I would like to know how you get rid of a web page off your computer for good.

We’ll need to cover a few things here in order to solve the problem for you. Read through the directions and see what you can accomplish.

Clear the Browser History

The first step that you want to take is to clear the browser history. How you do this varies according to the web browser that you have. Follow the directions listed below for the web browser that you have to clear your browser history.

How to remove Web tracks and History in Internet Explorer:

• Open “Internet Explorer.”
• Go to “Tools” at the top of the page.
• Select the “General” tab in the Internet Options dialog box.
• Select “Clear History.”
• Click “ok.”

How to Remove Web History in Mozilla:

• Open “Mozilla.”

• Go to Edit and open “Menu.”
• Select “Preferences.”
• Select navigator listed under the category title.
• Select “Clear history” in the history listing.

• Click “ok.”

How to remove Web history in Opera:

• Open “Opera.”

• Go to Edit and open “Menu.”
• Select “Preferences.”
• Select navigator listed under the category title.
• Select “Clear history” in the history listing.

• Click on “ok.”

How to remove Web history in Firefox:

• Open “Firefox.”
• Go to “Tools” at the top of the page.
• Select the “Privacy” tab.
• Click the “Clear” button.
• Click on “ok.”

How to remove Web history in Netscape:

• Open “Netscape.”
• Go to “Edit” and open the “Menu.”
• Select “Preferences.”
• Select “Navigator” listed under the category title.
• Select “Clear history” in the history listing.
• Click “ok.”

Privacy Controls

One application that is designed to remove all evidence of Internet activity on the computer is ParetoLogic’s Privacy Controls. This program offers a free trial use. If you like it, you can purchase it for a small fee. Privacy Controls will completely remove all evidence of browsing history including files, music, images, videos, and more. This application is one of the leading privacy protection software products on the market today.

Why doesnt my browser accept cookies and how do i fix?

Browser cookies are pieces of text that are sent by a website to authenticate and maintain information about users using a unique ID number. Because they track user behavior online, many users disable cookies as they try to maintain some Internet privacy. If your cookies are disabled, you may get a message such as: “Your browser is not currently set to accept cookies” when you go to certain websites.

Accepting Cookies

It is very easy to set your browser to accept cookies. The exact steps may vary depending on your browser, but you should be able to easily find the correct setting no matter how you access the Internet. Get into your browser and then find Tools and then Options (or Settings and Options). You will probably see a Privacy tab, if so, click on it. Look for an option for accepting cookies, and make sure there is a check mark by that option to enable them. You can also usually choose an option so that you are notified when cookies are being used and can choose to allow them or not allow them on your machine.

Cookies on Favorites

You may get the cookie error message for certain websites even after you have enabled them through your browser. If you are accessing the website through your Favorites list, the link may have been damaged and it doesn’t recognize that you have cookies enabled.

If this is happening to you, you need to remove the link from Favorites and then add it back again. Start Internet Explorer and click on Favorites. Choose Organize Favorites and find the Favorite link in question. Right click on it and choose Delete. Click Yes to send that link to the recycle bin. Go to the website for the favorite and add it back to your favorites list. With the link refreshed, cookies should be enabled and you should have no more trouble.

These simple instructions should solve your cookie problems and allow you to access the websites without errors. In general, cookies are not dangerous and can allow your web experience to run more smoothly.

Hi…here’s my situation. I have been using a work computer (used by a few employees) for recreational use during our downtime but it seems to have gotten a Trojan virus and now will not start up at all….prior to its non start up I had deleted all of the cookies, temp Internet files and history on a daily basis after I surfed the web (mostly poker sites, some adult sites, eBay and Craigslist) each and every time…So now they are removing the tower to get fixed…..My question is this: if I have deleted all of the cookies, etc. will the computer tech be able to detect the sites that were visited, see the pics I looked at, etc? It’s not a high profile job nor was I told not to use the Web but I’m just curious because of some of the content of the web sites I visited may be of poor taste.

