Need to clear cookies ...

[Joe Tonich]

to view whenever I come to SMC anymore. I go away for a week and everything changes around here! I looked at the other threads trying to figure this out but the only thing that works to get the most recent posts is to clear out all my cookies. If I hit the "New Posts" button on top I get:"Sorry - no matches. Please try some different terms" Is there something else I could try to do instead as it's a pain to keep logging on (and remembering passwords) to the other forums I visit. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Joe

[Aaron Koehl]

Joe,

I have never experienced the problem you're having on any of my computers, however
here are several things which are usually suspect.

1. IE Cache
The most frequent culprit in Internet Explorer is having a full cache. (Empty it with Tools > Internet Options > Delete Files).
When the cache size is at the limit set in (Tools > Internet Options > Settings), IE will blindly fail to write new cookies, without giving you so much as an error warning. Another test to see if your cache is full is to go to (View > Source). If you don't get a window that pops up with the page source, your cache is likely full.

2. Firewall
Try disabling your firewall temporarily to isolate the problem. If the problem doesn't persist after disabling the firewall, then the firewall's configuration needs to be exampled. Known issues have been identified with ZoneAlarm, but many of our users use it seamlessly.

3. IE Update
Sometimes IE has problems- it constantly changes, new software gets installed, etc. Often the best way to fix an unidentified problem with IE is to update to the newest version. You can do this at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.asp.

4. Shared Proxy (less frequent)
If you're sharing a proxy with other users, then depending on your ISP's configuration, sometimes you can have a problem. This most often happens on shared educational networks with parental filtering proxies, as well as dial-up (rare), that have to do with setting special cookie "zones". Your ISP would be able to tell you whether this is something you need to consider, as it is network dependent. Since you weren't having problems before, this likely isn't the case.

5. Be sure to Isolate the Browser
If all else fails, try downloading another browser to see if the problem persists. I can almost guarantee that it will work with another browser, which points the problem at IE. (Or, if you're already using an alternate browser, switch to another one). If it works fine with another browser, then your existing browser configuration or settings are suspect. If it doesn't work, then you should look beyond the browser, at say, your firewall or your ISP.

Alternative, standards-compliant browsers can be found at:
http://www.mozilla.org (Mozilla)
http://www.opera.com (Opera)
http://www.netscape.net (Netscape)

I recommend Opera for testing.


Let me know if these solutions work for you. (I'm certain they will!)

[Joe Tonich]

Thanks Aaron!

I was using Earthlinks browser so I changed to IE, emptied the cache, and updated it. Seems to be working now. We'll know for sure when I check in tomorrow.

Thanks again,

Joe