Sites Saving User Info

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jul 25, 2003 10:38 am

Web sites like Paypal and Hotmail are automatically pre-filling the username of the person who last visited. As you can imagine, that freaks out some patrons. I'm sure that this is being set by cookies. Is there a setting in PWB or IE's handling of cookies that can stop this from happening?

Philip - Long Beach NY · Fri Jul 25, 2003 3:40 pm

If you use deepfreeze or clean slate, rebooting the pc will erase any cookies. Also, you need to tell the patrons to check off the "Do not remember my e-mail address for future sign-in. (Select this when using a public computer" message, before they log in, otherwise it will automatically insert the last username when a different patron sits down. As far as I can tell it will not insert the password so you can tell them they are still safe. I am assuming this option checked off keeps the cookie from being installed in the first place.
I don't think PWB has a built in feature of clearing of cookie files, only the cache.

I'm sure Scott is aware of this feature and might include it in an upcoming release.

There are a number of third party vendors that make simple utilities that clear the cookie folder upon browser close and the like.

Try here: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,678,00.asp

Hope this helps.

Philip

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jul 25, 2003 5:33 pm

You can use a PWB startup or shutdown script to delete the cookies from the temporary Internet files folder.

Post by **Scott** » Sat Jul 26, 2003 3:33 pm

The cookies are stored in the temporary internet files folder as text files for IE 5.x. You can use the PWB startup or shutdown script to delete these files. For example the following batch file will delete the cookies.

IF EXIST C:\WINDOWS\COOKIES\*.* DELTREE /Y C:\WINDOWS\COOKIES\*.*

IE 6.x stores the cookies in a file called index.dat, you can set this to read only to prevent all cookies from being set.

Here is a simply effective way to keep the temporary files under control that I found in a news group.

STEP 1.
Install FREE www.cenatek.com ramdiskNT as drive Z: with option to create Z:\temp when XP is booted. I recommend using the minimum 5mb excluded memory setting.

STEP 2.
Select Internet Options/settings move TIF folder to Z:\ which creates "Z:\Temporary Internet Files" directory

STEP 3. (optional)
Run regedit Hkey_Current_User environment edit temp to ramdisk -> Z:\temp

STEP 4.
Create YOUR.BAT file in YOUR startup directory with YOUR username in statement below:

rd/s/q "C:\Documents and Settings\YOUR\Local Settings\History"

Deletion of History directory at EACH startup forces XP/IE to create and use "Z:\temp\History" directory

STEP 5. (optional)
Set read-only attribute for YOUR\Local Settings\Cookies\index.dat file which forces XP/IE to create and use Z:\temp\Cookies, (or not if you dont wont to delete cookies at power-off). attrib +r index.dat

PRIVACY BENEFITS: (including STEP 5 option)
ZERO cookies, TIF files, CLEAN index.dat file on ramdisk Z: at power-on
ZERO cookies, TIF files, index.dat file on C: drive at power-off
ZERO C: drive fragmenting/thrashing due to thousands of TIFs daily.
ZERO C: drive viruses left on hard-disk in TIFs