How to open the Cookies folder in Windows 7 and Windows Vista

In previous versions of the Windows operating systems, you could actually browse to and view or manipulate the content of the Cookies folder. In the Windows Vista operating system, you can see the Cookies folder by clicking Start, and in the Start Search field, typing cookies. But if you then attempt to open the Cookies folder by either clicking on it or pressing the Enter key, an Access is denied error will be displayed. This is because the Cookies folder is not really there. What is there is a pointer that instructs the operating system where the actual Cookies folder can be found. The operating system does this to add a level of security to that folder.

The Windows 7 operating system has taken this level of security one step further by not listing the Cookies folder at all when searched.

NOTE: In the Windows Vista operating system there will be one Cookies file listed as search results. In the Windows 7 operating system there will be four or more files listed as search results that all deal in some way with cookies, but no specific Cookies folder.

To access the actual Cookies folder in either operating system:

First, click the Start button, in the Search field type %appdata%\microsoft\windows\cookies , and then press the Enter key.

Tip:

Once the Cookies folder is open, if you wish to make the folder more accessible in the future, on the left side pane, under Folders, right-click and hold the Cookies folder icon and drag it to the desktop or some other convenient location, then release the mouse button and click to select Create Shortcut Here.

More information on cookies:

Cookies are small pieces of information that are created when visiting Web sites. These cookies are sent to your browser along with the Web pages that you are viewing. Some cookies are saved to the hard disk so that when you visit the Web site that has generated the cookies again, your browser can send the cookies back to the Web site to notify that site that you have visited it in the past. Cookies can be used to block some one-time services (one-time promotional services, etc.), to remember your user name and password so that you do not need to enter them the next time you visit, to remember personal information that is important to the Web site you are visiting, or to show you a different ad each time you visit or similar ads to those you may have clicked in the past. Cookies remain on your computer as long as the Web site that created them decides. Some cookies exist only when you visit a Web site, while others can stay on the computer until manually removed.