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Why are my cookies not automatically deleting? The cookies use to be automatically removed.

  • 2 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 13 views
  • Last reply by cor-el

tanjerine
tanjerine
more options

I do not know WHEN it started because I trusted Firefox to maintain the cookie deletion function upon exiting and it is a fluke that I caught it not doing it today. I have selected the appropriate option under privacy/security, but the cookies remain. I do not want to have to go in and delete them manually every time I use the browser. This feature was one of the main reasons that I chose to use firefox as my main browser. I do not think it is a problem with my computer, but with firefox itself. Please help!

I do not know WHEN it started because I trusted Firefox to maintain the cookie deletion function upon exiting and it is a fluke that I caught it not doing it today. I have selected the appropriate option under privacy/security, but the cookies remain. I do not want to have to go in and delete them manually every time I use the browser. This feature was one of the main reasons that I chose to use firefox as my main browser. I do not think it is a problem with my computer, but with firefox itself. Please help!

All Replies (2)

CoryMH
CoryMH
more options

Hello,

Can you check your privacy settings in:

  • Tools (or New Fx Menu) > Options > Privacy

If you have custom settings, make sure "Clear History when Firefox Closes" is checked and in Settings, Cookies are checked.

Note that your system details show that you have a user.js file, if you did not create it yourself, you can delete it by going to your profile folder:

If you did create it, make sure that there are no settings in there that prevent your cookies from being deleted. Also make sure you don't have a mozilla.cfg file

See:

cor-el
cor-el
  • Moderator
  • Top 10 Contributor
more options

If clearing cookies didn't help then it is possible that the cookies.sqlite file that stores the cookies got corrupted.

  • Rename (or delete) cookies.sqlite (cookies.sqlite.old) and delete other present cookies files like cookies.sqlite-journal in the Firefox profile folder in case the file cookies.sqlite got corrupted.

You can use this button to go to the currently used Firefox profile folder:

Are you automatically reopening tabs and windows from the previous session via session restore?

  • Tools > Options > General > Startup: "When Firefox Starts": "Show my windows and tabs from last time"

Firefox stores cookies used in tabs that are currently open in the sessionstore.js file as part of saved session data, so those cookies will be restored if Firefox is closed without first closing these tabs.

You can set the browser.sessionstore.privacy_level pref to 2 (never) or 1 (non-HTTPS) on the about:config page to disable saving cookies via session restore in the sessionstore.js file. The browser.sessionstore.privacy_level_deferred pref is used when you do not reopen the previous session automatically via "Show my windows and tabs from last time" and uses the same values.