Description of Persistent and Per-Session Cookies in Internet Explorer (223799)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 for Windows NT 4.0 SP 1
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 for Windows NT 4.0 SP 1
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 for Windows NT 4.0 SP 2
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 for Windows NT 4.0
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 for Windows NT 4.0 SP 1
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 for Windows NT 4.0 SP 2
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 for Windows NT 4.0
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 for Windows Millennium Edition SP 1
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 for Windows 98 Second Edition SP 1
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 for Windows 98 Second Edition SP 1
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 for Windows 98 Second Edition SP 2
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 for Windows 98 Second Edition
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 for Windows 98 SP 1
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 for Windows 98 SP 1
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 for Windows 98 SP 2
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 for Windows 98
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 for Windows 98 SP 1
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 for Windows 98 SP 2
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 for Windows 95 SP 1
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 for Windows 95 SP 1
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 for Windows 95 SP 2
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 for Windows 95
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 for Windows 95 SP 1
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 for Windows 95 SP 2
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 for Windows 95
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 for Windows 2000 SP 1
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 for Windows 2000 SP 1
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 for Windows 2000 SP 2
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 for Windows 2000
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer version 6 for Windows NT 4.0
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer version 6 for Windows Millennium Edition
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer version 6 for Windows 2000
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer version 6 for Windows 98 Second Edition
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer version 6 for Windows 98
This article was previously published under Q223799

SUMMARY

Internet Explorer 5 provides separate security controls for persistent cookies and for per-session cookies. A cookie is a method for a Web server to maintain state information about users as users navigate different pages on the site, and as users return to the site at a later time.

MORE INFORMATION

Persistent cookies are stored for a length of time that is set by the Web server when it passes the cookie to Internet Explorer. These cookies are used to store state information between visits to a site.

Per-session cookies are used to store state information only within a session. These cookies are cached only while a user is visiting the Web server issuing the per-session cookie and are deleted from the cache when the user closes the session.

Per-session cookies are frequently used by Active Server Pages (ASP) running on Microsoft Internet Information Server 3.0 or later. These cookies store session information as the user navigates to multiple ASP pages in a site.

For additional information about how to customize your cookie settings in Internet Explorer 5, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

196955 How to Set and Customize Cookies Settings in Internet Explorer 5

REFERENCES

Cookies are defined in RFC 2965, "HTTP State Management Mechanism". RFCs can be found online at the following Web site:

http://www.rfc-editor.org

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:12/6/2003
Keywords:kbinfo KB223799
©2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.