Cookies

• What is a cookie?
• What is it's purpose?
• How will it help me?
• How do I accept cookies?
• How do I see the cookies I've accepted?

What is a cookie?

A very small text file placed on your hard drive by a Web Page server. It is essentially your identification card, and cannot be work as code or deliver viruses. It is uniquely yours and can only be read by the server that gave it to you.

What is it's purpose?

To tell the server that you returned to that web page.

How will it help me?

It saves you time.

If you personalise pages, or register for products or services, a cookie helps Microsoft remember who you are.

Next time you return, we know to show you the information you requested. Or, when you register for another product or service, all you need to do is type in your e-mail address and a password. We then fill in any questions you've already answered. Of course, if you never register or leave personal information with Microsoft, then the server only knows that someone with your cookie has returned to the Web site. You are in charge of deciding whether we know anything about you. But the more you tell us about yourself, the more we can help you find information or products you want.

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How do I accept cookies?

You can order your browser to accept all cookies or to alert you every time a cookie is offered. Then you can decide whether to accept one or not.

If you're using Internet Explorer 6.0

1. Choose Tools, then
2. Internet Options
3. Click the Privacy tab
4. Default setting is medium. Move the slider to determine which setting you prefer
5. You can also click on Advanced for specialised cookie treatment

If you're using Internet Explorer 5.0

1. Choose Tools, then
2. Internet Options
3. Click the Security tab
4. Click Internet, then Custom Level
5. Scroll down to Cookies and choose one of the two options.

If you are using Netscape Navigator 7.0

1. On your Task Bar, click:
2. Edit, then
3. Preferences, then
4. Privacy and Security
5. Click on Cookies
6. Set your cookies preferences.

If you're using Netscape Communicator 4.0

1. On your Task Bar, click:
2. Edit, then
3. Preferences, then
4. Click on Advanced
5. Set your options in the box labelled Cookies

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How do I see the cookies I've accepted?

If you're using Internet Explorer 6.0

1. On your task bar, click:
2. Tools, then
3. Internet Options
4. Under the tab General (the default tab) click
5. Settings, then
6. View Files

If you're using Internet Explorer 5.0

1. On your task bar, click:
2. Tools, then
3. Internet Options
4. Under the tab General (the default tab) click
5. Settings, then
6. View Files

Netscape Navigator 7.0

1. On your Task Bar, click:
2. Tools, then
3. Cookie Manager, then
4. Manage Stored Cookies

Netscape Communicator 4.0

Netscape bundles all cookies into one file on your hard drive. You'll need to find the file, which it calls Cookie.txt on Windows machines.

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