Cookies returning after I remove them

I use Ccleaner to manage what cookies I want to keep on my Windows 10 desktop, so they aren’t removed when I clear Chrome cache. I have noticed that I run the cleaner, but once I open Chrome, a bunch of cookies are added onto my computer again.

Some are obvious – a msn.com cookie because I have one tab opening to msn.com, but some are not obvious and seem a bit malicious to be added without my visiting the site.

Where are they coming from, and how do I stop them?

  • adsrvr.org
  • amazon.fr
  • bing.com
  • doubleclick.net
  • geistm.com
  • history.paypal.com
  • outbrain.com
  • unsplash.com
  • widgets.outbrain.com

all look like cookies that might load with your msn page. However some are maybe due to windows apps or some application, or maybe a chrome plug-in, but i'm 90% sure they all come from the msn site

The msn cookie isn't the one I am concerned about, I know it shows up because I have msn.com set as one of my open tabs.

It's the cookies that have no business being on my machine after I have cleaned all unwanted cookies and open Chrome without visiting any new pages. Cookies like unsplash, outbrain, etc. as I list below...

  • adsrvr.org
  • amazon.fr
  • bing.com
  • doubleclick.net
  • geistm.com
  • history.paypal.com
  • outbrain.com
  • unsplash.com
  • widgets.outbrain.com

Perhaps you have Chrome set to sync?

Check if you have Chrome synced as Hazelnut says.

But most of those you list are advertising/marketing cookies.

Like Nergal I suspect that they are being loaded by advertising on the MSN page.

You could check that by opening Chrome without the MSN page and seeing if they are still loaded.

Amazon.fr and Bing.com are search engines. (so probably loaded by Chrome as default).

doubleclick.net is Google marketing. (so probably loaded by Chrome as default).


unsplash.com is a Photo library. (expected on a news website like MSN?)


Paypal is obvious.

The rest are advertising/marketing.

Are you using any Adblocker(s)?

On the MSN UK homepage my AdBlock stops 4 ads, and my Malwarebytes Browser Guard stops another 2. Which seems to tie in with the number of advertising cookies that you are seeing.

PS. It is not unusual for some cookies and files to return straight after cleaning.

See the link in my signature at the bottom of this post for an explantion of why this is normal, and how you can stop some of it (but not all).

18 hours ago, flexo said:
<div class="ipsQuote_contents ipsClearfix" data-gramm="false">
	<p>
		Where are they coming from, and <strong>how do I stop them</strong>?
	</p>
</div>

You can stop many of the adserver kind with a HOSTS file, such as the MVPS HOSTS File, and of course with an ad blocking browser add-on/extension such as uBlock Origin for Chrome .

I turned off synch and cleared cookies - no change.

I removed MSN.com from opening tabs and eliminated these cookies:

  • adsrvr.org
  • bing.com
  • doubleclick.net
  • geistm.com
  • outbrain.com
  • widgets.outbrain.com

Still can't figure where unsplash.com is coming from.

unsplash seems to be a site where stock photos and wallpapers come from, do you have anything like that on your pc (maybe a wallpaper selector)?

nope. I have downloaded images from unsplash before, but have renamed and either moved or deleted them.

I don't have any kind of image-related extension installed in Chrome.

I searched the Windows registry and found no reference to unsplash

According to Norton Safe Web it's safe:

https://safeweb.norton.com/report/show?url=unsplash.com

I did see that the site was deemed safe, but having a cookie regenerate itself on my computer without having visited the site bothers me.