Most likely, the problem is removing cookies. Without those cookies to identify you to the site as a person with a live session, you're just an anonymous user to them.

How are you clearing history?

When you use the "Clear Recent History" dialog, there is a "Details" button that lets you select categories of data to clear. Uncheck Cookies in the dialog before clearing history.

Similarly, if you set Firefox to "Clear history when Firefox closes", click the Settings button to the right of that and uncheck Cookies.

There are some other possible reasons to lose cookies between the time you exit Firefox and start it up again:

• Using private windows -- cookies are dumped when all the private windows are closed
• Using session only cookies (Cookie setting "Keep until: I close Firefox")
• Using an add-on that clears cookies
• Using external software that cleans browser data

It did not work- I did as you instructed - pinterest, you tube, espn - all I had to sign in again. What?!

Hi twodogs29, I probably had more questions for you than answers. Let's start with:

Settings Check

• Windows: "3-bar" menu button (or Tools menu) > Options
• Mac: "3-bar" menu button (or Firefox menu) > Preferences
• Linux: "3-bar" menu button (or Edit menu) > Preferences
• Any system: type or paste about:preferences into the address bar and press Enter/Return to load it

In the left column, click Privacy & Security.

On the right side, in the History section, what do you have selected?

• "Firefox will: Remember history" -- Firefox should remember cookies

• "Firefox will: Never remember history" -- Firefox will dump your cookies when you end your session because this is "automatic private browsing"

• "Firefox will: Use custom settings for history" -- check these settings:
  
  • "Keep until: they expire" -- Firefox will keep cookies that are set to expire in the future
  • "Keep until: I close Firefox" -- Firefox will not keep cookies past the end of your session UNLESS you created an exception for the site
  • "Clear history when Firefox closes" -- do not use this setting, or if you do, click the "Settings" box to the right and make sure you do NOT check the box for Cookies or Site Preferences

How does that all look?

Confirmation

After updating the settings, go to a site where you have this problem, log in, then open the cookies list as follows:

• right-click (on Mac Ctrl+click) a blank area of the page and choose View Page Info > Security > "View Cookies"
• (menu bar) Tools > Page Info > Security > "View Cookies"
• click the padlock or "i" icon in the address bar, then the ">" button, then More Information, and finally the "View Cookies" button

In the dialog that opens, the current site should be pre-filled in the search box at the top of the dialog so you can inspect its cookies.

Highlight one, then check the details at the bottom. In particular, when it is set to expire?

If it has "At end of session" there's still a problem. The site's cookies are going to expire naturally when you exit Firefox.

Note that it's normal for sites to set some session cookies and some persistent cookies, but if there are no persistent cookies, you'll be logged out.

Thank you for your detailed instructions- all went well and the problem is solved! T.