Everybody does a little bit of surfing at work - and those that say they don’t are lying. That said, I hope I don’t have to tell you how not-smart it was to visit “adult content” sites on your work computer. Do I?

What are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are stored on the hard drive. These give a unique identifier that is pertinent to a particular website to each computer that visits a site. First party cookies keep your IP address and a list of pages that you have visited within the website. You can make sure that you delete first party cookies by opening your browser’s Advanced Privacy Setup and under First Party Cookies choose Prompt. This will show you when first party cookies have been detected.

Deleting Cookies

Deleting your cookies and Internet history is a good way to cover your tracks, but it is not foolproof. If your employer has an idea that you are misusing company computers, they can install a program like Track4Win, which will give them Internet data even if you have deleted the history and cookies. Not only that, but every time you delete this information, little bits and pieces of it are left behind - pieces that can be put back together to give them a history of what you have visited even long after you have deleted the evidence. It is totally legal for your employer to “spy” on you this way and the law will back them up every time. Do I have you panicking now?

Actually, you can probably relax. Unless they are specifically looking for this information, it is unlikely that your tech department will accidentally stumble upon your Internet history. Because you have deleted the cookies and history, it won’t come up when they are fixing the malware problem. Traces of websites that you visit may still be present - You can use Filetonic’s Privacy Controls Scan to see what remains viewable on your PC. The full featured version of Privacy Controls will shred all Web tracks. There is a difference between deleting information and ‘shredding’ it. Disc and data shredding programs like Privacy Controls and Data Shredder will recover and put together information that you have deleted and ‘shred’ it so that it can’t be viewed. This requires a software purchase, and of course, your employer might be interested about why you have installed this on their computer, if you can do it at all.

While you can probably breathe easy about your past Internet activity at work, your only guarantee that you won’t get caught is to stop visiting questionable Internet sites from your work computer.

I am interested in restoring COMPLETELY my laptop to the original settings and erasing all data from the hard drive. Could you recommend any software that I can buy to do that? Any recommendations are well received.

Restoring laptops and desktops to their original settings is accomplished easily enough. Many different types of software applications are available to assist computer users with this task.

Why Erase All Data from the Hard Drive

Since a great deal of sensitive data is often stored on a hard drive, it is important to remove it when you no longer need the data. Simply deleting files does not remove all traces of them. In fact, the data remains on the hard drive until that sector has been overwritten with new data. Additionally, too much data on the hard drive can slow down the performance of your computer.

Will Reformatting the Hard Drive Wipe It Completely Clean?

Unfortunately, technology has evolved in such a way that special software applications now exist that can restore data to its original state. Therefore, simply reformatting your hard drive will not be sufficient. That is why it is important to purchase special software that will remove the data completely from your hard drive. Rewriting the hard drive with random data, these applications destroy the potential for the original data to be retrieved.

Software to Completely Wipe Hard Drive Clean

Numerous software programs are on the market that are designed to wipe your hard drive completely clean. Which one you purchase is a simple matter of selecting one either by price, recommendation, or system requirements.

Norton’s SystemWorks includes a program, Wipe Info that is designed to clean the hard drive completely. OnTrack features its DataErase, which is designed for permanent data deletion.

Additionally, Privacy Controls, an application that is offered by ParetoLogic, is designed to erase all user tracks as well as shred data that you choose to shred. It features an ultimate file shredder that will provide a clean hard drive disk. For more information, visit the following link; Privacy Controls. Plus, free updates and support are part of the package.

How Can I Be Sure the Data Is Really Gone?

If you are a bit wary as to the validity of the claims that your data is truly missing, you can always conduct a search for the information with a reliable data recovery program. In fact, offers a free scan that will show you whether any data remains on your computer for retrieval. You can access one such program form ParetoLogic at the following link: Data Recovery.

