Here's what Microsoft have to say: [_ click here _]
Here's a cookie, chosen at random, from my collection:
AWPVT 200404180501000000000046456157 www.auctionworks.com/ 1024 3083922944 30366436 2869100416 29631779 *
As you can see, they're not too big so won't fill up your computer even if you have lots of them!
Cookies do not carry viruses and can not be made to do anything to harm your computer. When you visit a particular web site, your browser’s cookie file is checked to see if you have a cookie for that site (information saying that you have been there before.) If there is no cookie present the web site will send a cookie to your computer that assigns a number to you. The web site will know only your number, not your name or any other information you have given out. That will only appear to you when you enter the site again and begin to fill out your information. The cookie then associates the number it has given you with your previous information.
Unfortunately, not all cookies are placed on your computer by reputable web sites. There are companies that use the power of cookies to their advantage. By placing cookies on your site they can track your surfing and send you advertising in the form of pop-ups etc.
So, if you visit websites that are not reputable then you might want to clear out your cookies regularly. But that gets rid of the 'good' ones too. Hence, I use Adaware to clean mine out - I end up with the good cookies (Auctionsniper, eBay, Amazon etc) and lose all the bad ones (train-spotting-teens, naked-ambitions, rude-awakenings etc)
At the end of the day it's a personal choice but I hope the above will now make it an informed one!
R2