Cannot change my privacy history setting. It always reverts to save history. I have tried all possible solutions with no change. Any help for this issue?
I have attempted to change my privacy settings for history from remember history to custom settings and it always returns to remember history. I have tried every correction including refreshing Firefox, deleting prefs.js file, checking my Norton Security Suite to be sure that Firefox Cleanup is off, sync is turned off, and all other recommendations that I can find with an online search of the problem. Other than a full Firefox removal and fresh installation is there any other recommendations that I may try to allow the change in my history setting. The reason I ask is recently my browser will not permanently store my cookies. When I try to enter a password protected websites (my bank for example) I have to answer a question prior to entering my password. I have to do this every day. Previously I was able to register the computer and it would not require the question to be answered unless I cleared my cache, history and cookies. Now it seems that the cookies seem to disappear when I shut off the computer or after some unknown period of time and I must go through the procedure to properly identify myself and my computer to the website. This is a private computer with no access by anyone else and it has become cumbersome to reenter the requested information each time I go to some of my usual websites. I am using Windows 7 Ultimate with Firefox 37.0.1 as my browser. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Saafara biñ tànn
The problem only occurs when you reboot Windows, and not between exiting and starting Firefox up without rebooting Windows?
Aside from Norton, do you have any other utilities that might "clean" browser settings such as CCleaner?
Jàng tontu lii ci fi mu bokk 👍 0All Replies (7)
The "Use custom settings for history" selection allows to see the current history and cookie settings, but selecting this doesn't make any changes to history and cookie settings. Firefox shows "Use custom settings for history" as an indication that at least one of the history and cookie settings is not the default to make you aware that changes were made.
If all History settings are default then the custom settings are hidden and you see "Firefox will: (Never) Remember History". "Never Remember History" means that Private Browsing is active and "Always use private browsing mode" gets a checkmark. The default settings mean that cookies are enabled and thus should work.
Did you try to delete the cookies from the bank site?
Details like websites remembering you (log you in automatically) are stored in a cookie.
- Create a cookie 'allow' exception to keep such cookies, especially in case of secure websites and when cookies expire when Firefox is closed.
- Tools > Options > Privacy > "Use custom settings for history" > Cookies: Exceptions
In case you use "Clear history when Firefox closes" or otherwise clear history:
- do not clear the Cookies
- do not clear the Site Preferences
- Tools > Options > Privacy > Firefox will: "Use custom settings for history": [X] "Clear history when Firefox closes" > Settings
- https://support.mozilla.org/kb/remove-recent-browsing-search-and-download-history
Clearing "Site Preferences" clears all exceptions for cookies, images, pop-up windows, software installation, passwords, and other website specific data.
Clearing cookies will remove all specified (selected) cookies including cookies with an allow exception that you would like to keep.
Thanks for your input however I still have the issue of my Firefox cookies although present do not work properly. Each time I restart my computer even though cookies for a particular website are present I am still required to provide an additional answer prior to password for many websites even though I had visited and logged on to those sites prior to the restart. It is as if the cookies are not functioning properly or being deleted during shutdown. My current settings allow for cookies and history to be retained by Firefox and after restart when I look for those site cookies they are present but obviously not working as intended. I have tried refreshing Firefox, starting Firefox in safe mode, without add-ons, disconnecting sync, and have even shut down my anti-virus and firewalls without any luck. The next step unfortunately is to completely remove my current Firefox installation and install a fresh copy. I am a bit reluctant to do that since I am not one hundred percent positive that will work. Further I will have to completely restore all the bookmarks, passwords and other settings that I have become so comfortable with over the years. Since I cannot find the root cause of my issue I guess I will have to deal with reentering information each time I visit many websites until I finally decide to perform that fresh install.
If clearing cookies didn't help then it is possible that the cookies.sqlite file that stores the cookies got corrupted.
- Rename (or delete) cookies.sqlite (cookies.sqlite.old) and delete other present cookies files like cookies.sqlite-journal in the Firefox profile folder in case the file cookies.sqlite got corrupted.
You can use this button to go to the currently used Firefox profile folder:
- Help > Troubleshooting Information > Profile Directory: Show Folder (Linux: Open Directory; Mac: Show in Finder)
- http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox
I forgot to mention that I tried that solution earlier today. It didn't work either. I also tried renaming the prefs file without success. At this point in time I am at a loss to understand what is interfering with my normal Firefox functionality. Any other help is greatly appreciated.
Saafara yiñ Tànn
The problem only occurs when you reboot Windows, and not between exiting and starting Firefox up without rebooting Windows?
Aside from Norton, do you have any other utilities that might "clean" browser settings such as CCleaner?
Thank you very much! I think you hit the nail on the head. I completely forgot that I have Ccleaner set to run through task scheduler and it must be removing some of the cookies that had been placed previously. I will make adjustments to my Ccleaner cookies listing and if that does not work I will turn off the scheduled Ccleaner funtions in task scheduler. I cannot believe I have been searching an answer for several days and it was right under my nose. Your input is invaluable. Thanks again for the help. If this issue persists after I make the required corrections I will post again.
Just as a follow-up to the solution from jsch2000: I was still unable to select custom settings for history after I changed the way Ccleaner removed my cookies. Since all attempts to change from "remember history" to "use custom settings" were unsuccessful I finally looked at another of my desktop computers and found it allowed "use custom settings". Since Firefox was set up similarly in both machines I copied the profile folders and files from the "use custom settings" machine to the "remember history" machine and now both computers allow for "use custom settings" as well as the other choices for history preferences. Since I copied all the files at once I really don't know which file was the culprit that prevented change. Had I thought about it I would have copied each folder and file one at a time to determine the offender. Bottom line however is that I can now change my history preferences without conflict. I am very grateful to all those who provided information and made suggestions to help correct my Firefox problems. Thanks again for the help.