Regarding cookies, logins for certain websites

[Duer 157099]

This has happened to me a few times, and now I'm really wondering what the hell is going on. At a certain website that I visit regularly, I need to login; it's an https:// site - I check the box for my browser to remember the info, and it always does. Except sometimes. And now I can't remember the password because my computer usually remembers for me. I looked in my cookies and in the password area of my browser, but it's not there.

Is there code on the server side that is timed so that at intervals, it removes the cookie (or whatever was saving the password on my computer)???

I'm trying to avoid being paranoid about something more nefarious, so please help me and let me know that this is completely innocuous

WinXP, Firefox 2.0.0.11

[RoyGBiv]

1. Cookies ...

Cookies have expiration times/dates. One website I visit that requires a password sets an expiration of 7 days from time the cookie is set. One expires in 45 minutes with no activity but remains set (keeps getting reset, more precisely) as long as I am actively navigating the site. Some cookies get reset every time you visit. Some variation of this is probably what is happening in your case.

Do you let Firefox save passwords for you? If so, you can look it up there.

[Duer 157099]

2. Thanks; yes, FF sets them

but that's the thing: the pw that's in there does not work, which makes me think there's some other server-side thing going on, like a total PW reset? Or something worse.

Also, when I looked for a cookie, there was none -- do they remove their tracks too, when they expire?

:scared:

[charlie]

3. Yes

Cookies disappear when they expire. It's just deletion of a text file, nothing untoward.

Maybe the site has accidentally slipped into FF's password exception list? You can check under Tools --> Options --> Security --> Passwords --> Exceptions. If the site is there, FF won't remember passwords for it until it's removed. (Also check if "Remember passwords for sites" in the same place hasn't been unticked)