Tracking cookies?

[Boomyal]

I am being inundated with tracking cookies on my surfing PC. This is a pretty recent development. The computer gets so sluggish that when I type I am always several letters ahead of what is showing up on the screen. The opening of web pages are also slowed way down. I can run SuperAntiSpyWare and it will come up with 100+ cookies. I let the program delete them and the PC returns to normal operation for a short while.

Just hours later, I will run the program again and there are another 100 or so cookies. Even immediately after clearing them out I can sign on to The Drudge Report and there will be a box at the top showing advertisements for things that I had previously looked a, such as products from Staples.

What should I be doing. I really find it hard to believe that this is a function of Win XP. I am using Firefox as my browser.

 

[MTboatguy]

I would install an ad blocker and pop up blocker, that should speed things up, cookies are normally just a small amount of text so they can sense when you have been to their website before and change the ad's they delivered to you, but I have never seen them slow a computer down.. The best way to avoid slow downs is to stop the ad's to begin with.

 

[Boomyal]

I would install an ad blocker and pop up blocker, that should speed things up, cookies are normally just a small amount of text so they can sense when you have been to their website before and change the ad's they delivered to you, but I have never seen them slow a computer down.. The best way to avoid slow downs is to stop the ad's to begin with.

I am not getting pop up ads, MT. I just ran SuperAntiSpyware again after I posted this post. There were 51 objects that had accumulated since I last ran it before my last foray on to the internet. At that time the computer was getting sluggish again. Now it is clipping right along.

FF has options to notify websites to not send cookies. It is apparently a voluntary thing and I do not know how effective it would be. I do not have any of those options checked.

FF also has an adblock addon that I do not see in my plugins?

 

[MTboatguy]

You have to search for the ad blocker software go up to add ons, open it up and search for new plug ins and extensions, it is not the cookies that is getting you, it is the content that is running scripts on your computer so display the ad's, I also have several flash blockers installed on my computers and that way, I control what runs on my computer, and yes, check the option, not all websites will honor, it but some do. But again, the biggest thing is the ad's, they install all kinds of little scripts that will slow down computers, and yes, go to mozilla and get an pop up blocker as well, it will stop many of the scripts. I never delete cookies, because they have no effect on your computer, they are simple little text files, but I always make sure and do something to prevent those scripts from running.

 

[glenn property of pam]

install malwarebytes anti malware which is free. then go to your internet settings in control panel then look at browsing history settings. Set delete browsing at shut down. then set what to delete.
The net is faster so you don't require a browsing history now.

also look at all the add-ons running under explorer or what ever browser you use. Delete any you don't use which is 99% of them as they are key stroke copying what ever you type

 

[Boomyal]

also look at all the add-ons running under explorer or what ever browser you use. Delete any you don't use which is 99% of them as they are key stroke copying what ever you type

Don't understand this glenn. Are add-ons the same as plug-ins? When I click on Add-ons, in the Tools Tab, it takes me straight to plugg-ins. I am using FF.

 

[MTboatguy]

In Firefox, They are not the same, they both come under the same heading, because they are something that is added to the browser, but in truth, you have 2 categories under add-ons, you have extensions and you have plug ins, Acrobat and Shockwave Flash are Plug ins, Ad blocker and Flash blocker are extensions.

What are the different types of add-ons?
There are several kinds of add-ons that customize Firefox in different ways:

• Extensions add new features to Firefox or modify existing functionality. There are extensions that allow you to block advertisements, download videos from websites, integrate more closely with social websites, and add features you see in other applications.
• Complete Themes change the entire appearance of Firefox, usually including icons, colors, dialogs, and other visual styles.
• Themes are lightweight themes that use background images to customize your Firefox toolbars.
• Search Providers add additional choices to the search box dropdown. These providers allow you to quickly search any website.
• Dictionaries & Language Packs add support for additional languages to Firefox.
• Plugins help Firefox display or understand different types of media, such as Adobe Flash or Apple Quicktime.

