[b101]

Hi, I'm new here, and have a question about an odd cookie that AVG keeps pointing out every time I go on the computer, now I assume that because AVG finds it I guess it may be a threat, so, after everything has booted up, AVG says it has found a tracking cookie at this location;

C:\Documents and settings\C M\Cookies\c_m@atdmt[2].txt

when I get to the C M file there isn't a cookies file just;

desktop
favourites
my documents
start menu
tracing

These are the only files I can see, so I can't delete the; c_m@atdmt[2].txt

I also removed all cookies from internet explorer and firefox, any ideas anyone? AVG also finds it when I open Internet Explorer. Thanks.

I'm using XP by the way.

[Phantom010]

Copy and paste C:\Documents and settings\C M\Cookies\c_m@atdmt[2].txt in your My Computer's address bar and click OK.

[b101]

Right thanks for writing back, yeh I had a look at that, but there was no address bar in my computer, I went itno view and switched it on, but it just created a faded "address" part on the right hand side, and I couldn't make it do anything let alone paste any text into it, I wonder what can I do? Thanks.

[Phantom010]

Try it in the My Documents folder then.

[perfume]

Dear b101,
The path you mentioned is obviously pointing towards "C:\Documents and Settings". To follow phantom010's advise ,kindly open \Documents and Settings. As phantom mentioned copy,paste the cookie path in the "address bar"there and something should open. If not,kindly post a snapshot of what's in view!

Kindly view these thumbnails. The last one is of special interest,because XP likes to hide some files and folders (for our safety). But for you to see them you have to tick on "show hidden files and folders" and also the one below" Hide extensions for known file types". Click on apply and then ok.

Let's stop there and if you can locate the cookie jar all's fine. Otherwise you have to uncheck" Hide protected operating system files (recommended)". you will get a display saying it's dangerous to do the op.,but go ahead. Then click on apply and then ok. once the location of the file is revealed,please get back to this forum for further advise from phantom010 as to how to proceed deleting the file, if it is particularly in the system files because he/we'll have to think of a rootkit infection! That's a totally different ball game! Best wishes.
PS:the first thumbnail was wrongly inserted.Forget it.

[b101]

Ok thanks, yep I pasted the text into the address bar as said, and it tried to open notepad then an "access is denied!" sign appeared.

I then did the second step to show hidden files and folders etc but there was no cookie jar.

Then I did, uncheck" Hide protected operating system files, and found the cookie jar, but the one I was looking for was not there at all!

So maybe it could be a rootkit infection as you were saying? As I know I downloaded a few games recently. doh.

Any thoughts as what I should try?

Thanks.

[perfume]

Dear b101,
Do you have Malwarebytes Anti-malware(MBAM) and SuperAntispyware installed on your computer? if you have, kindly run them,one after the other, and see if they pick up anything. Please close all browsers or better still, restart and run these programs, because most of the files will be accessible! Let's see what others chip in with ( a superior advise is always welcome, isn't it?). SAS has picked up so many tracking cookies in my comp. until i configured a way out, a titbit which i will share with you later once we are out of this mess!

[Phantom010]

Originally Posted by b101

Ok thanks, yep I pasted the text into the address bar as said, and it tried to open notepad then an "access is denied!" sign appeared.

I then did the second step to show hidden files and folders etc but there was no cookie jar.

Then I did, uncheck" Hide protected operating system files, and found the cookie jar, but the one I was looking for was not there at all!

So maybe it could be a rootkit infection as you were saying? As I know I downloaded a few games recently. doh.

Any thoughts as what I should try?

Thanks.

Why did you try opening Notepad? Simply delete the c_m@atdmt[2].txt tracking cookie. If you still have trouble deleting it, try it with Unlocker.

After you've done that, it might be a good idea to shows us a HijackThis log.

Please click here to download and install the HijackThis installer.

Run it and select Do a system scan and save a logfile.

The log will be saved in Notepad. Copy and paste the log in your next post.

Do not fix anything

Also, as perfume mentionned, SAS is a great program to get rid of tracking cookies, as harmless as they may be...

[b101]

Yeh it automatically tried to open notebook, when I pasted the text, don't know why.

I can't actually see the cookie anywhere at all. Other than where AVG says it's there. I used Superantispyware, it found it and removed it, but then when I rebooted it showed up again.

