Firefox does not save option settings

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nick01
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Firefox does not save option settings

Post by nick01 »

I use Firefox 3.5.4. For some reason it will not accept the setting option Privacy/Remember History. I can select the option, but when I leave the dialog it, pops back to "use custom settings for history". It will completely ignore all custom settings too. - The result is that I have to enter all preference and all identification at every site I use because the cookies are deleted. Reentering Google preferences is still easy. When it comes to entering additional banking info, it gets annoying. Security is also compromised if each time I log on to my bank account I have to enter secondary passwords or other info.

How can I change this behavior? Is there a file to edit? Is there a settings file I can edit and make read only? - This problem drives me up the wall. I am ready to use IE8 again. Any help appreciated.
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dickvl
Posts: 54145
Joined: July 18th, 2005, 3:25 am

Re: Firefox does not save option settings

Post by dickvl »

To make that you understand how it works:

To see History and Cookie settings in Tools > Options > Privacy, choose the setting Firefox will: Use custom settings for history
The other two settings ("Remember history" and "Never remember history") will hide those options.
You need to make at least one change to make the custom setting stay selected.
If all settings are the default then the History and Cookie setting revert to "Remember history" the next time you open Tools > Options > Privacy.
You enter Private Browsing mode if you select: Tools > Options > Privacy > History: Firefox will: "Never Remember History"
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Check that you do not start Firefox in Private Browsing mode (Tools > Stop Private Browsing is grayed)
Uncheck: [ ] "Automatically start Firefox in a private browsing session"

Also make sure that you do not clear the 'Cookies' and the 'Site Preferences'.
Tools > Options > Privacy : History: Clear history when Firefox closes > Settings
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If you do not keep the cookies then it is possible that the file cookies.sqlite that stores the cookies is corrupted.
You can try to rename (or delete) cookies.sqlite (cookies.sqlite.old) and delete cookies.sqlite-journal and cookies.txt, if they exist, in the Profile Folder in case cookies.sqlite got corrupted.

See also http://kb.mozillazine.org/Websites_repo ... e_disabled (Other Solutions)
Guest
Guest

Re: Firefox does not save option settings

Post by Guest »

Hello dickvl, my problem is exactly the opposite from what you describe. I want use the option "Remember History". When I select it in the Options/Privacy dialog all other selections disappear, just as you describe. I can exit the dialog with [OK] and there are no error messages. However, the next time I go to that dialog the old settings are back. - I will check about cookies.sdlite. - Thanks nick01
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dickvl
Posts: 54145
Joined: July 18th, 2005, 3:25 am

Re: Firefox does not save option settings

Post by dickvl »

The choices "Remember history" and "Never remember history" will only make some changes to the current History settings. The choice "Remember history" will only stay selected if all the History (and cookie) settings are the default, including the remembered days. Any change that you make from the defaults will make Firefox display "Use custom settings for history". The choice "Never remember history" will enter Private Browsing mode ("Automatically start Firefox in a private browsing session") and make "Use custom settings for history" appear the next time. So do not worry if you can't keep the "Remember history" choice.
nick01
Guest

Re: Firefox does not save option settings

Post by nick01 »

Hi dickvl, I had to delete the files cookies.sqlite and cookies.sqlite-journal. It had to be done in exactly this order, don't ask me why. It was the last permutation I tried. The order of deletion may still be superstition. - Of course there is now a whole slew of sites where I have to reintroduce myself and answer additional questions. If you know how to move cookies from an old cookie file to the current file, please post.
Thanks for your help - nick01
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DanRaisch
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Joined: September 23rd, 2004, 8:57 pm
Location: Somewhere on the right coast

Re: Firefox does not save option settings

Post by DanRaisch »

Locking this due to the age of the original posts.
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