News & FAQs & Updates

What are cookies, and how can I enable them?

A "cookie" is a small file containing a string of characters that is sent to your computer when you visit a website. You'll need to have cookies enabled in order to use advanced site features like "Register".  Below, please find instruction for enabling cookies when using various web browsers.

To enable cookies in Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0:
1. Select "Internet Options" from the "Tools" menu.
2. Click on the "Privacy" tab.
3. Click the "Default Level" button (or manually slide the security bar to "Medium").
4. Click "OK" to save changes.

To enable cookies in Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0+:
1. Select "Internet Options" from the "Tools" menu.
2. Click on the "Privacy" tab.
3. Click the "Default Level" button (or manually slide the security bar to "Medium").
4. Click "OK" to save changes.

To enable cookies in Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5:
1. Select "Internet Options" from the "Tools" menu.
2. Click on the "Security" tab.
3. Click the "Default Level" button (or manually slide the security bar to "Medium").
4. Click "OK" to save changes.

To enable cookies in Firefox 3.0:
1. Select "Options" from the "Tools" menu.
2. In the Options menu, select "Privacy" from the top menu.
3. Click the checkbox next to Accept Cookies.
4. Click "OK" to save changes.

To enable cookies in Firefox 2.0:
1. Select "Options" from the "Tools" menu.
2. In the Options menu, select "Privacy" from the top menu.
3. Click the checkbox next to Accept Cookies.
4. Click "OK" to save changes.

To enable cookies in Firefox 1.5:
1. Select "Options" from the "Tools" menu.
2. In the Options menu, select "Privacy" from the top menu.
3. Select the "Cookies" tab from the secondary menu.
4. Make sure "Allow sites to set cookies" is checked.
5. Click "OK" to save changes.

To enable cookies in Firefox 1.0:
1. Select "Options" from the "Tools" menu.
2. Select the "Privacy" icon on the left hand side of the dialog box.
3. Select "Keep cookies until they expire".
4. Click "OK" to save changes.

To enable cookies in AOL 9.0:
1. From the AOL Toolbar, select Settings.
2. Select Internet (Web) Options.
3. Select Use your Internet Explorer Settings to set advanced browser options.
4. Select the Privacy tab.
5. Select Advanced.
6. Deselect override automatic cookie handling button.
7. Click "OK" to save changes.

To enable cookies in Safari:
1. Select "Preferences..." from the "Safari" menu.
2. Click on the "Security" tab.
3. Next to "Accept Cookies", click to select the "Always" radio button.
4. Close the Safari Preferences window.

I'm having difficulty signing in.  What should I do?

I can't sign in. I've already checked that cookies are enabled, I've cleared my cookies, and I'm using a supported browser.

If you have your browser's privacy settings set to "high" you may be unable to access the site. To resolve this problem, please add newsbug.afasf.org to your browser's list of allowed sites. Here are instructions for how to add allowed sites in Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE):

1. Go to the "Tools" menu and select "Internet Options".
2. Click on the "Privacy" tab.
3. Click on the "Sites" button and type the site address in the "Address of website" section.
4. Click "Allow", and then "OK".