A fairly recent update to Windows (WinXP and Win2K in particular) and to Internet Explorer changed the way IE handles sites without security certificates.

Mudcat does not have a security certificate.

If you use the default (recommended) browser settings of "Internet Zone" for the Security general setting, and "Medium High" for the Privacy general setting, IE will usually accept a temporary cookie, but the cookie crumbles as soon as you leave the site.

In Internet Explorer, click on "Tools" on the top bar.

Choose "Internet Options."

Click the "Privacy" tab at the top of the window that opens.

In this window, the recommended setting is "Medium High." There is a button lower down in the window labelled "Sites."

Click the "Sites" button.

In the top box in the window that opens, type:

mudcat.org

Click the button that says "Allow."

"mudcat.org should appear in the lower box, with the notation "Always Allow."

You should get a "permanent" cookie the next time you log in, and it should not crumble everytime you leave the mudcat site.

Note that IE performs some internal security handling functions in Windows, even if you're using another browser. If you prefer something else, you should find a similar place where you can designate mudcat.org as an "always allowed" site in whatever other browser you use. If you can't find the setting in your other browser, making the change in IE may pass the info to other browsers on your machine, but I can't offer any assurances of it.

Of course, you may have some special condition that's reserved for special people, but for most people who've had "cookie crumbs" recently the above should fix it.

John