hello, cookies store the bits of information that will keep you logged into sites - so please make sure that those external programs aren't interfering with firefox' cookie management or deleting cookies.

Thanks for posting, but neither external program can affect Firefox. In fact, they aren't even running, as I quit the programs as soon as they are finished.

If clearing cookies doesn't work then it is possible that the cookies.sqlite file that stores the cookies is corrupted.

Rename (or delete) cookies.sqlite (cookies.sqlite.old) and delete other present cookie files like cookies.sqlite-journal in the Firefox Profile Folder in case the file cookies.sqlite got corrupted.

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Cookies
• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Deleting+cookies

I am on OSX so there is no cookies.sqlite file.

Here are the files and dates in my Library/Cookies folder:

com.apple.appstore.plist Dec-22-2012

com.apple.appstore.plist - corrupt Aug-22-2011

com.apple.Safari.SafeBrowsing.binary cookies Jan-29-2013

Cookies.binarycookies Today 12:46 AM

Cookies.plist Feb-4-2013

The problem persists. If it can't be resolved, I will be forced to abandon Firefox and use another browser, as I can't keep logging in to every site each time I quit.

I double-checked with 1Password and they said their program doesn't interfere with cookies. That leaves MacScan and PrivacyScan, but since I didn't change any settings in those programs, I can't help but conclude it's a Firefox issue.

I've searched this topic and found others who have had a similar issue, but the solutions are all PC-based, so they don't help me as a Mac user.

Make sure that you look in the correct location for the Firefox profile folder.

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

• Help > Troubleshooting Information > Profile Directory: Show Folder

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox

In Mac OS X v10.7 and later, the $HOME/Library folder is a hidden folder.

Open Finder and use one of these:

• Go > Go To Folder (Shift-Command-G) and in the dialog type: ~/Library
• Open the "Go" menu and hold down the Option key to make the Library appear

• http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/909/cpsid_90947.html Access hidden user library files

I did actually search with the "Go" + option key. I was under the assumption that the cookies.sqlite file was for PC only and that Mac had a different file because there is no cookies.sqlite file in the hidden Library - Cookies folder.

I'm remembering now that PrivacyScan asked me if I wanted to delete cookies and I said yes. I think it wiped out the cookies.sqlite file.

Shouldn't a new one have been generated when I reopened Firefox? If not, how do I restore the file?

Thanks again for your help.

On Mac you should be able to restore the cookies.sqlite file in the Time Machine.

• http://www.apple.com/support/timemachine/

Sorry, I was actually looking in the wrong folder (Library/Cookies folder instead of Library/Application Support/Firefox/Profiles).

I now see the cookies file you were talking about, but there are multiple versions and I don't want to delete or change something I shouldn't. Here they are:

cookies.sqlite-shm/Mar-26-2013/33KB cookies.sqlite-wal/Today/0bytes cookies.sqlite.bak/Today/524KB cookies.sqlite.bak-rebuild/Today/524KB

What should I do?

Isn't there a cookies.sqlite file?

That is the only file that really matters.
You could try to copy the cookies.sqlite.bak and rename the file to cookies.sqlite.
Be sure to remove any other cookies.sqlite files (the shm and wal files are temp files used by SQLite and shouldn't be restored).

When I listed all the cookie-related files in my post, I was actually referring to my hard drive. But when I used Time Machine again and scrolled to older backups, I FINALLY found the cookies.sqlite file.

I restored the file, deleted the extra files that cor-el suggested and now I have my old Firefox back with saved cookies on my sites.

Thanks so much for your help!