Unable to Configure Different Per-Site Privacy Settings for Web Sites Within the Same Domain (304646)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Internet Explorer version 6 for Windows XP 64-Bit Edition
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer version 6 for Windows 98
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer version 6 for Windows 98 Second Edition
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer version 6 for Windows Millennium Edition
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer version 6 for Windows NT 4.0
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer version 6 for Windows 2000
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer version 6 for Windows XP
This article was previously published under Q304646

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Internet Explorer, when you attempt to customize privacy settings and override cookie handling for individual Web sites, you may be unable to configure different per-site privacy rules for Web sites within the same domain.

For example, you are unable to configure different per-site preferences for www.microsoft.com and msdn.microsoft.com.

CAUSE

This behavior occurs because cookies are set on a per-domain basis. You are unable to set different per-site rules for Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) or Secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTPS) Web sites that are within the same parent domain.

For example, when you type any of the following Web addresses
  • www.microsoft.com
  • http://msdn.microsoft.com
  • http://support.microsoft.com
in the Address of Web site box, and then click either Block or Allow, the child domain is dropped, and the parent domain (microsoft.com) is added to the Managed Web sites list.

When you visit Web sites within the microsoft.com domain, cookies from each of the Web sites are either blocked or saved to your computer based on the per-site privacy preferences that were initially established for the domain. For example, the same per-site privacy rules apply when you visit the following Web sites
  • http(s)://microsoft.com
  • http(s)://msdn.microsoft.com
  • http(s)://support.microsoft.com
  • http(s)://ieak.microsoft.com
because these sites are within the same domain.

STATUS

This behavior is by design. When you configure per-site privacy settings, you specify individual domains, rather than individual sites, in the Per Site Privacy Actions dialog box with a policy setting of either Block or Allow.

MORE INFORMATION

In Internet Explorer 6, privacy settings are configured on the Privacy tab of Internet Options on the Tools menu. To customize privacy settings and override cookie handling, click Edit to open the Per Site Privacy Actions dialog box.

If you want to change your custom privacy settings for an individual domain, follow these steps:
  1. Start Internet Explorer.
  2. On the Tools menu, click Internet Options, and then click the Privacy tab.
  3. Under Web Sites, click Edit.
  4. In the Managed Web sites list, click the address, and then do one of the following:
    • Click Remove to remove it from the list and delete its custom privacy settings.

      -or-
    • Click Allow if you want to allow cookies from the site to be saved to your computer.

      -or-
    • Click Block if you do not want cookies from the site to be saved to your computer.
  5. Click OK.

    The privacy settings that you define apply to all sites within the domain.
For additional information about how to manage cookies in Internet Explorer 6, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

283185 How to Manage Cookies in Internet Explorer 6

For additional information about custom privacy settings in Internet Explorer, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

303477 "You Have Entered an Invalid Domain" Error Message When You Attempt to Customize Privacy Settings

For additional information about default privacy settings in Internet Explorer, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

293222 The Default Privacy Settings for Internet Explorer 6

For additional information about how cookies work, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

260971 Description of Cookies

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:10/10/2003
Keywords:kbprb KB304646
©2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.