Wayyyyyyy OT: Firefox cookies

[Dr Teeth]

I have looked high and low for an answer to this and am getting
desperate (as you will tell by this OT posting).

I'm *convinced* that Firefox handles cookies differently and
defectively c.f. IE.

The mozilla forums are as helpful and welcoming as a Linux forum to a
windows user and therefore of limited value (I'm being polite).

The problem is that, for example, my banking site. I have to login
with FF at least once a week or the cookie expires and I have to
re-enter all the new customer security info. The cookies themselves
are present and correct and have expiry dates way in the future. Other
sites seem to expire earlier than they should, but at least
autocomplete fills in the details.

My bank is not too helpful as they have not received many/any
complaints...very likely due to the fact that most users login
frequently.

IE does not have this issue and I do not have to login
regularly/frequently to any site.

Any pointers as to how I can either get to the bottom of this or get
it confirmed?

TIA.

--
Cheers,

Guy

** Stress - the condition brought about by having to
** resist the temptation to beat the living daylights
** out of someone who richly deserves it.

 

[oops!!]

In FF check Tools > Options > Privacy > Cookies section.

Make sure you have ticked "Accept cookies from sites" and also Keep until:
"they expire".

See if that helps, because I have not ever faced the problem you describe.

Zee

 

[Dr Teeth]

I was just thinking how wonderful life was, when "oops!!"

In FF check Tools > Options > Privacy > Cookies section.

Make sure you have ticked "Accept cookies from sites" and also Keep until:
"they expire".

See if that helps, because I have not ever faced the problem you describe.

Thanks for the reply, but done all that already. It also happens, to
some extent or another with web based forum sites. I visit and it
dawns on me that there is no indication of posts since my last visit
and it is because I an not logged in as a returning user.

The time necessary between logins/visits to prevent this is variable.

--
Cheers,

Guy

** Stress - the condition brought about by having to
** resist the temptation to beat the living daylights
** out of someone who richly deserves it.

 

[oops!!]

Then try deleting all cookies in FF > Tools > Options > Privacy > "Show
cookies" button > Remove all cookies.

Download and install CCleaner from:

www.ccleaner.com

Close ALL browsers and launch CCleaner.

Under the Cleaner section tick ALL options in Cleaner Settings and click the
"Run Cleaner" button.

When finished reboot the PC.

You will probably need to log on again to the troublesome websites but
hopefully your problem will be solved.

Good luck,

Zee

 

[Charlie Drake]

Any pointers as to how I can either get to the bottom of this or get
it confirmed?

TIA.

Have you tried:
Tools
Options
Privacy
Exceptions
Fill in Bank site web addy and any other addy's you might want and click
'allow'
Then make sure 'Accept Cookies From sites' is checked
'Keep until' is set at 'they expire'
And make sure Under Private Data
'Always clear my private data when I close Firefox' is unchecked.
Click OK


Charlie

 

[Mike Scott]

Have you tried:
Tools
Options
Privacy
Exceptions
Fill in Bank site web addy and any other addy's you might want and click
'allow'
Then make sure 'Accept Cookies From sites' is checked
'Keep until' is set at 'they expire'

That's all fine....

And make sure Under Private Data
'Always clear my private data when I close Firefox' is unchecked.

.... but I'm not so sure of this. I prefer my private data to be cleared
- and it doesn't seem to cause cookie problems afaik.

You might like to check "Karen's Cookie Viewer", a piece of freeware
that tells you more than you probably want to know about cookies on your
machine: the expiry date and authorized sites among other things. It may
cast some light on what's happening.

 

[Dr Teeth]

I was just thinking how wonderful life was, when Charlie Drake

Have you tried:

Yes to all, which are the default settings IIRC. All settings are
apparently correct. If an errant setting were causing the issue, l
would not expect any variability.

Thanks for the reply.

--
Cheers,

Guy

** Stress - the condition brought about by having to
** resist the temptation to beat the living daylights
** out of someone who richly deserves it.

 

[Dr Teeth]

I was just thinking how wonderful life was, when Mike Scott

You might like to check "Karen's Cookie Viewer", a piece of freeware
that tells you more than you probably want to know about cookies on your
machine: the expiry date and authorized sites among other things. It may
cast some light on what's happening.

I have checked the cookies before and all seems well. If it were a
cookie problem, other FF users may have noticed it.

It may occur and not be noticed as it is minor (I just have to login
again and my username and passwords are saved by FF), apart from my
banking site...I have to rifle through my mess that passes as a filing
system, and find the security codes and enter them again just like a
new customer...they are not saved by autocomplete (thank goodness).

--
Cheers,

Guy

** Stress - the condition brought about by having to
** resist the temptation to beat the living daylights
** out of someone who richly deserves it.

 

[Tx2]

I have looked high and low for an answer to this and am getting
desperate (as you will tell by this OT posting).

I'm convinced that Firefox handles cookies differently and
defectively c.f. IE.

