VCCA Home Forums GENERAL DISCUSSION Forum Questions Can't Log in? New Password Process.

UPDATED 12/17/2012: Here's a solution that seems to work for login problems with IE 9. Follow the first 4 steps and see if it fixes your LOGIN problem.
Go HERE

==============================================================
UPDATED 1/8/2010: I have added a New posting about how to KILL YOUR COOKIE. This is the major cause of most Login Problems.

GO read this new posting at:
https://vccachat.org/ubbthreads.php/topics/161417/Kill_my_Cookie#Post161417

The information below here is still interesting as an explanation, but a lot of the links have now changed since we moved to the new server.

============================================================
ORIGINAL POSTING IS SHOWN BELOW HERE.
============================================================
Can't log in to the new Chatter II site?

Fundamentally it's a cookies issue. The system needs a new cookie on your machine but it is still using your old one. That's all you need to know about cookies.

=========================
Quick and dirty attempt to fix your problem:

• Go to the bottom of the Homepage (click Forum List)
• Click on My Cookies at the bottom left of the page.
• Click on Expire Cookies.
• Now try to Log in.

If that doesn't work, then continue down this page.
=========================


Here's the solution:
You need to reset your password so that it can write a new cookie to your computer.

Change in Password reset procedure:
In Chatter II when you prompt the system to send you a copy of your password, it doesn't. Instead it sends you a NEW password. You must log in using that one first. Then after you're successfully inside, you can go to your MyProfile section and change your password to anything that you want, including the old one.

HOW? Follow these instructions:

STEP 1- Begin the login process
Go to https://vccachat.org
Click on the "Login" link, upper left screen.
On Chevy Chatter II, click on the upper right "Log In".
Now, on the Login page, Click the bottom of the screen where it says
"Have you forgotten your login information."

Then enter EITHER your Login Name OR your email address. Then click on "I forgot my password"

STEP 2- New temporary password
When your email arrives (in about 20 seconds), enter your Name and NEW PASSWORD. Do NOT check "Remember me on each visit". Click Login. Go to Step 3 below.

ISSUE: This may still not allow you to log in. That's okay. If you get an error message or it appears to be hung up, just stop it. Then, close your browser, and log in a SECOND time. Again do NOT check "Remember me on each visit."

This time you should be able to get in. If so, proceed:

STEP 3 - CHANGE YOUR PASSWORD
Now go to MySTUFF and MyProfile. Change your password to somethng that you want permanently. Then go back to the main screen and log out.

STEP 4 - LAST TIME:
Now close your browser, and open a new instance of it. Then enter your Username, your newly chosen Password, Click on "Remember me on each visit" and then click on Login. You should be good from here on.

When you return to the site the next time, you won't have to log in at all. The "cookie" on your computer will log in for you!!

STEP 5 - Save me in your Favorites
Bookmark your starting point to enter the Chat site at
https://vccachat.org This should be the first page that you always see.

If you still have problems, email me at: webmaster@vccachat.org

What if nothing works so far?

Here's some more information about cookies, and some additional things that you can try, which will clean the cookies out of your house so that you can log in successfully.

WHAT ARE COOKIES?
Every time you open a browser to view a web page, order something online, or read your email in a web based viewer that information is stored on your computer for later use. Whether you are viewing the weather online, reading sports, catching up on the latest world news or viewing something a little more private, all that information is stored in your computer.

Windows operating systems store all of this material in what are called Temporary Internet Files or cache. Web pages may store bits of information about who you are when you visit web sites in files called cookies on your computer. Your web browser will store a list of web sites you've visited and places you've gone in a history file in your computer. Even if you are not online, programs will store histories of the files you've opened, played, or viewed.

HOW TO DELETE COOKIES

For Internet Explorer 5 and above, you can follow these directions to clear out temporary files and delete cookies.
1) Open Internet Explorer and click on Tools
2) Click on Internet Options
3) On the General Tab, in the middle of the screen, click on Delete Files
4) You may also want to check the box "Delete all offline content"
5) Click on OK and wait for the hourglass icon to stop after it deletes the temporary internet files
6) You can now click on Delete Cookies and click OK to delete cookies that websites have placed on your hard drive.

To clear the Internet History in IE: (Optional Next Step)
1) Open Internet Explorer and click on Tools
2) Click on Internet Options
3) On the General Tab, in the middle of the screen, click on Clear History
4) Click OK

To clean up other temporary files on your computer in Windows 98 or higher: (also an optional next step)

1) Click Start, Programs (or All Programs), Accessories, System Tools, Disk Cleanup
2) Choose the correct drive usually C:\
3) Check the boxes in the list and delete the files

CAN I DO THIS AUTOMATICALLY?Yes, there are programs that do this for you automatically. Normally they are considered as "utilitie programs". One which is very popular is called WINDOW WASHER. But if you follow the instructions and get your pc back to a useable state, then it should be okay until the next big upgrade -- in five years!!??!??

What the heck is this Cookie thing?

When you click "remember me" your information is actually stored on YOUR computer. It is a stored inside of a bunch of numbers and characters that you can't interpret... Usually there are about 40 or 50 characters or so. This string of data is stored on your harddrive in a location where "cookies" are stored.... that's what this is, a cookie with your data in it.

Then when you show up to Chat next time, the Chat site asks your computer (in the background) "Do you have a Chat cookie?". If it does then it attempts to use that in order to automatically log you in. If it finds it then everything is successful and you don't have to enter any data.

But if the cookie is wrong, or out of date, or corrupted, then the login fails and it prompts you to enter your data manually.

Most people experience a different situation once they've logged in. They click on "Remember Me" but it then it doesn't and they have to re-enter their Name and Password every time that they show up at vccachat.org. Here's how you fix that. When you are done looking at Chat, DON'T click on the LOGOUT buttion. Instead, just click on the red X in the upper right corner. This will CLOSE your Browser window AND keep your "cookie" valid for the next time that you log in.

You can test it by (a) logging in to Chat, (b) then surfing a little, (c) then click on the red X. Now open a new browser window and type in VCCACHAT.ORG into the address line. It should take you right to your account.

If it doesn't then your cookie is messed up and your need to go to the bottom left corner and click on MY COOKIES then EXPIRE.

Hope this helps.

Can't Log in to Chatter?

See the UPDATE at the top of the very FIRST POSTING in this thread. Dated 12/17/2012.