Deleting cookies

[jillruss]

From various threads on here it seems that deleting specific cookies can sometimes solve problems with that website.

I know how to delete ALL cookies but can''t work out how to delete SPECIFIC cookies. Help and Support does not appear to cover this.  e.g I'm having problems with the Ancestry DNA pages and, whilst I know that some of the hitches are at their end, it has been suggested that clearing their cookie(s) might help.

Q. How do I do this (non-techy words please) - no way do I want to delete all cookies, too many passwords will be forgotten!

[hallmark]

Depends on Browser you're using as to where to find them.....



Firefox

Tools> Options> Privacy> Manage Data

Select any you want to delete        then         Remove Selected

[Mart 'n' Al]

If you search on the internet for the name of your browser, and the words "cookie manager" you will find there is a selection of add-ons available. Everything I read these days seems to say delete your cookies, but cookies are there for a reason and usually make your experience better. There is such a downside to deleting all of them. I strongly recommend just deleting the ones that you are currently interested in.

Martin

[Gadget]

Firefox is as Hallmark says.  For Chrome:

Delete specific cookies
Delete cookies from a site

    On your computer, open Chrome.
    At the top right, click More More and then Settings.
    At the bottom, click Advanced.
    Under "Privacy and security," click Content settings.
    Click Cookies and then See all cookies and site data.
    At the top right, search for the website's name.
    To the right of the site, click Remove Remove.

https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95647?co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop&hl=en

I only use those two.


Gadget

PS - if this is for your Ancestry cookies - their DNA section seems to be chaotic at the moment and  I found that deleting their cookies isn't solving these new probs 

[jillruss]

Thanks, all.  I should have said that I use Firefox so followed Hallmark's instructions and got there.

However, there are hundreds of the things (my PC is ancient) and - in most cases - I've absolutely no way of telling from their website name exactly what they are. Martin is right - I'm worried that I'll delete something vital!

If I just delete the Ancestry DNA cookie (this is the one that MAY be causing my problems) will I simply have to remember my password next time I try to open the site - or is it more complicated than that?

Another question: if I delete a whole swathe of them, will it free up space on my PC and help it to go faster?

[hallmark]

Thanks, all.  I should have said that I use Firefox so followed Hallmark's instructions and got there.

However, there are hundreds of the things (my PC is ancient) and - in most cases - I've absolutely no way of telling from their website name exactly what they are. Martin is right - I'm worried that I'll delete something vital!
 

Another question: if I delete a whole swathe of them, will it free up space on my PC and help it to go faster?

Of course it will....you can even see Size and when they were last used. See what is written at top.


Then Click on  Last Used


If you get most recent ones first  .......then click on Last Used again and you get them in reverse order

[Mart 'n' Al]

I really didn't know that you could delete individual cookies using Chrome. That must be a new feature since I started using a cookie manager add-on. It's very useful to know.

I don't think you will stop anything working by deleting cookies, but they do serve a purpose, and you might have to reconfigure a website to your liking if you delete the wrong ones.

I haven't experimented, but I've heard it said that you should be very careful about what cookies are doing if you do things like booking a flight online, as it might keep a record of your activity in recent days and prices might change accordingly. I have no evidence of this, so decide for yourself.

Martin

[jillruss]

Thanks but mine only gives a bare minimum of info on each cookie. No 'Last Used' to click on. Even the 'cookie name' is in meaningless (to me) letter shorthand e.g. ga or ffn. No indication of when it was last used but there is an expiry date showing for each one. The ones I can identify are mostly ones I want to keep!

There are so many, I think the grim reaper will come for me before I can go into each one individually to discover what it is and if I want to keep it! 

[hallmark]

 
What Version of Firefox are you using??