The mozilla forums are as helpful and welcoming as a Linux forum to a
windows user and therefore of limited value (I'm being polite).

The problem is that, for example, my banking site. I have to login
with FF at least once a week or the cookie expires and I have to
re-enter all the new customer security info. The cookies themselves
are present and correct and have expiry dates way in the future. Other
sites seem to expire earlier than they should, but at least
autocomplete fills in the details.

My bank is not too helpful as they have not received many/any
complaints...very likely due to the fact that most users login
frequently.

IE does not have this issue and I do not have to login
regularly/frequently to any site.

Any pointers as to how I can either get to the bottom of this or get
it confirmed?

Any anti-spyware or software cleaners installed?

I use CCleaner, and that zaps cookies, AIUI, but can be set to ignore -
although I did read somewhere that a bug meant they still got wiped/

Just a thought to maybe look 'outside' of Firefox.

 

[PA Bear]

The problem is that, for example, my banking site. I have to login

with FF at least once a week or the cookie expires and I have to
re-enter all the new customer security info.

Why would you want /any/ log-on information for a banking site to be
"remembered"?

 

[Dr Teeth]

I was just thinking how wonderful life was, when "Tx2"

Any anti-spyware or software cleaners installed?

Yes. They are not deleting the cookies, if that was where you are
coming from ;-) I check and if that were the case, they'd be targeting
FF cookies and leaving IE ones (the power of Mr gates?).

I use CCleaner, and that zaps cookies, AIUI, but can be set to ignore -
although I did read somewhere that a bug meant they still got wiped/

I do this stuff manually when I need to, which is very rarely/never
<g>. I cannot trust an app (CCleaner) that advocates clearing out the
prefetch folder (IIRC CCleaner has a button for this).


--
Cheers,

Guy

** Stress - the condition brought about by having to
** resist the temptation to beat the living daylights
** out of someone who richly deserves it.

 

[Synapse Syndrome]

I have looked high and low for an answer to this and am getting
desperate (as you will tell by this OT posting).

I'm *convinced* that Firefox handles cookies differently and
defectively c.f. IE.

The mozilla forums are as helpful and welcoming as a Linux forum to a
windows user and therefore of limited value (I'm being polite).

The problem is that, for example, my banking site. I have to login
with FF at least once a week or the cookie expires and I have to
re-enter all the new customer security info. The cookies themselves
are present and correct and have expiry dates way in the future. Other
sites seem to expire earlier than they should, but at least
autocomplete fills in the details.

My bank is not too helpful as they have not received many/any
complaints...very likely due to the fact that most users login
frequently.

IE does not have this issue and I do not have to login
regularly/frequently to any site.

Any pointers as to how I can either get to the bottom of this or get
it confirmed?

I don't use Firefox, but there seems to be quite a lot of cookie options to
play around with.

Type "about:config" in the address bar. There are a few settings starting
with network.cookie...

ss.

 

[Jon]

(e-mail address removed) declared for all the world to hear...

Why would you want /any/ log-on information for a banking site to be
"remembered"?

Barclays stores the 12 digit member number and the Surname as a cookie.
On the next login page you still have to come up with a 5-digit passcode
and 2 letters chosen at random from your password.

 

[Mike Scott]

I was just thinking how wonderful life was, when Mike Scott


I have checked the cookies before and all seems well. If it were a
cookie problem, other FF users may have noticed it.

It may occur and not be noticed as it is minor (I just have to login
again and my username and passwords are saved by FF), apart from my
banking site...I have to rifle through my mess that passes as a filing
system, and find the security codes and enter them again just like a
new customer...they are not saved by autocomplete (thank goodness).

OK, then if /really/ desperate, you might try using, eg, wireshark
(http://www.wireshark.org) to monitor the network traffic. It may give a
clue about what's going on (although much will depend on how much of the
traffic is encrypted).

 

[Dr Teeth]

I was just thinking how wonderful life was, when "PA Bear"

Why would you want /any/ log-on information for a banking site to be
"remembered"?

It is just my identity not a password that keeps getting lost. I get
asked for different letters from my password each time. Without my
identity, I have to enter two *long* numeric strings.

There is no security issue at all with what is being saved.


--
Cheers,

Guy

** Stress - the condition brought about by having to
** resist the temptation to beat the living daylights
** out of someone who richly deserves it.

 

[Dr Teeth]

I was just thinking how wonderful life was, when "Synapse Syndrome"

I don't use Firefox, but there seems to be quite a lot of cookie options to
play around with.

Options that can be set 'normally' are okay.

Type "about:config" in the address bar. There are a few settings starting
with network.cookie...

Some interesting options there. The ones that are plain enough to
understand seem to be okay...the others will require some serious
googling. Thanks for pointing me in this direction, much appreciated.


--
Cheers,

Guy

** Stress - the condition brought about by having to
** resist the temptation to beat the living daylights
** out of someone who richly deserves it.