Cookie Options Have Disappered

[Jack Kray]

Hi guys, thanks in advance for any assistance

My problem began about a week ago, when websites stopped remembering my login details, despite me ticking the 'remember me' boxes (although password protected sites with a pop-up login still work). Google also doesn't remember my preferences. The obvious answer is a cookie problem, but when I go into control panel> internet options> security - the cookie options are no longer there - it goes straight from active x to downloads (A to D) with nothing inbetween, so I am unable to reset my cookie options

I have reinstalled java, sp3 and gone back to IE7 from IE8, but still cannot get the cookie options back

Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.2
Scan saved at 16:34:39, on 16/04/2009
Platform: Windows XP SP3 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v7.00 (7.00.6000.16827)
Boot mode: Normal

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgwdsvc.exe
c:\APPS\Powercinema\Kernel\TV\CLCapSvc.exe
c:\APPS\Powercinema\Kernel\TV\CLSched.exe
c:\APPS\HIDSERVICE\HIDSERVICE.exe
C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jqs.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgemc.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgrsx.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgnsx.exe
C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG8\avgcsrvx.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\ALCWZRD.EXE
C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgtray.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
C:\Program Files\SAGEM\SAGEM F@st 800-840\dslmon.exe
C:\Program Files\internet explorer\iexplore.exe
C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe
C:\Program Files\QO Developments\Neuview Media Player3\Neuview Pro.exe
C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe
C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe
C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe
C:\Program Files\HijackThis\HijackThis.exe

R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://www.google.co.uk/
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
O2 - BHO: Windows Live Sign-in Helper - {9030D464-4C02-4ABF-8ECC-5164760863C6} - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Windows Live\WindowsLiveLogin.dll
O2 - BHO: Java(tm) Plug-In 2 SSV Helper - {DBC80044-A445-435b-BC74-9C25C1C588A9} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jp2ssv.dll
O2 - BHO: JQSIEStartDetectorImpl - {E7E6F031-17CE-4C07-BC86-EABFE594F69C} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\lib\deploy\jqs\ie\jqs_plugin.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [QuickTime Task] "C:\Program Files\QuickTime\qttask.exe" -atboottime
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AlcWzrd] ALCWZRD.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AVG8_TRAY] C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgtray.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Sony Ericsson PC Suite] "C:\Program Files\Sony Ericsson\Mobile2\Application Launcher\Application Launcher.exe" /startoptions
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [ctfmon.exe] C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-18\..\Run: [CTFMON.EXE] C:\WINDOWS\system32\CTFMON.EXE (User 'SYSTEM')
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-18\..\Run: [DWQueuedReporting] "C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\MICROS~1\DW\dwtrig20.exe" -t (User 'SYSTEM')
O4 - HKUS\.DEFAULT\..\Run: [CTFMON.EXE] C:\WINDOWS\system32\CTFMON.EXE (User 'Default user')
O4 - Global Startup: DSLMON.lnk = C:\Program Files\SAGEM\SAGEM F@st 800-840\dslmon.exe
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jp2iexp.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Sun Java Console - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jp2iexp.dll
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {e2e2dd38-d088-4134-82b7-f2ba38496583} - C:\WINDOWS\Network Diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: @xpsp3res.dll,-20001 - {e2e2dd38-d088-4134-82b7-f2ba38496583} - C:\WINDOWS\Network Diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe
O9 - Extra button: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Windows Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O10 - Unknown file in Winsock LSP: c:\windows\system32\mswsock32.dll
O16 - DPF: {14B87622-7E19-4EA8-93B3-97215F77A6BC} (MessengerStatsClient Class) - http://messenger.zone.msn.com/binary/MessengerStatsPAClient.cab31267.cab
O16 - DPF: {3EA4FA88-E0BE-419A-A732-9B79B87A6ED0} (CTVUAxCtrl Object) - http://dl.tvunetworks.com/TVUAx.cab
O16 - DPF: {78ABDC59-D8E7-44D3-9A76-9A0918C52B4A} (DLoader Class) - http://dl.uc.sina.com/cab/downloader.cab
O16 - DPF: {8E0D4DE5-3180-4024-A327-4DFAD1796A8D} (MessengerStatsClient Class) - http://messenger.zone.msn.com/binary/MessengerStatsClient.cab31267.cab
O16 - DPF: {D27CDB6E-AE6D-11CF-96B8-444553540000} (Shockwave Flash Object) - http://fpdownload2.macromedia.com/get/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab
O16 - DPF: {D4003189-95B1-4A2F-9A87-F2B03665960D} (VodClient Control Class) - http://60.217.32.175/download/vjocx.cab
O16 - DPF: {DE625294-70E6-45ED-B895-CFFA13AEB044} (AxisMediaControlEmb Class) - http://68.116.159.170/activex/AMC.cab
O17 - HKLM\System\CCS\Services\Tcpip\..\{D9A8E098-FCE3-4099-B645-5603B5D5718D}: NameServer = 212.139.132.24 212.139.132.25
O20 - Winlogon Notify: avgrsstarter - C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\avgrsstx.dll
O23 - Service: Ati HotKey Poller - ATI Technologies Inc. - C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
O23 - Service: AVG Free8 E-mail Scanner (avg8emc) - AVG Technologies CZ, s.r.o. - C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgemc.exe
O23 - Service: AVG Free8 WatchDog (avg8wd) - AVG Technologies CZ, s.r.o. - C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgwdsvc.exe
O23 - Service: CyberLink Background Capture Service (CBCS) (CLCapSvc) - Unknown owner - c:\APPS\Powercinema\Kernel\TV\CLCapSvc.exe
O23 - Service: CyberLink Task Scheduler (CTS) (CLSched) - Unknown owner - c:\APPS\Powercinema\Kernel\TV\CLSched.exe
O23 - Service: Generic Service for HID Keyboard Input Collections (GenericHidService) - Unknown owner - c:\APPS\HIDSERVICE\HIDSERVICE.exe
O23 - Service: InstallDriver Table Manager (IDriverT) - Macrovision Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Driver\11\Intel 32\IDriverT.exe
O23 - Service: Java Quick Starter (JavaQuickStarterService) - Sun Microsystems, Inc. - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jqs.exe
O23 - Service: Lavasoft Ad-Aware Service - Lavasoft - C:\Program Files\Lavasoft\Ad-Aware\AAWService.exe
O23 - Service: Remote Packet Capture Protocol v.0 (experimental) (rpcapd) - CACE Technologies, Inc. - C:\Program Files\WinPcap\rpcapd.exe
O23 - Service: TuneUp Drive Defrag Service (TuneUp.Defrag) - TuneUp Software GmbH - C:\WINDOWS\System32\TuneUpDefragService.exe

