Student Digital Help Centre

Cookies are files that contain information on which websites the user has visited; they store browsing information, such as your site preferences or profile information, on the user's browser.   This can save time when visiting a certain website frequently.  It is important to be aware of your cookie settings because cookies can allow sites to track your navigation during your visit to those sites   

Some web browsers block cookies automatically.   Often cookies need to be enabled for the user to access a web site, or certain content, so you will see a prompt to enable cookies.

Important:  you should clear your browsing history from time to time, as the more is in there, the slower your web browser will be to respond, and not doing so can cause errors.  
See further here  on clearing history, especially cache.

Click here for more information  about what cookies are and how they work. 
Click here to learn more about managing cookies.   Note: this relates to Google Chrome but all web browsers are similar.

To enable cookies in Mozilla Firefox:

1. Go to Open menu button, top right hand corner and 3 black lines: 
   
2. Click on Options 
   
3. On the left hand side panel, select Privacy 
   
4. Under History at Firefox will:  select Use custom settings for history 
   
5. Tick Accept cookies from sites; and accept third party cookies always.  Here you can also tick to remember browsing, download, search and form history; this is your choice.
6. At Exceptions, enter the URL of sites that you wish to block cookies being stored, or sites that you wish to allow cookies to be stored.  (Best to have gone to the site first and copied the URL 
   
7. Choose whether to Block, Allow for Session, or Allow.
   
8. Save changes.
   

To enable cookies in Google Chrome:

1. Click Customize and control Google Chrome button – 3 little lines at far right end of address bar:         
2. Click Settings, and Show advanced settings at end of list (probably after Default browser)                                                                                                                               
   
3. Under Privacy, click Content settings button  
   
4. Choose Allow local data to be set; this is the recommended which means cookies will be saved
   
5. You can block cookies from any specific sites by clicking Manage exceptions, and add the site URL and Block.   
   
6. Or allow specific sites:  Manage exceptions, add the site URL, and Allow. 
   
7. Click Done in bottom right corner of Content settings window to save.  Close settings tab to return.