Clear Cookies and Cache in Windows Mobile 6.5

Windows Mobile 6.5 managed web browser cookies and temporary cache files primarily through the built-in settings of Internet Explorer Mobile 6. Because mobile devices of that era had limited internal storage and system RAM, the operating system provided direct options within the browser to delete temporary internet files, remove tracking cookies, and clear browsing history to free up system resources.

The Built-in Clearance Process

To delete cookies and cache in Windows Mobile 6.5, users interacted directly with Internet Explorer Mobile:

  1. Launch Internet Explorer from the Start menu.
  2. Tap Menu in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
  3. Select Tools, then tap Options.
  4. Navigate to the Browsing History tab (or Memory depending on the specific device build).
  5. Tap Delete Files to clear the temporary internet cache.
  6. Tap Clear Cookies to delete stored website authentication and tracking files.
  7. Tap Clear History to purge visited URLs.

Tapping "Clear Cookies" or "Delete Files" prompted a confirmation dialogue. Once confirmed, the system immediately removed the respective files from local device storage without requiring a system restart.

Storage Locations on the File System

Windows Mobile 6.5 structured its file system similarly to desktop Windows NT/98 environments. Browsing data was saved in hidden system directories located in the device's persistent flash memory:

  • Cookies: Typically stored as individual text files within \Windows\Profiles\guest\Cookies or directly inside \Windows\Cookies.
  • Cache: Stored within \Windows\Profiles\guest\Temporary Internet Files or \Windows\Temporary Internet Files.

When the built-in clearing command was executed, the browser simply unlinked and deleted the files contained within these targeted directories.

Third-Party Cleaners and File Management

Due to memory constraints on early smartphones, automated clearance within Internet Explorer sometimes left orphaned index records or cached images behind. Power users frequently bypassed the browser UI by using mobile file managers (such as Resco Explorer) to manually empty the Temporary Internet Files folder. Additionally, third-party maintenance utilities like SKTools or MemMaid were commonly deployed to automate the purging of cookies, history, and cache during scheduled soft resets.

Relocating the Cache via Registry Tweaks

Because the primary device storage (ROM) was small, large cache allocations could cause system instability. Users frequently modified the Windows Mobile registry to move the browser cache from internal memory to an external microSD card. By modifying the Cache and Cookies string values under [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders], the browser was directed to write and delete cached data on the storage card instead, preserving vital operating memory.