strange problem - cookies on desktop

[indolino]

My windows xp is having a strange problem since a few weeks. All cookies and other browser files are appearing on my desktop and have been clogging it.

The various files include xpti, compreg, extensions.rdf, XUL.mfl, search.rdf, secmod, compatility and bookmarks backup.

I have IE 6.0 and Firefox 1.5.0.6 but mainly use Firefox.

[TechTJ]

Hi welcome to the site

You may want to opsen firefox and get to the settings and see if there is anything there that may give you and option on where to store the cookies. Also you may want to make sure you have no viruses or spyware because i have heard of a couple that can redirect your cookies to the desktop.
Let us know if this help
TJ

[indolino]

Thanks for the prompt response. I went into internet options for both firefox and IE, but there isn't an option to specify where cookies are stored, and only whether cookies should be stored.

I ran an adware program and did a virus scan and there were some adware agents which were immediately deleted. However, cookies and various other files I mentioned are still accumulating on my desktop.

Has no one had this problem before?

[indolino]

I would very highly appreciate if someone could help me solve this problem.

I've tried both steps TechTJ mentioned. Problem still persists.

Please help!

[caperjack]

love to help ,but have never had it happen to me or any of the computers i work on for other people .sorry

[TechTJ]

Im still looking into the problem Sorry its been a while i went on a Cruise vacation. Im still looking but it seems that this dosen happen much but im looking around to see what could have caused this so ill get back with you

again im sorry for the long delay.

TechTJ

[TechTJ]

Hey i hope this may help cause i tried it on my computer and it worked for me.

Go to your Control Panel, Network and internet Connections, Then click Internet options. When the windows pops up click on the Browsing history Settings. A window should pop up and your desktop should look like this file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/TJ/Desktop/DANIWEB%20HELP.CLP

Then you can see the extenstion that your temp internet files go to if there set for your desktop make a new folder and copy the extenstion in to the location that you want it to go to.
"Click Move Folder To change Location"

Hope this helps
let me know
TJ

[indolino]

Thanks for the reply.

I went into my control panel, and clicked on internet options. But there was no "browsing history settings".

But there was a "temporary internet files settings" which I clicked, then window popped up in which there was a button "Move Folder" and label "Current Location - C:\temp\Temporary Internet Files\Temporary Internet Files".

Now, cookies don't accumulate on my desktop because I checked the option "Keep cookies until I close firefox". Yet, those weird files with extensions still show up on my desktop and keep changing every time I open firefox for browsing".

[gerbil]

Mozilla cookies... unlike with opera or IE it does not seem possible direct cookies anywhere special. The end location is set in the script somewhere? Default preferences. Anyway, where they end up in a working firefox is at %systemdrive%\documents and settings\user [that's your login..]\application data\mozilla\firefox\profiles\coded mumbo.j.default\cookies.txt
Phew!. If you have that file, and open it you will see a serial listing of your actual cookies' text content. Don't have that file? Or its Date Modified does not coincide with your last browsing date, such as today? Then your ff installation is corrupted, so reinstall it over the top of the old. There does seem no reg key to alter, nothing to change in the about:config file..... You kept a copy of the installation file, right? No?.. dl it again.