--
End of file - 6393 bytes

[shelf life]

aren't cookie options under the privacy tab? a 'slider' to change the options?

[Jack Kray]

Yes, you can change the slider on the privacy tab, but if you want to change the actual cookie settings, you need to access the security tab > custom settings

This is my problem, within the custom settings on the security tab, the cookie options no longer appear (where it says 'allow per session cookies' etc.). I have googled and googled and cannot find a solution - any input is much appreciated

[shelf life]

Sorry but I dont see anything about cookies under the security tab>custom level. That may be because I am running IE 8.0 though. Have you poked around the MS Internet Explorer web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/select/?target=hub

[Jack Kray]

Thanks shelf life but I couldn't find an answer on the microsoft site. I have always had cookie options in IE before (where you scroll down under cookies and have stuff like 'allow per-session cookies' or ' allow cookies to be stored on your computer' etc) - these options are no longer there. I've no idea how long they haven't been there as I only looked for them since this problem occured last week and couldn't find them

The symptoms still persist of websites not remembering my login details, google not saving my preferences and each time I boot up my PC I get a message that 'my last browsing session finished unexpectedly and would I like to reopen the pages I was looking at or go to my home page' even though I closed my PC down in a regular manner

Cheers for any advice

[shelf life]

Have you thought about downloading IE 8.0? Cant you had a exception to allow certain sites to set cookies under the security tab> Trusted sites Icon.
thought about trying Firefox or Opera browser?

[Jack Kray]

Hi shelf life, I was using IE8 when the problem occured and reverted back to IE7 in an attempt to fix it. That didn't work, so am back on IE8 again. I also already use Firefox as a secondary browser and none of my cookies are being saved in that either (site logins, google preferences etc.)

It seems a PC-based problem rather than a browser-based one that's why I think I may have an infection of some kind or maybe some conflict with some software that has removed my ability to save cookies on my PC once I shut it down

[shelf life]

Its unlikely two browsers would have the same problem. Could another app like Ad Aware or AVG 8.0 be handling cookies for you rather than the browser?