[tor-bugs] #13235 [Tor Browser]: private mode / cookies settings not working, starting Tor browser not working

[Tor Bug Tracker & Wiki]

#13235: private mode / cookies settings not working, starting Tor browser not
working
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 Reporter:  Samonym                              |          Owner:  tbb-
     Type:  defect                               |  team
 Priority:  normal                               |         Status:  new
Component:  Tor Browser                          |      Milestone:
 Keywords:  cookies. private mode, browser       |        Version:  Tor:
  window                                         |  unspecified
Parent ID:                                       |  Actual Points:
                                                 |         Points:
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 I'm new to using Tor and wanted to try it out.

 I'm running the Tor browser bundle 3.6.5:

 a)from a pendrive on a Windows XP system

 b) from an installed version on the desktop of a Windows 7 system in a
 virtual box (Oracle) and have observed some things I do not understand:

 1. Sometimes the grey small window opens telling: Tor is opened, but then
 the browser window doesn't open.

 When clicking on „Start Tor browser. exe“ again, a small window says: Tor
 was running already, so I have to stop the Tor browser  by the task-
 manager or by the ccleaner.

 Sometimes I have to repeat that several times until the browser window of
 Tor opens

 2. If a website only works with cookies, you can change settings from
 „never remember history“ to „use custom settings for history“ and „accept
 cookies from sites“ in the normal Firefox and you can change the settings
 back again to „never remember history“ again and you have to close and
 restart Firefox. This does not work in the Tor browser, which does not
 save the „never remember history“-setting. You can choose the box „never
 remember history“ , click on „ok“, but if you open the options window
 again, you will see that the Tor browser is still on „use custom settings
 for history“ and „accept cookies“.

 If you choose „always use private browsing mode“ no history or any data
 should be stored by the usual Firefox, right? So, you should not see
 anything under „history“. However, this is not the case with the Tor
 browser!!! The Tor browser keeps the history despite having chosen the
 private mode!!!

 Last point: If you change the parameters and allow cookies and you were on
 sites that use cookies, they should be displayed under „show cookies“ -
 but there aren't any cookies displayed. Also ccleaner doesn't show any
 cookies stored. However, there must be cookies, because I was on sites
 that demand cookies otherwise they just don't work. So, where are the
 cookies? They must be on the system. With the usual Firefox you can see at
 least that cookies were set and you can control and delete them. And if
 flash cookies had been set you can control that by the ccleaner. But with
 the Tor browser you even can't see that any kind of cookie was set even
 though they must have been set.

 I really cannot imagine that this behaviour of the Tor browser is
 intended.

 Please let me know if there is something wrong with the Tor browser or if
 I am wrong. I would be grateful for a quick answer, because I'm really
 concerned about the matter and cannot rely on the Tor browser at all at
 the moment.

 Thank you a lot for your quick response in advance!

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Ticket URL: <https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/13235>
Tor Bug Tracker & Wiki <https://trac.torproject.org/>
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