How Do You Remove Cookies & Temp Files Without Losing Saved Passwords?

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You may want to save your password data but remove other stored information from your Web browser.

Web browsers are software programs that allow you to access Web pages via the Internet. Nearly all Web browser will save several kinds of data including cookies, temporary files and passwords. Cookies are small files that contain information about the state of a Web browser at any given time. For example, a cookie may allow you to remain logged into a shopping Website, even after you've closed and reopened the browser. Although cookies and temporary files can be beneficial, you may want to remove cookies and temporary files, but save passwords in your browser.

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Internet Explorer 8

Step 1

Open Internet Explorer 8. Click "Start" and then "Internet Explorer" to launch the program.

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Step 2

Click the "Safety" tab in the upper-right hand corner of Internet Explorer. This tab has several options, including the option to clear browser history.

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Step 3

Select "Delete Browsing History" from the list of options under the "Safety" tab.

Step 4

Uncheck the box next to "Preserve favorites website data." This is the first option listed.

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Step 5

Click the check boxes next to "Temporary Internet Files" and "Cookies." These are the second and third options listed.

Step 6

Deselect the check box next to "Passwords." This ensures that your stored passwords remain stored.

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Step 7

Click the "Delete" button at the bottom of the dialog box. The cookies and temporary Internet files are deleted, while your passwords remain.

Firefox 3.5

Step 1

Launch Mozilla Firefox 3. Click "Start" and then select "All Programs." Scroll to and select "Firefox."

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Step 2

Click "Tools" and then select "Clear Recent History."

Step 3

Click the drop-down menu labeled "Time range to clear." Select "Everything" from the list of options.

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Step 4

Click the arrow button next to "Details" to reveal the various items you can clear.

Step 5

Click the check boxes next to "Cookies" and "Cache." Cache is where temporary Internet files are stored.

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Step 6

Deselect the check box labeled "Active Logins." This is where your password data is stored.

Step 7

Click the "Clear Now" button in the lower-right corner of the dialog box.

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