How to Allow Cookies

There are two common problems with logging into our site that involve cookies. The less common problem is that you have blocked the site from giving you a new cookie. This page explains how to set the browser to permit our site to set cookies.

Internet Explorer 7, in particular, has default settings which can block our cookies. See IE 7 Notes to resolve this.

The more common problem is that you have an older cookie that the site no longer recognizes because of a software upgrade or something. remove shows you steps in removing cookies.

For Internet Explorer 6

A The best way to grant us the use of cookies is:

Open the Internet Options. You can do this in internet explorer, using the tools menu, or through the control panel.
In the Internet option, you want to find the Privacy tab and press the [Edit] button at the bottom
Add puzzlers.org to the edit control and press Allow. Note that if you press return, you will block rather than allow the site to use cookies. Double check the setting in the list below.

For Internet Explorer 7

It seems that the “default” settings for IE7 can be a problem – by default, it does not permit new cookies. Your old cookie can be used for logging in, but if you delete it as instructed above, it may not let you login because it won't create a new cookie. In the Internet Options, change to the Privacy Tab and select the Sites button; be sure the puzzlers.org site is not blocked and then close that window. Still on the Privacy tab, press the Advanced button.

Over ride the automatic settings.
Accept First-party cookies.
Prompt or Block for Third-party cookies.

Once you have this, you should be able to login. With “prompt” on third party, you will be asked about a number of sites that want to set cookies that are not from the domain of the page. You should consider using “Block” with “Always apply this choice” to completely block the site – it effectively black lists advertising sites and we all hate pop-under windows, I think1). The sites can be un-listed in the Sites button above.

For Netscape Navigator

A FIXME – Write this up

For Mozilla Firefox

A The best way to allow cookies is to follow these steps:

Use the Tools menu to open the Options dialog
Select the Privacy icon, expand the section (click the [+]) so that you can see how your options are set. If you wish to allow cookies from all sites, check that option and you are done. If you want you and press the [Exceptions] button to add a rule for cookies. Note: You really should have “for the originating website only” turned on. This prevents a website from leaving a cookie for another sever (or advertising site) that says “this is my user ABCD” which would allow the advertiser to know far more about your internet habits.
Add both www.puzzlers.org and puzzlers.org using the Allow button.

For Opera

A FIXME – Write this up

For Safari

A FIXME – Write this up

1) A “pup-under” is a window that opens like a pop-up but is immediately moved to the back of your windows. You'll find it later, when you're closing things down and have no idea what site opened it.