Viewing session cookies in IE6

[Clive Backham]

I support a website that uses session cookies. One user reports that
it's not working for them. (We've been through the usual business of
setting the privacy options, but no luck so far). So I'd like to get
this user to monitor the values of their cookies and report to me
exactly what's happening.

However, I can't find any way of actually displaying the values of
session cookies in IE6. (For example, in Firefox there is "Tools |
Options | Privacy | View Cookies"; in Opera there is "Tools | Advanced
| Cookies"). Have I missed the equivalent option in IE6, or is it just
not there? Is there any way to monitor the values of session cookies
in IE6?

 

[Robert Aldwinckle]

I support a website that uses session cookies. One user reports that
it's not working for them. (We've been through the usual business of
setting the privacy options, but no luck so far). So I'd like to get
this user to monitor the values of their cookies and report to me
exactly what's happening.

However, I can't find any way of actually displaying the values of
session cookies in IE6. (For example, in Firefox there is "Tools |
Options | Privacy | View Cookies"; in Opera there is "Tools | Advanced
| Cookies"). Have I missed the equivalent option in IE6, or is it just
not there?

Is there any way to monitor the values of session cookies in IE6?

FiddlerTool.

However, if you are working with the user and it's your server
couldn't you trace it for them instead? If you are already doing that
what does the symptom look like from that side?

And what, in detail, does the symptom look like from the user's side?
Are you sure that the user is using your site the way it was designed?
E.g. one common explanation for Cookie problems is using a Favorite
which is a backdoor but having only an old version of a Cookie or not
having one saved to present at all. From there a misleading message
from the server trying to be helpful to explain a particular problem scenario
to a particular class of user (e.g. lowest case browser functionality)
is enough to cause any other users more confusion about what is
really happening. Etc.


HTH

Robert Aldwinckle
---

 

[Clive Backham]

FiddlerTool.

Thanks for the pointer. I had a look at FiddlerTool, and as far as I
can make out it's very like another tool I sometimes use called
ProxyTrace. But these tools must be used at the client end, and the
client is at a remote location. Asking them to install and use various
tools is a little difficult. It was difficult enough persuading them
to install Firefox so they could try that (And of course, the problem
didn't happen with Firefox - so that didn't help the diagnosis!).

Are you sure that the user is using your site the way it was designed?
E.g. one common explanation for Cookie problems is using a Favorite
which is a backdoor but having only an old version of a Cookie or not
having one saved to present at all.

I've checked that they are coming in through the correct initial home
page.

Anyway, back to the original question: I take it there's no way within
IE6 itself that the values of session cookies can be displayed?

 

[Swifty]

Anyway, back to the original question: I take it there's no way within

IE6 itself that the values of session cookies can be displayed?

Does turning on prompting before accepting cookies help? Opera doesn't
prompt if the cookie matches what it already has, which can sometimes
make it difficult to use this technique to prove one way or the other if
the cookie is being sent.

 

[Gary Smith]

Anyway, back to the original question: I take it there's no way within
IE6 itself that the values of session cookies can be displayed?

That is correct. IE has no way to display the contents of cookies.

 

[Clive Backham]

Does turning on prompting before accepting cookies help? Opera doesn't
prompt if the cookie matches what it already has, which can sometimes
make it difficult to use this technique to prove one way or the other if
the cookie is being sent.

As far as I can tell, turning on prompting for cookies only seems to
affect persistent cookies. (At least, using my own IE6 installation,
session cookies are accepted silently. And I've tried setting "Always
accept session cookies" both on & off - no apparent difference).

 

[Clive Backham]

That is correct. IE has no way to display the contents of cookies.

Thanks. That is the unambiguous confirmation I was looking for.

 

[mae]

You can read the cookies with notepad if that provides any information that is
meaningful to you. Internet Options-General-Settings-Browsing History-View
Files.
--
mae

| > That is correct. IE has no way to display the contents of cookies.
|
| Thanks. That is the unambiguous confirmation I was looking for.
|

 

[Gary Smith]

But session cookies aren't written to disk, are they?