 

[Boomyal]

Hmmm. I checked the add-ons tab and there are only two things in 'extensions'. They are both disabled. No sign of Ad-Blocker. Should I seek it out and add it to 'extensions'? If so, how do I accomplish that? I recently did a reset of FF, maybe that deleted Ad-Block because I sure did not have this problem before the reset and I thought I already had Ad-Blocker.

As well, I just ran another SuperAntiSpyware scan (again). The computer was getting balky with just a short run on the net after the last time I ran it. However, I first ran Malwarebytes. It came up with NOTHING. I then immediately followed with SAS. It found 78 adware thingies.

 

[MTboatguy]

I won't surf without ad blocker and flash blocker, those ad scripts these days can even bog down a powerful computer, I am running an core I7 with a lot of memory and they will bog me down if I let them.

 

[Boomyal]

I won't surf without ad blocker and flash blocker, those ad scripts these days can even bog down a powerful computer, I am running an core I7 with a lot of memory and they will bog me down if I let them.

Voila! A combination of deleting history tracking AND installing adblock have eliminated the siege of tracking adaware that was clogging my computer. I just re-ran SuperAntiSpyWare and not one thing was found. Additionally all those ads that would show up on websites for things that I had previously looked at are no longer there.

Worthy of note: whereas SuperAntiSpyware would repeatedly find 50 to 100+ tracking cookies, then deleter them, Malwarebytes never found a one of them.

 

[MTboatguy]

Some of those malware programs have their filter thresholds set way to high and always hit on a lot of false positives.

Anyway, glad it is working better for you.

 

[K-2]

When you deleted history tracking, do you now have to sign in everywhere every time, like when you come here, does it make you sign in every time? Thanks!

 

[Boomyal]

When you deleted history tracking, do you now have to sign in everywhere every time, like when you come here, does it make you sign in every time? Thanks!

Yeah, pretty much.However, all you need to do is start typing your login in name and the rest will fill in if you had windows remember you info. Then, at least in FF, if you keep at least one browser page open, you can go back to the website without having to re-enter your user name and password.

 

[bassman284]

I finally gave up the fight and retired my old XP computer about a month ago. It's 13 years old and was simply being overwhelmed. I use Chrome which is a CPU hog anyway and the poor old Pentium IV was just getting hammered. Also starting last summer, every XP update seemed to gum up the works more and more. Heck, even my 5 year old laptop with a T4300 is starting to drag its knuckles.

I got a Dell desktop with an I5 and 8 G of ram. It screams. I'm even getting used to 8.1. Sort of.

 

[Boomyal]

I finally gave up the fight and retired my old XP computer about a month ago. It's 13 years old and was simply being overwhelmed. I use Chrome which is a CPU hog anyway and the poor old Pentium IV was just getting hammered. Also starting last summer, every XP update seemed to gum up the works more and more. Heck, even my 5 year old laptop with a T4300 is starting to drag its knuckles.

I got a Dell desktop with an I5 and 8 G of ram. It screams. I'm even getting used to 8.1. Sort of.

That day will eventually come for me, as well, bassman. Probably about the time my rear projection Toshiba 42" gives out.:laugh:

 

[MTboatguy]

Boom,

Does your XP need internet access? Or do you only need it for that one proprietary program you have for your business? If it is just for the business, you have everything working now, why not retire it and just use it for business?

 

[Boomyal]

Boom,

Does your XP need internet access? Or do you only need it for that one proprietary program you have for your business? If it is just for the business, you have everything working now, why not retire it and just use it for business?

Well MT, that is what is likely to happen. I have two units side by side. The left one has my DOS based bidna program on it. The right one is the one I do most of my internet work on. They are both XP. Already, I seldom go on line with the work computer although it is still hooked up to the router. The another negative to changing computers, IE, operating systems, is that I have an older HP 2100 laser printer hooked up to each via an A/B switch. I would lose that printer's use with a new OS. I do not even think that anyone wrote drivers for Win 7, let alone Win 8+.

 

[MTboatguy]

You do know, that both widows 7 and 8 have what is basically called legacy mode, that lets you run older software under newer operating systems, my wife and I have several older versions of software running in what windows calls compatibility mode.