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Technical News & Discussion => Windows News & Discussion => Topic started by: somanyholes on Mar 24, 2009, 10:35:03

Title: flash cookies
Post by: somanyholes on Mar 24, 2009, 10:35:03
Hi All

I've been playing around a bit with flash cookies of late. For those that are privacy conscious and don't want supercookies on their systems have a look in
C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Application Data\Macromedia\Flash Player

make sure to replace USERNAME with your user account name so it could be

C:\Documents and Settings\somanyholes\Application Data\Macromedia\Flash Player

lots of fun in there ....
Title: Re: flash cookies
Post by: Rik on Mar 24, 2009, 10:38:14
Can they all just be deleted, So?
Title: Re: flash cookies
Post by: somanyholes on Mar 24, 2009, 10:41:33
anything in C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\Macromedia\Flash Player can be deleted :)
Title: Re: flash cookies
Post by: Rik on Mar 24, 2009, 10:50:53
Thanks, So :karmic:
Title: Re: flash cookies
Post by: Simon on Mar 24, 2009, 11:15:03
But presumably, the cookies would just reset themselves next time you visited those websites.
Title: Re: flash cookies
Post by: Rik on Mar 24, 2009, 11:17:28
But at least they will go at the end of each session.
Title: Re: flash cookies
Post by: somanyholes on Mar 24, 2009, 11:22:22
if you want to do this in an automated fashion look at https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/6623
Title: Re: flash cookies
Post by: Rik on Mar 24, 2009, 11:27:19
Nice one, So.  :thumb:
Title: Re: flash cookies
Post by: Baz on Mar 24, 2009, 14:52:40
i dont even see that folder  :dunno:
Title: Re: flash cookies
Post by: DarkStar on Mar 24, 2009, 15:17:58
so,
when I enter that string I get two folders - #Shared Objects and Macromedia.com. Can I just delete them without opening them up? If I open them up there are loads of other folders which are specific to particular sites. Just don't want to go and make a balls up  ;D
Title: Re: flash cookies
Post by: somanyholes on Mar 24, 2009, 15:22:01
It's fine to delete both folders in the flash player folder. I've not had any negative effects anyway :)
Title: Re: flash cookies
Post by: Rik on Mar 24, 2009, 15:22:42
Same here.
Title: Re: flash cookies
Post by: DarkStar on Mar 24, 2009, 15:30:14
One further question, I have installed the Add On BetterPrivacy, when I go to options/preferences there is two tabs - LSO Manager & Options. Any recommendations from experience as to whether to leave them at default settings or to tweak them at all.  ie: which boxes to tick or not to tick.
Title: Re: flash cookies
Post by: Rik on Mar 24, 2009, 15:32:59
I'm doing it as part of my 'wash' routine, Ian, so can't help, sorry. :(
Title: Re: flash cookies
Post by: somanyholes on Aug 17, 2009, 13:30:48
a nice article from wired here http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2009/08/you-deleted-your-cookies-think-again/

Of particular interest is

QuoteSeveral services even use the surreptitious data storage to reinstate traditional cookies that a user deleted, which is called 're-spawning' in homage to video games where zombies come back to life even after being "killed," the report found. So even if a user gets rid of a website's tracking cookie, that cookie's unique ID will be assigned back to a new cookie again using the Flash data as the "backup."
Title: Re: flash cookies
Post by: Rik on Aug 17, 2009, 15:28:10
Anyone got a pair of semaphore flags?