As with previous version of Internet Explorer, version 8 allows you to enable and disable cookies. Learn how to work with cookies in IE8.
People are concerned about Internet privacy so much that many websites now contain a separate privacy policy outlining the privacy philosophy of the publishers of a site. No subject has garnered more attention, hype, and outright misinformation that enabling and disabling cookies in the various Internet browsers.
Like previous version of Microsoft’s web browser, Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) allows you to choose whether to allow, disallow, or prompt the user whether a website wants to place a cookie on the user’s computer. Read on to learn about cookies and how to enable and disable them in IE8.
What are Cookies and Why Do I Need Them?
All the media’s hype aside, a cookie is nothing more than a small file that contains some pertinent text to make your browsing experience more enjoyable on the web. Cookies enable certain functions such as online shopping and help eliminate repetitive tasks such as typing in your username every time you visit an online forum.
Truthfully, a cookie is nothing more than very small text file that contains some lines of text. They are not executable programs and cannot infect your computer like a virus, Trojan horse, or other type of malware.
When you visit a website, the site may wish to use cookies to help keep track of what’s in your online shopping cart or whether you have typed in a promotional code to get some special deal. Cookies are also used to track advertisements so that you do not see the same one over and over again. They are also used to collect non-sensitive information such as usernames and other data you will more than likely use in the near future. The fact is, cookies make your web browsing experience easier, faster, and more convenient.
How to Enable and Disable Cookies in Internet Explorer 8
Although cookies are nearly harmless, there may be a time when you want to disable them. For example, many public Internet cafes disable cookies so that no information from a previous user is left on the computer when the next user comes along. You may also want to disable cookies when you connect to the Internet over a unsecure or public network.
To turn cookies on and off in IE8, click on TOOLS on the menu bar and then click on INTERNET OPTIONS. When the INTERNET OPTIONS window opens, click on the PRIVACY TAB (see Figure 1). On the PRIVACY TAB, click on the ADVANCED button under SETTINGS. The ADVANCED PRIVACY SETTINGS window should now open (see Figure 2).
Check the OVERRIDE AUTOMATIC COOKIE HANDLING box so that you now have access to the FIRST-PARTY and THIRD-PARTY COOKIES options.