To be fair guys, you've been really helpful, so thanks for your time, a lot of people would be lost without this kind of help!

But I think the only thing for it is to format the drive and hope for the best.

Thanks again.

[perfume]

Dear b101,
Thank you for your gracious comments about the site! Before you take any radical steps, I strongly recommend you to read this article as to why tracking cookies keep coming back? It's an excellent one and gives useful tips on how to rid them from your pc. ALSO READ THE COMMENTS POSTED BELOW THE ARTICLE, AS I FOUND THEM MORE INFORMATIVE (sorry for the bold type)!http://ask-leo.com/why_does_my_antispyware_program_keep_reporting_the_same_cookies.html

[Phantom010]

If you visit the same website from which the cookie originated, you'll get it back over and over. Some anti-malware programs detect tracking cookies and alert you. Others couldn't care less. No need to take drastic measures...

[hewee]

Any session cookies you have once you close your browser they get deleted. (that is why they are called session cookies)

So you could get a warn about then and then close down your browser to look for then but they will not show up because they got deleted as soon as you closed your browser.

You can get SpywareBlaster to help out.
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/

Also put tracking sites on your cookie block list and that is what SpywareBlaster does for you.

[Phantom010]

Like I said, no big deal. You can delete tracking cookies manually once in a while very easily, or, have SAS do it for you. IMHO, cookies are harmless. If you try too hard to block them, many websites won't work properly. So, let AVG panic with it if it wants to and have a good night's rest!

[hewee]

I still hate cookies and deal with them in ways most don't know how to.
I even block cookies from sites I need cookies from and that is where it gets hard because if a site had 10 cookies and you can block 6 of them and get things to work that is good but once you block one you need you have to unblock all from that site and start over.
I also block all cookies by default and they do not get added to the block list.
I use IE only for MS updates so all are blocked in IE.
Then in Firefox all are blocked by default without getting added to the block list or Exceptions list.
On that list I have a short list of allow sites.
Then a list of session sites.
Then a list of blocked sites.
Now if I block all sites by default then why do I have sites listed as blocked? Well they are sites I go to and want to get to read about things. Also if it is a site I need cookies from but I can block some from that same site then it gets added to the block list.

I use cookie safe and it will let me also have a temp cookie. Nice to have because if a cookie is needed to get into a site then your have one but it will get delete without getting added to any list.

Then CookieCuller I love the best and have it's icon on the toolbar. I have sites marked as protected that I can not delete. I can then click delete and all the rest get deleted. I do this all the time to clear and tracking cookies. Do it after going to each site or before going to the next site.

There are other add-ons for dealing with cookies but so far the way I do it is best.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/fir...ookie+&cat=all

If they can only kill the 3rd party cookies in other ways.
If you ever wonder why your seeing cookies that are from sites you did not go to or if you look before closing IE or FF and see session cookies of a site you did not go to then it is not because you went there but because you have gaven that site rights to set a cookie.

Let take google because they are all over and hooked into many site.
You may block all the google sites so get no google cookies.
But you use Gmail and your need a cookie from them even if you do not keep the cookies and have to log in all the time.
Now you go to some other web site but had not gone to any google site and you look and see you now have a google cookie.
You got it as a 3rd party cookie.
But wait you block all 3rd party cookies so how did it get there.
Well all 3rd party cookies will be blocked but any sites you have given rights to under allow or allow for session can still set a cookie from another site.
Why do you think google does all that it does and has hooks into all these sites with the search boxes and gives away gmail etc etc. So you need a cookie from them.
Google makes money from info on everything. So to get all that info they track you.

I use MozBackup a lot to restore the cookies learning to get things deleted. Without it to restore the cookies I would have gone crazy and given up.

[perfume]

b101,
I always love reading hewee's posts because they come mostly from his personal experience! I once contributed a bit on Third party cookies in this forum. Third party cookies can be categorized as temporary or persistent. Some cookies are nasty,that's why i suggest you to shift browsing from IE to Firefox 3.5. There are some good options available in FF3.5 to prevent,remove and even not allow cookies. I will show these as thumbnails. Kindly view them! The one big prob. with not allowing any cookies at all (as pointed out by phantom010 and hewee) is most sites won't open and you will have to do some manual juggling every time to open them.

PS:I have used up the max.allowed attachments(5). Anyway, they are a sight for sore eyes!