the folder manually to be sure they were gone? It is possible that you've previously deleted them in Spybot and as a result, they're being detected in Spybot's "Undo" section. The same is possible in Ad-Aware...

So....open Ad-Aware, then click on the yellow "lock icon" in the upper right to open the Quarantine Manager. Select and "Delete" all entries from that location.

Next, open Spybot, then click on the "Recovery" button on the left side of the window, then highlight and "Purge" all the listed items from the list.

Hope this helps.

Grif

Ok did the SpyBot and AdAware deletions; cleared the cookie things (again) too - but classmates.com is still there when I run PCPitStop (partner2profit has been swept away!) I do not know where classmates.com is, I cannot find it.

I didn't realize I could/should empty the quarantined files in AdAware and SpyBot - thanks. Is this just a once in awhile thing to do or should I do it each time? Why do they create these backup areas if we should empty them? (I know ya'll are gonna get tired of me asking so many questions, each one leading to another.) Why don't ya'll write a book, you are so good! None of the books I've picked through have held a candle to what ya'll have done for me. Thanks, I am beholden for sure!!

...It's a personal decision..Spybot and Ad-Aware place deleted items in a "Quarantine" for the "just in case" situation. Should their removal create a problem, you can always restore the removed items..Then again, if it's been a while since their removal and there are no problems, cleaning up the Quarantine area helps save space and lets other programs run smoother.

As to where the classmates.com cookie is, it's hard to say..Have you temporarily disabled System Restore? It's possible that Pitstop is finding it in the SR files and none of the other programs do...No matter though...The classmates.com cookie really isn't a serious issue..I'm not sure I'd really call it a major spyware concern. If other spyware removal tools still find it, they should tell you where it's located.. If they don't find it, I'm not sure it's a problem. At some point, simply ignore it..

Hope this helps.

Grif

the list from displaying so they may be removed individually or by clicking the button labeled "Remove All" the list is found in the system registry:

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet
Settings\P3P\History\<blocked cookie name>

Hexadecimal DWORD Value of five (5)

The P3P 'History' key w/entries can be preserved by right-clicking on it and then selecting 'Export'. The contents of the saved .REG file can be imported back into the registry at any time by right-clicking on it and then selecting 'Open with...' / 'Registry editor'.

I apologize in advance for being so lacking in knowledge, but how do I get to where the system registry is?

And what is Hexadecimal DWORD Value of five (5)?

I am in pre-school re workings of these computers! Thanks.

You can access the registry directly by going start->run, and typing in ''regedit'' (without the quotation marks). However, you don't need to access the registry at this point...Wayne's post is a solution to a problem that might come up in the future, and thus not something you need to do at this time. In addition, it's advised that only computer geeks travel through that neck of the woods unless necessary, as modifying registry entries can cause serious problems. (There are ways of fixing what might occur, but it can get complicated.)

Hope this helps,
John

Great Info, will check this all out and add those cookies that are not already on this list. Each and every time I do a step I learn more. Thanks so much for going to the trouble of adding this info.