Internet Explorer

[#1]

This isn't a problem, but I'd just like to understand why it happens. Every time I run CCleaner, it deletes a few items in Internet Explorer - Temporary Internet Files and Internet Explorer - Cookies.

The reason I can't understand this is because I  NEVER use IE, haven't done for almost as long as I've been using a computer - so why is it creating these files?

[#2 · Accepted solution]

You may not use IE but that doesn't mean that it isn't used by other processes on your computer.

There are plenty of programs that communicate online without your knowledge direct from your PC. Some will use their own http abilities (eg using indy sockets or similar) while others may depend on the operating system and its built in http client abilities - such as IE. Obviously if IE is used then its going to do what it does but you just won't see a window with a web page.

You would be shocked if you knew just how many requests are going out of your computer without you even knowing about it. Not even using a browser, your computer will be making contact to the internet and multiple domains. I have a DNS server that i've made and also made a basic form to show live activity / dns requests. Just connecting to a network will result in a very long list of dns requests for domain -> ip address conversions and that is with no browser in use.

There isn't much you can really do about it other than lock down all outgoing traffic completely but even that isn't guaranteed to stop cookies etc being created as IE may well cache its own connection failure pages!

[#3]

Thanks @7up. I had a feeling that was the answer, but I was curious to get it confirmed. As I said, I'm not bothered, I just like to understand what is happening and why,

[#4]

I stilll can't give you an actual reason why it happens though other than all the software authors out there seem to like having data about all their users for whatever reasons they have.

Data has become big business. I thought mobile phones were bad at harnessing peoples data but having seen just how many dns requests are made by a PC not in use, I was shocked to see its been going on for years with normal computers - the difference is most people don't know it.