Gazooks! Win98 computer won't save user names or passwords

[Dalton]

Hi folks!

I have a Win98 computer that won't save user names or passwords in spite of having selected Auto Complete and save passwords in Internet Explorer options. It asks me if I want to save then doesn't save. How get I get it to do this?

Thanks!

Peter

[mjkovis]

Are you completely sure that it is set up properly? What version of IE are you using?

Go back into your options and reread them. Just to be sure.

[Dalton]

Yes, Doublechecked

[digitald]

I'm having basically the same problem when web surfing. I don't have any problems with auto-complete, though. My problem is when I log-in to web sites. When I return to the web sites, such as forums, etc., I choose to automatically log in when I return to the site -- it's not working anymore. I have to log in everytime now.

I recently used some adware removal software and am wondering if it deleted something general in my registry files needed for sites to recognize me. It's very annoying to have to log in everytime for sites that I visit all the time and never had to log in unless I logged out.

Digital D

[GaryRouth]

It's true that depending on what settings you use on antispyware programs can affect your site-specific logons. [Usually, the antispyware program is removing the "tracking cookie"]. In this case, next time your antispyware program is run, if you have the choice to keep or to remove the cookie from the websites affected, choose to keep the cookies.

P.S. ... since you are both fairly new posters here on the forum: Welcome to PC Mechanic!

[digitald]

Thanks for your response & welcome, Gary.

My PC seems to have lost the ability to store the tracking cookies altogether. Even now when I choose to automatically login for boards & webhost control panels & such -- that is, to save my login info -- when I return to the same web sites, I still have to log in. I didn't have to do this before -- I would stay logged into those sites when I chose that option.

Do you know what might be causing a seeming loss of ability to store the cookies? Thanks.

Digital D

[GaryRouth]

digitald - As a test, can you leave PC Mech, go to another site, and then when you come back to PC Mech: does you need to re-enter your login? (your logon here is stored in a cookie).

Seems it's likely a setting in your browser or in your antivirus/antispyware program that needs adjusting. For browsers, you can specifically say what sites it's OK to save passwords and cookies from [basically, you type in a list of OK sites - and then add sites to the list as you need them in the future]. There's usually a setting for "safe" or "trusted" or "exceptions" - and sites on the list in that section will allow storing passwords and cookies. If you simply use an overall setting, like IE's High, Medium, or Low, then the rules mentioned right there on the tab apply (rather than on a site-by-site basis). IE has a pretty good help file, all the details are in there: but I imagine you might do just as well poking around in the "Privacy" tab of the browser.

If you have an antispyware program that runs continuously, look in it's menus for such options. And when run manually, you'll have to de-select the cookies you wish to keep, or change the programs options to not bother with cookies.

Dalton was running Win98 - are you also running Win98? [If you are running WinMe, you can use System Restore to return to the settings that used to work OK for you by choosing a restore point from before the trouble started. Or if you have a Win9x machine with a 3rd party restore program (such as GoBack), you can try that, too. But scan for viruses after any such restore, just to make sure that you didn't restore a dormant virus along with everything else]
. . . Gary

[p.s. ... just so you know: next time we'll want to start your question in a separate thread, even though it's a matching situation (you just refer in your own thread to the one that yours is like). Took me a while to learn that one myself!]