OK, I apologise. The "Clear Data" button on the Preferences/Privacy & Security page actually DOES clear everything out so it is just the AUTOMATIC clearing on shutdown that is not functioning.

I notice that on the page cited above FF shows only 2.0 kb stored and shows NO cookies. On checking with an external program, CCleaner, it lists about 30 cookies or storage items. So FF is not "seeing" these items?

After manually clearing data within FF, CCleaner then shows everything is cleared out.

So, to reiterate, MANUAL data clearing works but AUTOMATIC clearing on closedown does not.

FYI, I have FF set to clear EVERYTHING except Browsing History.

It's difficult to think of what Firefox would clear on demand that it doesn't clear at shutdown. Could you compare the preferences here:

(1) In a new tab, type or paste about:config in the address bar and press Enter/Return. Click the button promising to be careful or accepting the risk.

(2) In the search box above the list, type or paste clearon and pause while the list is filtered

(3) What privacy.clearOnShutdown preferences have the value false? By default, it would be:

• offlineApps
• openWindows
• siteSettings (not recommended to clear)

(4) In the search box above the list, type or paste cpd and pause while the list is filtered

(5) What privacy.cpd preferences have the value false? By default, it would be:

• offlineApps
• openWindows
• passwords
• siteSettings (not recommended to clear)

CCleaner lumps HSTS flags in the following file together with cookies. If you can control the timing of when CCleaner runs, you could try removing this file before letting CCleaner scan the folder:

Open your current Firefox settings (AKA Firefox profile) folder using either

• "3-bar" menu button > "?" Help > Troubleshooting Information
• (menu bar) Help > Troubleshooting Information
• type or paste about:support in the address bar and press Enter

In the first table on the page, on the Profile Folder row, click the "Open Folder" button. This should launch a new window listing various files and folders in Windows Explorer.

Leaving that window open, switch back to Firefox and Exit, either:

• "3-bar" menu button > Exit
• (menu bar) File > Exit

Pause while Firefox finishes its cleanup, then move SiteSecurityServiceState.txt to another folder or delete it.

Any difference in CCleaner's cookie count?

See also;

• https://developer.mozilla.org/Web/Security/HTTP_strict_transport_security

Hello jscher,

Thank you for your response. My answers;

1. downloads, history, openwindows

2. downloads, history, openwindows, passwords

3. deleting SiteSecurityServiceState.txt does change CCleaner list. Only 1 item remains which I think is the "Feedbro" cookie/storage

BTW, FF has just updated to 63.0.1 but the problem still remains.

Any ideas?

Based on #3, it is the way CCleaner defines cookies differently than Firefox that is responsible for the discrepancy.

jscher,

Again I thank you for your response but it really explains nothing.

Why does CC show everything clears out after a manual "clear" but not an "automatic" one?

Surely, either the "stuff" is there or it is not, right?

What am I not understanding?

simonalberta said

Why does CC show everything clears out after a manual "clear" but not an "automatic" one? Surely, either the "stuff" is there or it is not, right?

Firefox doesn't use the term "stuff." "Cookies" has a particular technical meaning. Firefox clears the data that is properly called cookies.

In CCleaner, "cookies" has a different meaning. CCleaner tells you there are more "cookies" because it is including data from the SiteSecurityServiceState.txt file.

jscher,

sorry but you are still missing the point.

i am not concerned about a different interpretation of "stuff" between CC and FF.

i am concerned about there appearing to still be "stuff" lingering after I shutdown FF that should NOT be there but that I can remove it with a "manual clear" within FF.

to clarify, CC finds stuff after a shutdown. It does NOT find stuff after a manual clear.

so it is not relevent whether FF and CC agree what "stuff" is, only whether of not FF is removing it.

I see, I got distracted.

When you shut down Firefox normally ("Exit" from the menu) and then start it back up again, presumably it is a new session and not a restored session? If you open "Manage Data" on the Options page, which sites are listed as having cookies or storage items already at that point?

What items do you have set in "History -> Clear Recent History" ?

jscher,

Thank you for your response and sorry for the delay in my replying.

After a re-start FF lists no cookies or storage items at all so it clearly "thinks" it has cleared everything out as it is supposed to do.

But when checking with CC it lists about 40 items still lingering. Whether they are cookies or storage items isn't clear but they should not be there either way.

In both "automatic" and "manual" mode I have FF set to clear everything except Browsing History.

Some further information that may or may not be relevant; I am using the add-on cookie manager Forget-Me-Not and it has a "manual clear" button and this does not, in fact, work either. After using it and then shutting down FF, CC still shows an extensive list of items remaining.

I know nothing about coding so excuse if this does not make sense, but it seems to me that there is some issue in FF around "recognizing" or "finding" left over storage items/cookies.

Just to clarify re. Forget-Me-Not; this is not causing the problem because it still happens when using a fresh profile with no add-ons and, as I mentioned earlier, even when using a brand-new FF installation.

I would appreciate your further consideration of this issue.

Thank you.

I think you should ask the CCleaner people how they can find 40 "cookies" when Firefox shows 0 cookies and 0 storage items. What are they counting that Firefox is not counting? Then you can determine whether it is something to be concerned about.

jscher,

sorry, i have been away a while and have not checked in here.

while i appreciate your continued attempts to help you are still missing the point.

forget about CCleaner, that is just a tool i am using to check what Firefox has done.

the ONLY issue is that Firefox is NOT clearing cookies and other stored items AUTOMATICALLY on shutting down but it DOES clear them MANUALLY.

so, basically, Firefox is NOT WORKING PROPERLY.

i have now again tried a completely fresh re-install of Firefox with a completely clean profile with zero add-ons and the issue still persists.

to me this seems like a fairly serious failing. if i was not aware of this issue, as would be the case with most casual FF users, then my machine would accumulate multiple trackers to the detriment of my privacy and security.

i call on Mozilla to fix this ASAP.

thanks again for your attempts to help.

Simon.

Hi Simon, I think you have exhausted what support can do. My suggestion at this point is to figure out what "cookies and other stored items" are surviving an automatic cookie clear that do not survive a manual cookie clear, if possible, and file a bug with the developers:

• https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/
• https://developer.mozilla.org/docs/Mozilla/QA/Bug_writing_guidelines

An important part of a good bug report is steps to replicate the problem. As I understand it:

(1) Set Firefox to clear cookies automatically at shutdown, then exit Firefox. Then count the remaining cookies and stored items using a third party tool. (At the next startup, Firefox will show no data in the Manage Data dialog. The items are not listed here.)

(2) Clear cookies using the "Clear History" or "Clear Recent History" dialog, and promptly exit Firefox. Then count the remaining cookies and stored items using a third party tool. The number will be lower than the count in #1.

I can't test this currently because of the risk of CCleaner removing valuable data from my system. I may be able to test on a different system later this week.

jscher,

thank you for trying to help me. i am not going to bother with a bug report. i am just a casual user that wants/hopes/expects settings to do what they are supposed to do.

if they do not i either find a work around (regular manual cleanups in this case) or find other software to use.

i have already wasted 10 times more energy and time on this frustrating issue than i should have.

last time i had issues with Firefox (frequent crashes) i abandoned it for over a year until the problem got resolved and i may do the same again.

anyway, thanks once again for your help. please don't bother to respond further as i won't be checking back here again.