flash cookies, are they really a risk?

[stuck]

Saw this story on the BBC about Flash cookies.

So I did a bit of Googling:
The Flash Player settings manager starts here. NB the pics you see as you use the navigation links on the left that look like screen dumps are the actual control panel, click on them and tick/untick boxes as required.

Then there is an add-on for FF called BetterPrivacy, not tried it yet.

Coming back to the question I posed in the subject line, presumably it is a matter of what you feel comfortable with. Some people will think it is an outrageous invasion of privacy, others won't bat an eyelid.

Ken

[HansV]

Thanks!

In itself, Flash cookies, like browser cookies, are not necessarily a problem. But it's a pity that Adobe isn't more upfront about them - most users probably have never heard about the Flash Player settings manager (I hadn't...).

By the way, if you use CCleaner and tick the check box for Adobe Flash Player in the Applications tab of the Cleaner settings, it'll remove Flash cookies.

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[stuck]

By the way, if you use CCleaner and tick the check box for Adobe Flash Player in the Applications tab of the Cleaner settings, it'll remove Flash cookies.

Since I do and that check box is ticked that answers the question for me then

Ken

[Bigaldoc]

By the way, if you use CCleaner and tick the check box for Adobe Flash Player in the Applications tab of the Cleaner settings, it'll remove Flash cookies.

I might be taking the thread off its track but I don't think so since Ken seems satisfied, but I've got a question for you Hans.

I've always been afraid to use CCleaner (silly I know) but do you really let yours "clean" all those things you show tick marks by?

I'm not sure I'd want all my Firefox stuff cleaned like that but I realize I don't know what I'm talking about.

[HansV]

Yes, I do let CCleaner clean a lot. I don't care about keeping browsing history, but I do keep some cookies (see below). Here are the complete settings:

CCleaner.png

In the Cookies section of the Options "tab", I have specified a small number of sites for which cookies should be kept because I want to stay logged in or keep settings:

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[viking33]

By the way, if you use CCleaner and tick the check box for Adobe Flash Player in the Applications tab of the Cleaner settings, it'll remove Flash cookies.

I might be taking the thread off its track but I don't think so since Ken seems satisfied, but I've got a question for you Hans.

I've always been afraid to use CCleaner (silly I know) but do you really let yours "clean" all those things you show tick marks by?

I'm not sure I'd want all my Firefox stuff cleaned like that but I realize I don't know what I'm talking about.

Al,
Like Hans, I allow CCleaner to use all of it's default settings and just modify the cookies section to keep a few key cookies.
It's gotten so , that I will take it's recommendations as presented and "fix" all of them. No apparent problems ever with that scheme. ( That I know of?? )
It seems to have a very conservative approach as opposed to some "cleaners."

[aekyall]

Like Hans and Bob, I use the same settings and also just keep a few selected cookies - haven't experienced any problems.

Regards,

[wasbit]

Like Hans, Bob & Keith I also use Ccleaner with the default settings.

I have used Ccleaner from since it was called Crapcleaner & I put it on every PC that passes through my hands (along with SIW & a defrag app), even those of complete beginners. The great beauty of the programme is that I have never experienced or even heard of it doing any harm.
The Uninstall module loads almost instantly,unlike Windows.
The 'Start up' tool is as good as any of it's type, without the need for a separate programme. It's so easy to stop those apps that insist on starting with Windows or to see if some nasty is lurking in the Start folder, in fact it's been so long, that I can't remember when I last used 'msconfig'.

Further off topic, on the subject of registry cleaners (for XP), those that I have found to do no harm at their default settings are in order of strength, weakest first, Ccleaner, Regscrub XP & ToniArt's EasyCleaner (but beware the Duplicates setting).

Edited for spelling error

[stuck]

Not really adding anything but like most other Loungers in this thread I use Ccleaner with most of the boxes ticked and just make sure the cookies I want to keep are marked for retention.

Al, even if the only option you tick in the whole of Ccleaner is the 'compact databases' option under FF you'll probably notice an improvement. The sqlite db files used by FF & (TB) are notorious for growing and becoming untidy. Or then again you might not but on my old PC here at work (1.6Ghz P4 running Win2K) it certainly helped.

Ken

[Bigaldoc]

... Al, even if the only option you tick in the whole of Ccleaner is the 'compact databases' option under FF you'll probably notice an improvement. The sqlite db files used by FF & (TB) are notorious for growing and becoming untidy. Or then again you might not but on my old PC here at work (1.6Ghz P4 running Win2K) it certainly helped.

Ken

OK, you fellas have convinced me to spend a little more time "learning" what I might try. My installed copy is quite downlevel so I guess I need to update it and do a little training. Thanks...