Customized Changes to Web Page Not Saved

ID: Q180492

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 3.02, 4.0, 4.01, 5 for Windows 95
Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 3.02, 4.0, 4.01, 5 for Windows NT 4.0
Microsoft Internet Explorer version 5 for Windows 98
Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 3.03, 4.0, 5 for Windows 3.1
Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 3.03, 4.0, 5 for Windows NT 3.51

SYMPTOMS

When you customize a Web page, the changes may not be displayed when you refresh the Web page or restart Internet Explorer.

CAUSE

This behavior can occur if either of the following conditions exists:

Internet Explorer is configured not to receive cookies.
The cookie for the page you are customizing is damaged.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, use the appropiate method:

Configure Internet Explorer to Accept Cookies

To configure Internet Explorer to accept cookies, follow these steps:

1. Start Internet Explorer.

2. On the View menu, click Options or Internet Options, and then click

   the Advanced tab.

3. Click Prompt Before Accepting Cookies or Always Accept Cookies.

   NOTE: If you click Prompt Before Accepting Cookies, you receive a
   Security alert before any cookies are downloaded to your computer.

4. Click OK.

Delete and Replace Cookie

Delete and replace the cookie for the Web page you are customizing. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Quit Internet Explorer.

2. If you are using Windows 95 or Windows NT, double-click My Computer,

   and then double-click the drive containing the Windows folder. If you
   are using Windows 3.1, double-click the Main program group, double-
   click File Manager, and then click the drive containing the Windows
   folder.

3. Double-click the Windows folder. If you are using Windows 3.1, or

   Windows 95 without user profiles, double-click the Cookies folder.
   If you are using Windows 95 or Windows NT with user profiles enabled,
   double-click the Profiles folder, double-click the <username> folder
   (where <username> is the name you use to log on to Windows), and
   then double-click the Cookies folder

4. In the Cookies folder, locate the <username>@<website>.txt file, where

   <username> is the name you use to log on to Windows, and <website> is
   the name of the Web site. For example:

      user@microsoft.txt

5. Click the cookie file, and then click Delete on the File menu.

6. Start Internet Explorer, and then connect to the Web page to re-create

   the cookie.

MORE INFORMATION

This behavior has been known to occur when you attempt to personalize the Microsoft Internet Start Web page at the following Web address:

   http://home.microsoft.com

To resolve this behavior, rename or delete the following cookie file

   <username>@home_microsoft.txt

where <username> is the name you use to log on to Windows.

NOTE: There may be similar file names with a number in parenthesis (such as <username>@home_microsoft(1).txt). If these files exist, delete or rename them as well.

For additional information about cookies, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q154360
   TITLE     : "You Have Received a Cookie" Message in Internet Explorer

   ARTICLE-ID: Q175662
   TITLE     : Error Message: Not Accepting Cookies

   ARTICLE-ID: Q158769
   TITLE     : Emptying Temporary Internet Files Folder Leaves Cookies
               Files

Additional query words: disappear retain personalize damaged

Keywords          : kbtool msiew95 msient msiew31 msiew98 
Platform          : WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: March 21, 1999