Computer Basics & Beyond

This section covers how to use Internet Explorer's privacy settings to manage cookies, block cookies, view cookies, remove cookies and how to set your cookie privacy level. For detailed instructions, open your Internet Explorer browser, click on Help, select Contents and Index, click the Index tab, and type in cookies.

For more information about cookies, read What are Cookies and What are the types of Cookies?.

To control cookies on a per-site basis click on "Tools" and choose "Internet Options". Select "Privacy", in the "Settings" section click "Sites". Type the address of the website you want to Allow or Block in the "Address of the Web site:" box located on the Per Site Privacy Actions window (Per Site Privacy Actions Screenshot).

Setting your cookie privacy level allows you to control the privacy settings you want your browser to enforce for all web sites. The default setting is "Medium" ( blocks third party cookies ). To change your privacy settings click "Tools", "Internet Options" and select the "Privacy" tab. On the privacy tab, move the slider up for a high level of privacy and down for a low level of privacy (Privacy Tab Screenshot).

To set advanced privacy settings click "Tools", "Internet Options" and select the "Privacy" tab. On the privacy tab click "Advanced", check the box "Override automatic cookie handling" and make your selections (Advanced Privacy Settings Screenshot).

To view stored cookies in IE open the "Tools" menu, and choose "Internet Options". Choose "Settings" from the "Temporary Internet files" area. Select "View Files", and the "Temporary Internet Files" folder will open. All Cookie files will look like the following example: .

To remove a particlual cookie, "click a cookie" and select "Remove Cookie". To remove all cookies at one time select "Delete Cookies" on the "General" tab (Internet Options Screenshot).

Never try to edit a cookie file on your computer!