[Mama Virtue]

Jason got me a new Toshiba laptop with Windows 7 back in February. I started out using Firefox, and have always had my Windows Firewall on, Avast updated. I use and run fairly regular scans, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware (best one so far that I've found) and Super Anti Spyware. After some scans by Super Anti Spyware that kept finding tracking cookies, I switched to Google Chrome per many suggestions that it was more secure.

The "worst" site I go to is occasionally Hotmail (3 times a week?), and gmail occasionally as well (no need to check often when it all goes to the crackberry anyway). I visit Fedex, USPS on a regular basis, along with our Volusion based store-front for Virtue. I go to utility, credit card (Kohl's  ) and online banking sites to pay bills (Im starting to think T-Mobile might be one tracking cookie mojammer) but this is obviously once a month, sometimes twice. I never allow pop-ups unless necessary, and very rarely download PDFs or attachments. Facebook is a once every 2 month occurrence, if that (again, crackberry)

I obviously do search things, wikipedia, all-recipes, google locations. These however are rarely daily.

My Windows 7, Chrome and anti-virus/spyware/malware are all up to date, however, being cheap, Avast is the only constantly running/scanning program. I used to visit all the same sites mentioned above on Jason's old laptop with Windows XP (same protection softwares) on Chrome. Scans once a month would find 0-40 tracking cookies, with his firewall off.

Now, I scan WEEKLY, sometimes every couple days, and Super Anti-Spyware has not found less then 73 tracking cookies since I got the laptop, I scanned last Sunday and it found 509! Yesterday, 293. I'm wondering how in the world I can go to a supposedly more secure OS and constantly be getting so many cookies. I've checked my Chrome settings (and Firefox, which I might start using again) and aside from allowing it to save some cookies, all the settings are as "secure" as possible. Malwarebytes found 2 trojans the other day that Avast didn't catch. Any ideas? Does anyone else have this problem, or had this problem after switching to 7 or Chrome? The only other thing I ever have running, and it's maybe once every two weeks is Steam.

Should I select my "Anytime Upgrade" to go to a new edition of 7 even though I install updates all the time? Make Chrome delete cookies every time I close it ?(as far as I know, tracking cookies still get through...)

[mgalusha]

Cookies are not related to which OS you use, they are sent by web sites and their affiliates. If using Firefox you can turn off 3rd party cookies and that will reduce them but some cookies are needed just to make the sites work correctly. Like that Audio Circle remembers who you are each visit? Yep, it's a cookie. They also allow the browser to tell the web server which page(s) you have seen on the site.

You might try Ad-Blocker Pro for Firefox, it stops a lot of things but unfortunately cookies are kind a of a necessity for the web to work. Server farms have  them to make sure they don't forget who you are as you may well hit a different physical machine when moving from page to page, especially true on large sites like Amazon, Google or Facebook.

mike

[srb]

I start by setting the browser to restrict all cookies, then when a website just doesn't work or I don't get the full functionality I need, I will add that site to the cookies allow list.
 
Cookies are necessary for most shopping carts, financial sites and to remember which topics have been viewed in forum sites like AudioCircle, but some commerce sites' browse and search functions won't even work without them.
 
Then I clean cookies at least once daily with CCleaner, which allows you to easily add sites to a Cookies to Keep list that you don't want deleted.
 
It takes a little more management time, but it definitely cuts down on unwanted cookies.
 
Steve

[richidoo]

Set Chrome to allow cookies for the current session only, and they will delete when you close the browser. I think you can set exceptions to retain some if you want, but I have not tried that. I do know that setting exceptions to exclude cookies by domain does not work in Chrome.  Don't allow 3rd party cookies. You can use Autofill to remember your login and passwords for the various sites you visit which you want them to know your identity to make logging in easier, like amazon, AC, etc.

I have been cookie free for a week now, I feel lighter. There were only a few sites that would not operate correctly without cookies enabled at all, so I allow for the current session only. I got tired of seeing targeted ads based on my cookies. Now they are all gone and all my ads are just random.

[Noseyears]

Guys, if you're concerned about privacy take a look at ghostery.
http://www.ghostery.com/

It tracks the trackers. 

[Mama Virtue]

Thanks guys, I'll check some of that out. I do have the settings for blocking 3rd party cookies set, not allowing physical location to be tracked etc. But I think I will start going through some of my cookies and start saving only the ones I need.

As far as I knew though, tracking/spyware remains active AFTER the browser is closed where as cookies should only be available when browser is open right?

[Noseyears]

As far as I knew though, tracking/spyware remains active AFTER the browser is closed where as cookies should only be available when browser is open right?

This article is very helpful, it explains everything you need to know.
http://www.spycookies.com/category/what-are-spyware-cookies/