Error Message: Not Accepting Cookies

ID: Q175662

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 4.0, 4.01, 5 for Windows 95
Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 4.0, 4.01, 5 for Windows NT 4.0
Microsoft Internet Explorer version 5 for Windows 98

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about editing the registry. Before you edit the registry, make sure you understand how to restore it if a problem occurs. For information about how to do this, view the "Restoring the Registry" Help topic in Regedit.exe or the "Restoring a Registry Key" Help topic in Regedt32.exe.

SYMPTOMS

When you attempt to access a Web address, you may receive an error message similar to the following message:

   Not accepting cookies

CAUSE

This behavior can occur if:

The Disable All Cookie Use option is selected on the Advanced tab in the Internet Options dialog box.
The cookie file is damaged.
The registry was not updated correctly when you changed a cookies option on the Advanced tab in the Internet Options dialog box.
Your computer's system date is set too far in the future.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, use the appropriate method.

Method 1

Enable the Prompt Before Accepting Cookies or Always Accept Cookies option. To do so, follow these steps:

1. In Internet Explorer, Click Internet Options on the View menu

   (or Tools manu in Internet Explorer version 5).

2. Click the Advanced tab, and then click Prompt Before Accepting Cookies

   or Always Accept Cookies.

3. Click OK.

4. Connect to the Web address from which you received the "Not accepting

   cookies" error message to verify that you are able to access the Web
   address.

If you select the Prompt Before Accepting Cookies option and you still cannot access the Web address, follow the steps in method 1 again and select the Always Accept Cookies option.

Method 2

Rename the cookie file in the Windows\Cookies folder for the Web address from which you received the "Not accepting cookies" error message. To rename the cookie file, follow these steps:

1. Double-click My Computer, double-click the drive on which the Windows

   folder is located, double-click the Windows folder, and then double-
   click the Cookies folder.

2. In the Cookies folder, rename the <username>@<website>.txt file, where

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

      user@microsoft.txt

   For information about how to rename a file, click Start, click Help,
   click the Index tab, type "renaming" (without quotation marks), and
   then double-click the "Renaming files" topic.

3. Connect to the Web address from which you received the "Not accepting

   cookies" error message to verify that you are able to access the Web
   address.

Method 3

Change the cookies option to try to update the registry correctly. To do so, follow these steps:

1. In Internet Explorer, click Internet Options on the View menu. If you

   are using Internet Explorer version 5, click Internet Options on the
   Tools menu, click the Security Tab, choose a lower security level for
   the Internet zone, click OK, and then skip the remaining steps.

2. Click the Advanced tab, and then click a cookies option other than the

   currently selected option.

3. Click OK.

4. In Internet Explorer, click Internet Options on the View menu.

5. Click the Advanced tab, and then click the cookies option you want to

   use.

6. Click OK.

7. Connect to the Web address from which you received the "Not accepting

   cookies" error message to verify that you are able to  access the Web
   address.

Method 4

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

For information about how to edit the registry, view the "Changing Keys And Values" Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) or the "Add and Delete Information in the Registry" and "Edit Registry Data" Help topics in Regedt32.exe. Note that you should back up the registry before you edit it.

1. Use Registry Editor to change the "AllowCookies" value in the following

   registry key:

      HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ 
         InternetSettings

   Use one of the following values for the "AllowCookies" value:

      Meaning                           Value
      ---------------------------------------
      Prompt before accepting cookies   0
      Always accept cookies             1
      Disable all cookie use            2

2. Connect to the Web address from which you received the "Not accepting

   cookies" error message to verify that you are able to access the Web
   address.

Method 5

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.

2. Double-click Date/Time.

3. On the Date & Time tab, set your computer's date to the current date.

4. Click OK.

MORE INFORMATION

Changes to cookies options on the Advanced tab in the Internet Options dialog box are written to the following registry key:

   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ 
      InternetSettings\AllowCookies

The "AllowCookies" value does not exist in the registry until you change the cookies usage option on the Advanced tab in the Internet Options dialog box. In addition, when you remove Internet Explorer 4.0, the setting in the registry may not be changed back to the original setting.

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

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

Additional query words: 4.00 ie ie40

Keywords          : kbenv kberrmsg msiew95 msient msiew98 
Platform          : WINDOWS

Last Reviewed: March 24, 1999