Automatic logging in

[Steve Maskery]

Morning all

Something weird has happened to my computer. Yesterday I installed a load of updates to my PC and now none of my automatic logging in works. UKW, Knots, Google and YouTube - they are all the same. I have Cookies enabled until they expire, but in every case I'm having to log in manually. It's a pain.

I have Updates automatically enabled, so it's no use asking my what Updates I installed, I'm afraid

I'm using XP and Firefox 3.06.

Any help gratefully received.
S

 

[MikeG.]

I had this Steve....

Are you running Norton Anti-virus by any chance? There was a non-compatability issue between a Firefox update and Norton.......... Norton ended up sending me a patch.

Mike

 

[Steve Maskery]

Hi Mike
No, but I have recently started to use AVG. This could be the first update since then too. I wonder if that is the problem.
Thanks
Steve

 

[motownmartin]

This happened to my Father-in-law, he has XP & Explorer, I think the update deleted the cookies so all usernames and passwords had to be re-entered, I think its just a security update.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Except, Martin, that they are not being stored. Or at least, if they are being stored they are not being retrieved properly. I'm having to do it every time, not just once.
S

 

[motownmartin]

Oh I see, the last time I had a problem similar to this I done a system restore and stopped the automatic updates, now I choose which updates to do.

 

[maltrout512]

Hi Steve I'm using AVG and never had a problem until 2/3 days ago with auto log in. From sunday onwards it is now working fine !!!!!!!! So I don't know what happened, but is now working.

 

[Pete W]

Steve, did you ever find a solution to this? I've been having the same problem, thought I'd solved it, and then today it's happening all over again.

Usually (historically) it seems to be a result of a corrupt cookie; deleting them all often cures the problem. That's what I did at the beginning of the week, and it seemed to work. Had three or four days without trouble.

Then this morning I found that I had to log-in here again, and did so. Just returned and had to log in yet again! So I just checked and it looks as though all my cookies have been deleted, even though Firefox is set to remember cookies until manually told to delete them.

I seem to remember a Firefox upgrade recently and wonder if that's connected to the problem. Any other Firefox/Windows users suffering?

 

[Steve Maskery]

Pete
No I have not found a solution. It's a pain.
I'm using XP and Firefox 3.0.6

I think my cookies must still be there, because when I type in the first character, a drop-down box appears with my username, and the password appears int he password box too. So that must have come from a cookie, right?

I suppose I could turn off my AV software, but I'm not too keen on doing that. It's years since I've had a virus, but I wouldn't want to tempt fate.

Cheers
Steve

 

[woodbloke]

I use XP and Firefox with AVG...none of my automatic log ons ever worked :x. On advice from others on the forum I turned off my 'Automatic Updates' a couple of years ago and the 'puter's been fine ever since - Rob

 

[Woody Alan]

Steve,

Work your way through this thread,
http://support.mozilla.com/tiki-view_fo ... &forumId=1

Alan

 

[Steve Maskery]

Alan

Thank you very much! It was a bit difficult to follow - one bit I still don't understand (the bit a bout Prefs - couldn't find that) and despite clearing all my cookies, sites still seem to know my ID and stored password, so I've no idea where they are stored.

I think deleting cookies.sqlite was what did the trick.

However, I'm now logging in automatically again so I'm a very happy chappie and grateful to you.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Pete W]

Alan, good post, thanks.

Steve, if you go to Firefox's Tools/Options menu, then select the Privacy tab you'll see that Cookies and Private Data have separate sections. If you then choose the Security tab, you'll find the Passwords settings are dealt with there. In other words, Firefox deals with separate bits of data in separate areas.

Cookies come *from* websites and sometimes allow you access without entering log-in details if you have the cookie. The Passwords settings in Security remember log-in details that you *send to* websites. So if you come to UK Workshop and aren't logged in (because of the cookie issue), when you click the log-in link Firefox still remembers your log-in and password details (provided you've asked Firefox to do so, of course).

It's a question of whether your details are stored by the website (and accessed via cookie) or by Firefox. Sorry for the roundabout explanation! And for the sake of completeness, since I mentioned it above, the Private Data bit in Firefox remembers things you've entered into web forms, or search engines, and other similar stuff.

Anyway, I've deleted the cookies/sqlite file and we'll see if that works :roll:.

 

[Pete W]

Just an update for the record, in case anyone else suffers this.

Since deleting the cookies/sqlite file, everthing seems to be working as normal.