Unable to stay "logged in"?
Administrator
Posted 2007-08-08 3:10 PM (#92538)
Subject: Unable to stay "logged in"?



Elite Veteran

Posts: 967
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Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Q: I have my password, but I still can't log in. After entering my username and password, it says "Thanks for logging in" but then I'm a guest again!
 
A: This happens when your computer is unable to remember your username and password. The username and password are stored in "Cookies" in your web browser. There are a few reasons why your computer may be having trouble remembering your cookies.

1. Try using the website (Click here) to reset/delete all your existing cookies. Close all your browser windows, if you have more than one open, shut down all open applications, and restart your computer. The reason to restart your entire computer is sometimes the web browser is loaded into memory within other programs, or invisibly, and this is the best way to ensure everything is cleared out. After rebooting, try logging in again.

2. Check your system Date / Time.  When you log in, the site tells your computer "Remember this username and password until (for example) 10/30/2007 3:20:00 PM (3 months from now). If your computer clock is mis-adjusted to a future date, it will obediently forget them immediately! To check your date and time, DOUBLE CLICK on the clock in the corner of your screen. This will bring up the clock. Ensure the Day, Time, Month and year are correct! If they are not correct, change them and click "OK" and try logging in again. (If you are using Windows Vista, you only need to click on the clock once. Click the text that says "Change date and time settings")

3. If your date and time are correct, and you still can not get the site to "remember" your logon. Check your browser settings and ensure cookies are enabled. Go to Tools, then click on Internet Options

  • Go to the "Privacy" tab and ensure it is set to the defaults. Click the "Default" button to reset.
  • Click on the Advanced button and ensure nothing is checked
  • Click OK. Then click on the "Sites" button and ensure it is empty
  • Go to the "Security" tab and reset it to the default settings by clicking the "Default Level" button
  • Click OK. Restart your computer. And try logging in again.

4. If that still doesn't help, try logging in from another computer!  Try it at work, or at home, or at a friends house. If it helps, then we know it is something specific to your configuration.  Do you have any firewall or privacy software running, like McAfee, or Norton? Try disabling all of them temporarily and logging in again. Make sure you have all the latest updates for your computer from http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com

5. You can try deleting all your cookies. This will impact any saved logons you have for other sites. Again go to Tools -> Internet Options. On the first screen, click the "Delete Cookies" button. When it finishes, reboot your computer and try again.

6. If nothing has helped, there may be something corrupted in your browser. Until you are able to repair the problem, you may try an alternate web browser, like Firefox (Macintosh or Windows) or Opera (Macintosh or Windows)

 

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