Problem w/IE not accepting cookies on one particular site

As an example, I have cookies enabled (allways accept cookies, 1st and 3rd party). When I come to Windows BBS, I am automatically logged in.

Ok, now in IE, I'm going to go to tools/Internet Options/delete cookies, delete files.

Now, let's say that I come here tomorrow, I am not logged in, and no matter how many times I try, I cannot log in. All settings remain the same, so remember that. And, to make it worse, when I try to create another different user account, I can't do that either.

What would you suggest would be the cause of this problem?
And what would you do to correct it?

 

sandilew--I am sure you will get a better answer, but when you go to www.windowsbbs.com near the top right (just to the right of Quick Links) you may see Log Out. If so, click on it. Now can you log back in or create a new account?
Probably not really important, but why are you deleting your cookies? CookieJar might be a better way of allowing you to keep the cookies you want and getting rid of those you don't, rather than deleting all cookies each time.
http://www.jasons-toolbox.com/programs.asp?Program=Cookie Jar

 

Hi Guys, thanks for answering so quickly

WelshJim,

I'm not having a problem on this site, I was just using it as an example as to what has happened to me on another site. At the time this problem began, I was having some other little problem, and I was told that I needed to clean out my cooking folder and cache files, that they might be too full, so I blindly did as was suggested. Ever since though, I have not been able to access one of my favorite forums.



Steve R. Jones,
I'm getting no message really, other than I am constantly sent to the log in page, or password not accepted. I have written to the admin. of the site, and they tell me I need to allow cookies. But cookies are allowed. And it's just this one site. But it's a site I really enjoy, and this has been going on for over a month now, and I would really like to solve this problem if possible.

They even gave me a new password because the old one wasn't being accepted. And they have tested it and everything worked great for them, but it will not work for me.

Thanks to you both for answering my plea so quickly. But I need to do more than what I've done so far. And yes, I have run sfc /scannow, and that helped nothing. I went back to an earlier registry setting, and that did not work either. For some reason the cookies from that site are not registering on my PC, and it is also listed as a Trusted Site, same as this one.

 

sandilew

This may be a good time to download firefox from www.mozilla.org and try it. It has a builtin cookie manager that allows you to delete or save individual cookies as you see fit. There's no limit to the number of browsers you can use, separately or simultaneously.

 

Thanks Sparrow

But Firefox couldn't get in either. And Netscape couldn't get as well. All three browsers were locked out, but the site administrators tell me the problem is with my PC. It is almost as though I am blocked from the site, but since they did go through the trouble of giving me a new password, I hardly think that is the case.

What could a PC possibly do that would block it like that?

 

sandilew--I am a little confused now. Your first post said you could enter the site at first, but then a little later could not. And in between the two events, you had deleted your cache and cookies.
Do I understand that correctly? And you now are still able to access the site, itself, but not able to enter the password protected parts? And the problem is limited to one site?
Are you sure you are entering the UserID and password correctly? Some sites make a difference in whether you use upper or lower case. Are you seeing any offer when you are redirected to the sign in page that you can get your password sent to you by email?
Have you looked into IE Tools|Internet Options|Restricted Sites to see if that site has somehow gotten into the list?
What happens if you put the site into Security tab|Trusted Sites? (Uncheck the box "Require Server Verification... ")

 

Thanks Welshjim

I was able to access this particular site for some time. Then, after I cleaned out my cookies and IE cache, from then on, I have not been able to enter the site as a member to participate. I can go there and read the questions and comments, but I cannot participate because it does not accept my username and password when I enter it.

I know that most sites require that you enter your username and password specifically, and the administration sent me my username and a new password to make sure that I had correct information. But when I enter that information, it tells me that I am entering the wrong information. Administration said that is because I do not have cookies enabled, but I do!

About the security thing. This particular site is on my Trusted Sites list, so there is no problem there.

And to help me keep my user ID and passwords properly, I also use a program called RoboForm. And I have even bypassed RoboForm to make sure the information was being typed in correctly, and still I am not considered "logged in" and therefore can not participate.

Originally, I had it set up the same as I do here at Windows BBS. To recognize me automatically. Every time I went to the site, I was automatically logged in. Then after cleaning the cookie file and cache file (and please understand, I did not find the files themselves and empty them, I just use the buttons in Internet Options, nothing else) but after cleaning them, I have not been able to log in at all let alone be recognized the next time I go to that site.

 

Only thing in common with all browsers would seem to be the firewall. What are you using? Have you tried less restrictive setting (if available), e.g in zonealarm set to medium instead of high security? Don't turn off the firewall though!

Edit: An afterthought: make sure you're not hitting 'caps-lock' accidentally.

 

Hello Sparrow,

I'm using the Windows Firewall that comes with XP. And I can't understand why it should block this one site since it doesn't block any others I go to.

Yes, I have made sure that Caps Lock was not on. That is not the problem here either. I wish it were something that simple.

Thank you for trying to help.

 

sandilew

Well, how about trying zonealarm? Set it on high and if still a problem, try medium. Turn off XP firewall and see if that's the culprit.

 

New Developments

Well Sparrow,

I just discovered something totally new, thanks to you.

I thought, just for the sake of argument, I would turn off the firewall, and go to my site and see what happens. so that's what I did, and nothing happened. Once I put logged in, and hit enter, I got "page cannot be found, DNS error. "

Well, I use an accelerator (Proxyconn) because I live in a very rural area, with a small local phone company providing our ISP service, and it's slower than my modem was intended for, it's that bad. So I turned off the accelerator, changed my IE settings to Automatically detect, rather than going through the proxy settings the accelerator uses.