Additional Points

It is important to ensure that any application you purchase is compatible with your operating system. This information should be visible in the details displayed online if you purchase a product from a web site. Additionally, the packaging of a product should include the system requirements in a clearly visible location. In the event that you do have files on the hard drive that you would like to retain, back this data up by copying it to a CD, floppy, or peripheral storage device.

How do I keep my teen from using my computer? Even with password protect I know he is still getting on there through Safe Mode.

Let’s face it, teenagers probably know more about computers than us parents can ever hope to know. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t take a few steps to make it more difficult. First, let’s address the issue of Safe Mode and then we’ll go from there.

Safe Mode is a horrible way to use a computer in general so I can only assume he’s using Safe Mode to snoop around and view files. Otherwise, with its low resolution screen and limited device drivers, Safe Mode isn’t much fun. Now, you can password protect Safe Mode in Windows XP if you want. Doing so involves booting into Safe Mode and then clicking Run and typing control userpasswords. From there, pick Administrator and click on Change my password. Now, you’ll need to create and confirm your password. Beware, if you forget this password and ever need to troubleshoot your PC in Safe Mode, you’ll have a bear of a time. Make absolute sure you will remember the password!

Now, that that’s out of the way, you may want to install some sort of parental controls software on your teen’s computer as well as your own. If your teen has a computer, try PGSurfer from Paretologic Software. This is a completely free program that will give you greater control over how your teen uses the computer. Rather than completely restricting computer access, you can control it. If you have Windows Vista, you can also use the built-in Parental Controls utility to restrict how the computer is used by specific user.

Another option is to physically secure your computer. A variety of products are available for locking your computer including tower lockers and laptop locks. If these aren’t options or are cost-prohibitive depending on the type of computer setup you have, you might even install door locks on the room.

By adding a password to Safe Mode, installing parental control software, and physically securing your computer, you stand half a chance against having your privacy invaded by your teenager.

Well, for one thing, they aren’t yummy and delicious. Internet cookies are tiny files that are designed to make your user experience a bit friendlier. For example, if you regularly visit a clothing Web site and have created your own “virtual model” for trying on clothes and seeing how they might look on you before you buy, then you wouldn’t want to go through the hassle of recreating this model, complete with measurements, weight, and personal characteristics each time you visited the site, right?

A cookie solves that for you. This tiny file resides on your computer. The next time you visit the Web site, the cookie allows all of your preferences to be displayed on the Web site. This includes personal preferences as well as data that you’ve previously supplied such as credit card information, phone numbers, and addresses. In addition, the cookie tells the Web site owner a bit about your computer such as what your IP address is, browser type, and where you came from (such as a referral source).

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Another type of cookie involves advertising. Web sites regularly feature advertisements. These advertisements place tracking cookies on your computer and are not designed with your convenience in mind. Instead, these advertisements are often part of a huge network of ads. Your single cookie with its own unique identifier is recorded any time you land on a Web site that also uses the advertising network. For example, let’s say you visit twenty web sites, fifteen of which participate in this advertising network. The advertising network knows that you visited these fifteen different websites.

So what? Over time, the advertiser builds a database of your interests based on the types of sites you visit. From this information, the advertiser makes assumptions about your Internet habits and interests and begins serving up targeted advertisements. Privacy concerns surround this type of cookie usage.

Fortunately, your Web browser has settings for accepting or rejecting cookies as well as an area where you can delete cookies. To adjust cookie settings in Internet Explorer, go to Tools, Internet Options, and click on the Privacy tab. From here, you can adjust how your browser deals with cookies. To delete existing cookies, go to the General tab, Browsing History, Delete, Delete Cookies.

Internet cookies have their good and bad points. They’re great for personalized Web site experiences but terrible when used to track surfing behaviors. Set your computer’s Web browser up so that you have adequate protection against the bad cookies and yet can still enjoy returning to legitimate Web sites. Periodically delete all cookies from your computer.