Cookie Monster

York99 · Post by **York99** » September 29th, 2011, 4:25 pm

Lately my MacBook has been running slowly and pausing all the time.

Because I don't know what to do, yesterday I deleted all my cookies. Today I went back into wherever that happens and I had scores of cookies in there. I started deleting them one by one, but they were repopulating about as quickly as I could delete them.

A. Could this be what's slowing my computer down?

B. Is there anything I can do besides deal with having to switch to where I have to approve or deny cookies every time they want in and thus having to deal with that nightmare every time I open a new web site?

Any ideas?

Thanks.

trabka · Post by **trabka** » September 29th, 2011, 5:00 pm

I have an old iBook G4 that had the same issue, it ended up being due to a mechanical failure in my hard drive.

I still had a week left on my AppleCare and they switched out the hard drive and even accidentally upgraded me to the newest version of OS X.

York99 · Post by **York99** » September 29th, 2011, 5:01 pm

I just cleared them again and then opened up Facebook for literally less than a minute. I then had nearly 2 dozen cookies. So I've found the main culprit. Now I just need to know how to stop it.

wiggies · Post by **wiggies** » September 29th, 2011, 7:33 pm

I don't know if this will work, but you might try installing a secondary web browser application to use just for Facebook and set it to clear all cookies when you exit.

ratliff · Post by **ratliff** » September 29th, 2011, 9:34 pm

There are also cookie managers that you can program pretty specifically; i.e., you could instruct one to accept most cookies but delete those that come from Facebook.

On the other hand, this is probably not what's slowing your computer down.

Tim Traini · Post by **Tim Traini** » September 29th, 2011, 11:41 pm

Yeah that's definitely not something Safari does by itself and you obviously don't have a virus being on a Mac. Hardware issue is what I'd say, get thee hence to the Apple Store (or find an improviser who's a licensed Apple tech and suck up I guess).

kbadr · Post by **kbadr** » September 30th, 2011, 2:33 am

You could run Google Chrome in Incogneto mode, which will delete cookies on every exit.

Or you could use Firefox and set it to destroy all private browsing data every time you close the browser.

Post by **happywaffle** » October 3rd, 2011, 9:51 pm

Do what Kareem said, try a different browser.

Also cookies are only related to Web browser usage, they're very unlikely to cause slowness on the rest of your computer. Try quitting Safari completely then using iPhoto or whatever. Still slow? Then cookies aren't your problem.

Another troubleshooting step: make a new user (Accounts preferences) and log in as that guy. If the new user has no trouble then you've got some preference issue in your home folder. If new user does, then it's a system-wide issue, maybe hardware, or maybe OS X itself (reinstall would fix).

York99 · Post by **York99** » October 7th, 2011, 6:09 pm

I think I was allowing third party cookies. Not positive, though. Still getting cookies by the truckload, but it's not messing anything up so I guess I don't really care.

Re: Slowness
Computer might just be showing some signs of age. It's only about 3 years old, but I don't know what else it would be.

ratliff · Post by **ratliff** » October 7th, 2011, 9:33 pm

There's a bunch of basic maintenance you can do to a Mac to get it to run faster. I don't remember all of it off the top of my head, but if you want me to I can look it up and do a bunch of things to your computer that might or might not help.

mpbrockman · Post by **mpbrockman** » October 7th, 2011, 10:20 pm

ratliff wrote:There's a bunch of basic maintenance you can do to a Mac to get it to run faster.

Really basic:

1) Check your memory usage. If your hard drive is really full, delete some unneeded programs/data (or back them up to an external drive).

2) Then defragment the drive.

3) Try turning off the Virtual Hard Disk (or at least reduce the memory allocated to it).

4) If it's 3 years old and you've installed some heavily RAM dependent software since then. Consider installing more RAM. Check newegg dot com for pretty good prices.

5) Uh, I'll remember more as soon as I log off...

Tim Traini · Post by **Tim Traini** » October 8th, 2011, 11:30 am

OSX automatically defrags (something I'm glad Windows 7 does this too cause seriously it should be default) and allocates the data where it needs to be.

Or so the last time I googled "OSX defrag" all I got was a bunch of sites that said "lol why would you ever need to do this" and an app that wanted $30 to defrag my Mac.

York99 · Post by **York99** » October 9th, 2011, 1:41 am

I have no idea what y'all are talking about. What can I do with a Q-Tip and some rubbing alcohol?

mpbrockman · Post by **mpbrockman** » October 9th, 2011, 3:36 am

York99 wrote:What can I do with a Q-Tip and some rubbing alcohol?

-Have really clean ears and/or urethra
-Disinfect the condemned's arm before injecting the sodium thiopental
-Pretend to be a tiny villager in Frankenstein
-Receive "Honorable Mention" at your school science fair
-Win the talent portion of the "Miss Universe" pageant
-Have the sparkling grout you've always dreamed of
-Re-form "A Tribe Called Quest"
-Bat cleanup for the 2011 Mariners
-Apply your labial makeup
-Kitty Dukakis impressions

Ba-dum-kshhhhh!

mpbrockman · Post by **mpbrockman** » October 9th, 2011, 3:56 am

Oh dear, I'm so messed up with the discovery of that whole labial makeup thing to begin with. Now I'm just sad.

Taken from the "most helpful customer reviews" on that site:

"If anyone out there has bought this, can you tell me if the buttons are really ginger, or more of a coral or rose shade. If it helps, I'm trying to match the buttons on a Unicorn Rancher jumper from Hot Topic for Kids, if you know what color that looks like."

I never know when someone's pulling my leg or genuinely and completely on/from another planet anymore...

Sorry for the side-trip. Back to fixing slow Macs now.

Maybe you should paint the buttons...