13 replies to this topic

[Rob Dickson]

I hope that I've posted this in the correct place, and that it hasn't already been discussed in a previous thread.

When I open IE8, 6 cookies are created straight away:
atdmt.com
bing.com
live.com
msn.com
windowsmarketplace.com
zune.net

My homepage is set to "about:blank", so I assume that it's some of the default Microsoft toolbars that are creating the cookies. At first sight, this didn't seem to be a problem - all six appear in CCleaner's "Cookies to Delete" section, and are then not in that section after I've run CCleaner.

However, when I looked at the cookies in the Temporary Internet files directory, I found that they're still there, even though they're no longer in CCleaner's "Cookies to Delete" section.

I've discovered that when I open IE8, these cookies are created a second time, and appear twice in the Temporary Internet files directory. When I close down IE8 and run CCleaner, CCleaner only removes each of the cookies once, leaving one of each cookie behind.

I expect that I can solve this by deleting the cookies manually, but thought that I ought to let people know just in case it's a bug with CCleaner.

I only discovered this in the first place because NIS2009 picked up the atdmt.com cookie as a tracking cookie.

I hope I've explained myself well enough.

Update (2009-10-06 19:17). I've just remembered that I cannot delete the cookies manually using Windows Explorer. I'll try rebooting into Safe Mode to see if that helps.

Edited by Rob Dickson, 06 October 2009 - 06:17 PM.

[ePost]

Yes, we all have the cookies, you mentioned. It's very strange that Microsoft is doing this. I have no legal business with Zune for example. The company didn't exist when I bought my PC. So why are they installing cookies on my computer? When did I give Zune the right to do that? Microsoft should have limits, I think. Even if it is their company.

[Rob Dickson]

I wasn't able to delete them in safe mode. I also tried opening a DOS shell, but the DOS shell didn't list the cookies when I used DIR /A. Oh well, I'll just have to live with them.

[ePost]

I came to the same conclusion. I did try to get rid of them...

[Nergal]

Where are you finding these cookies?

are they in C:\Users\{Username}\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files

or

C:\Users\{USername}\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies

I don't have these cookies

However I also don't have live search or Bing as my default search in IE. Could it be that? Could it be an installed (though not activated) MS Search IEtoolbar? I also don't have that

[ePost]

Well yes, I guess it could be that. I have Google as default but I also have Bing listed as an alternative. If I copy/paste this into Run I'll find them there: shell:cookies

And if I highlight them all and say delete they'll be gone. Even CCleaner can't do it that fast! But the cookies listed above will return.

[Nergal]

ePost, on Oct 6 2009, 01:18 PM, said:

Well yes, I guess it could be that. I have Google as default but I also have Bing listed as an alternative. If I copy/paste this into Run I'll find them there: shell:cookies

And if I highlight them all and say delete they'll be gone. Even CCleaner can't do it that fast! But the cookies listed above will return.

Mine's still got MS Live search in the list maybe it's the name bing, but again Shouldn't be there until site is contacted :-/ can you do me a favor and check your add remove and make sure MSN or Bing tool bar aren't there (Bundled with Lastest Java and Flash so maybe accindenly installed it)

else maybe, MSN Chat (what ever they call it these days) is Starting automagically, I use Miranda and have turned Live chat off from starting at bootup

Run Cports and see if anyone (errr I mean program) is calling out to the Microsoft IP addresses.

I'll watch this topic to keep on helping

[ePost]

Thanks. I do not have Live toolbar. I have WOT, Google and Norton toolbars. The latter hidden.

Never mind those Microsoft cookies. I have long since learned to live with them. But thanks anyway

[Rob Dickson]

Thanks for your help. The cookies are pretty harmless. I would like to find out how to delete them, but don't want to waste your time.

The cookies are stored in C:\Documents and Settings\[Username]\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files.

I do have MSN Messenger installed, but find this problem occurs even when MSN messenger isn't running (which it wasn't in safe mode).

Google is my default search provider, but I do have "Live Search" listed as another option.

I've also got the Google and Norton toolbars. The Google toolbar is hidden, the Norton one isn't.

Thanks again.

Rob

[Rob Dickson]

Looks like I'm not the only one having problems with the atdmt cookie.

http://www.vistaheads.com/forums/microsoft...oming-back.html

https://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsg...cr=US&sloc=

http://forums.cnet.c...threadID=348991

I think I'll just live with it, unless I can get Spybot or SpywareBlaster to block it.

[ePost]

I read somewhere that blocking it will give you "issues". I can't remember exactly what they were. Was it login issues releted to --- well, it wasn't Live ID --- it was something like that...

[Nergal]

ePost, on Oct 6 2009, 04:35 PM, said:

I read somewhere that blocking it will give you "issues". I can't remember exactly what they were. Was it login issues releted to --- well, it wasn't Live ID --- it was something like that...

mmmm I block it via host file and my Passport (I refuse the live id term it's silly My idea no id live LOL) works fine

[Rob Dickson]

I haven't figured out how to stop IE8 from creating the cookies when I open it, but I have figured out how to allow CCleaner to remove them.

Export the cookies to cookies.txt.
Get IE8 to remove all cookies (including those for favourite sites).
Import the cookies from cookies.txt.

I then end up with one copy of each cookie whenever I open IE8, which CCleaner can easily delete.

I'm not that bothered about the cookies appearing whenever I open IE8, because I only use it once a month to download the monthly security updates.

I have IE8 installed on my work PC with what appears to be the same settings, and I don't get these cookies appearing at all.

[ePost]

Thank you for posting that tip!