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When in "incognito" mode (Chrome) or in "in-private browsing" (IE) or "Private Browsing" (Firefox), do any of the browsers store cookies and/or cache temporary files on disk, or is it all in memory?

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Internet Explorer did, or least does, store the information on the disk -- in the Windows\Temp folder. Which leads me to believe the rest of them do too. To store pictures, icons, text, cookies, flash cookies, etc in the memory for each would seem far fetched.

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    The note on the Windows\temp folder is revoked by the author in that very same post you're referring to. Still: things are written to disk according to that post.
    – Arjan
    Nov 30, 2010 at 15:55
  • Why would it seem far fetched? Machines have lots of memory and the data only lasts as long as the session.
    – Howiecamp
    Dec 11, 2010 at 23:58
  • It is my opinion. I believe if something like that were the case then we, as in guys who follow tech news, would know have saw something about it. Another thing to key in mind is fact that Flash 'cookies' normally still tracked in private mode which are stored on your hard drive. These 'cookies' are accessible by either mode. Which is the reason the FCC is working with Adobe to fix this issue. However, Adobe claims it was never meant to be a way to track users.
    – SgtOJ
    Dec 12, 2010 at 2:07
  • Correction... Federal Trade Commission. Here is reference link of what I am speaking of. - paidcontent.org/article/…
    – SgtOJ
    Dec 12, 2010 at 2:13
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Incognito, or "private browsing", modes are better than nothing, but not really very good. Slightly out of date already, but this will give you some idea [PDF]:

http://crypto.stanford.edu/~dabo/pubs/papers/privatebrowsing.pdf

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    so do the private modes keep these objects in memory or on disk? Not sure what you mean about it being better than nothing but not very good - I'm just asking if in memory vs. disk. Thanks
    – Howiecamp
    Nov 5, 2010 at 3:06
  • +1 Thanks for link. The situation may have changed recently with the latest version of Flash/Browsers(?), but Flash never used to respect Incognito/Private browsing. All Flash cookies were saved to disk and retained after private browsing for all to see!
    – MrWhite
    Nov 30, 2010 at 15:59
  • I think the answer is interesting but not related to the question.
    – Howiecamp
    Dec 11, 2010 at 23:57

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