Why does my anti-virus program always detect Mozilla firefox tracking cookies???!?

Question

I use AVG and each time i run a scan i find a bunch of tracking cookies coming from a file related to mozilla firefox. Plus its not like AVG has an option to delete the cookies. How can i stop this from happening?

Answer 1

The only way to stop this from happening is to stop using cookies (not recommended) or stop using antivirus (recommended, and you should get some real security instead--a limited user account, the NoScript extension for Firefox, regular Windows updates, and common sense).



People are paranoid, because a lot of antimalware programs label some cookies as "tracking cookies."



Cookies are text files that help websites help you use them. For example, Yahoo! sets a cookie when you log in keeping track of the fact you're logged in. If you delete the Yahoo! cookie, you'll no longer be logged in. If you go to Amazon and add things to your cart, Amazon sets a cookie to your computer keeping track of what items you've looked at and what items you've added to your cart. If you change your Google search preferences to search only in a particular language, Google sets a cookie to your computer to keep track of that. If you delete that cookie, Google will no longer know your preferences.



Websites can read only the cookies they themselves have set. So Yahoo! cannot read the cookie Google set to your computer. It is not true that cookies contain personal information (like login passwords).



Websites that contain advertising sometimes have third-party cookies that get set. So if you visit a webpage, you may think you're accessing only that webpage, but ad.doubleclick.net is also setting a cookie to your computer to keep track of what webpages sponsored by DoubleClick that you're visiting and how many ads you've clicked on and which ones. As stated before, in this case, DoubleClick can read only the cookies it has set.



If you delete cookies, they'll just be set again the next time you visit those sites.



If you use a decent web browser like Firefox or Opera, you can be prompted every time you visit a website (Allow cookie always, Allow cookie once, Deny cookie always).

Answer 2

Tracking cookies are not viruses or malicious code. Cookies are only text files and therefore cannot be dangerous to your computer.



The main purpose of cookies is to identify users and possibly prepare customized web pages for them. When you enter a web site using cookies, you may be asked to fill in a form providing such information as your name and interests. This information is sent to your web browser as a cookie file. The next time you go to the same web site, your browser will send the cookie to the web server. The server can use this information to present you with custom web pages.



If you don’t want to use cookies you can check the settings of Internet Explorer browser to accept/deny the cookie file. More information can be found at:

http://www.microsoft.com/info/cookies.mspx

question " If You Want to Control Which Cookies You Accept"



If you are using a Mozilla Firefox browser, you can find more information at:

http://mozilla.gunnars.net/firefox_help_firefox_cookie_tutorial.html



More information about cookie files can be found at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTTP_cookie



You can also set AVG to not detect cookies on your computer:





1. Resident Shield settings

- open AVG Control Center

- double-click on the AVG Resident Shield component

- unmark the "Scan cookies" option



2. AVG test settings

* please note, that you should set it separately for every AVG test that you use:

- open AVG Test Center in Advanced Interface

- open menu Tests-Test Manager

- choose test - and use "Edit" button

- on tab "Scan Details" you can disable the detection of cookies

Answer 3

avg is stupid to freak over tracking cookies.don't worry about them.not all good anti-virus programs even check for them.you can delete cookies with your avg or configure browser settings to delete when you exit your browser.

Answer 4

Tracking cookies are nothing to worry about. If they bother you just use CCleaner after you're done using you computer and it will delete all of the cookies and junk files.



http://www.filehippo.com/download_ccleaner/download/56cf8dcde5b32d4b4e7c7bea1c8e7e37/