You will not believe what I got!

I received the same "Page cannot be found. DNS error" message every time.

Now, I have other pages from this same site bookmarked, so I tried going to them, and everything went just great. No problem, and they "recognize" me as a member as well. From one of the other pages, I used a hyperlink to the Forum I have been having problems with, and the moment I did, I get the same message.......Page cannot be found, DNS error. "

This tells me two things. That the page I was getting at first was a pre-cached page that Proxyconn was keeping to enable me to access the site quicker. But once I needed to refresh after putting in my username and password, it won't work, because they don't have it cached. And, since I emptied my IE cache, and cookie file, that site has actually been lost to me completely!

Now, can you, or anyone, explain that one to me? I am sincerely hoping that learning this new information might make a difference and make this problem now solvable by someone that has some experience in these matters.

I sure hope someone has answers because I am not more baffled than I was originally.

 

Caching web pages is common practice and usually causes no problems, provided the software doing it is relatively bug-free. If I were you I'd get rid of the "accelerator" and see what happens. Outside of caching web pages, which the browser does for you anyway, it only slows you down; everything you run uses up some cpu time and online bandwidth.

You DO need a firewall at all times!

 

Hi Sparrow,

I tried shutting down the accelerator, and I still couldn't gain access. I guess I might just as well give up and forget using that forum. As much as I like going there, it's doing me no good when I can't get in to post. Still, there is a lot to learn just from reading, so maybe I can learn something or other just the same.

Thanks for your help though. I really appreciate you kept trying.

 

Sorry we're unable to help. Be sure to post back if you finally solve your problem; it could help others if anyone gets into a similar situation.

BTW, it seems that windows gradually accumulates bugs, as do other programs, just sitting on your hard disk, and I've seen strange problems evaporate with a fresh reinstallation. Just another thought.

 

Hello Sparrow,

Thank you for all of your help. I really appreciate it. I think you are probably correct. That the best thing would be to totally restore to original settings. With that in mind, I have backed up all of my Documents, and other files I want to keep safe. Now I just have to talk myself into doing it. As we all know, that is a major task because everything (updates and programs) will require being downloaded and installed all over again. Just thinking about how time consuming that would be makes me think twice. But I am seriously considering it. The forum that I have been blocked from really is an excellent forum, such as this one, and I have come to really enjoying all I have learned there, and could learn there.

If I do go ahead with the reformatting and re-install, I will let you know how it comes out.

 

Some Problems solved, now new ones

I finally gave up. I did a complete restore. So now I am able to access the website I so longed to visit, and I have also repaired the problem I began having with IE6 as well. It had removed all control from my hands and was telling me what it would do.

I thought it might be a virus, but couldn't understand how, since I ALWAYS have anti-virus software running. I scanned twice, then went to Trend Micro's Housecall, and nothing was ever found.

I did system restore several times, and since that never did solve the problem I finally gave up and did a Recovery Restore.

Of course, now I am having problems with some hardware drivers that apparently are missing, so my scanner won't work any longer. I am hoping by going to their web site I can find the driver I need.

Also having a problem with Windows Update program, but I've always had problems with that from the day I purchased the PC. I am just thankful I had the SP2 CD so I could install that before I went on line. But I know there are recent updates that I need, and yet the program is not recognizing that fact.

I went to Windows Update site, and that is not working with me correctly either. It seems to freeze up. So I guess I traded one 2 problems for more problems.........ARGH!!!

I do want to thank everyone for all their tireless help and suggestions. As always, you people try very hard, and I sincerely do appreciate that.

I'm sure I'll be back.........LOL
Take care.

 

I think your experience with restoring the system is average; at least I've had all those problems, too. That's why I now depend on making images of my OS with Norton's Ghost while it's fresh and clean. Then I can restore it in about 20 minutes flat with all the drivers and tweaks I like and need. I also remake the image each time I modify the OS by installing or removing updates, programs, drivers etc..

You might want to look into one of the imaging programs; mine came with norton's System Works 2003, which is still around selling at deep discounts last time I looked. Everything in it should still work but the antivirus.

That's also a problem: new viruses are constantly being released and there's a lag between their discovery and the fix and update of the antivirus programs. I've been hit a few times, and that's another good reason to make images.

 

Hello Sparrow

I was talking to my daughter yesterday on the phone, and discussed the problem I had been having with her, and she said she thought it sounded like a problem she had just read about in the lastes edition of PC Magazine, and that right now, they don't have anything to fix it with. Regardless, the deed is over and done with. I have IE back and functioning normally again, and I can also gain access to my other Forum too.

About this Norton Ghost, I don't have a clue what that is or what it does. Would you mind explaining it a bit more? Oddly enough I bought Norton System Works back when I had Windows 98SE, but that was over 2 years back, and when I got the new PC with XP on it, I tossed that set of programming out! Also, are there other programs that perform this same task?

I am having one major problem though, since doing the recovery. I don't seem to be able to access Windows Update for some reason, and my Automatic Update program seems to not be working as well. I know that about a week to 10 days before I performed the recover on my PC, Microsoft released several major security updates for IE and the system, and I have not been able to download and install them because of these glitches. Do you have any suggestions regarding this? The last thing I want to do is expose myself to more danger by not keeping my PC updated with the latest security patches and updates.

Thank you so much for your help.

 

sandilew--Try putting the Windows Update site in Trusted Sites (uncheck the box "Require Server Verification... ") to see if that allows you to access the site.