Shmups SIGNS ME OUT every time!

[Dochartaigh]

I messaged a mod and he said nobody else has complained, but I have to re-log into the site nearly every time I visit it (even when I haven't closed down the Chrome program since my last visit), and it's driving me kinda crazy so hopefully somebody can help me. Every other site, forum, group, discord, FB, etc. etc. is perfect, it's ONLY this site. Opening a different browser every time I want to visit just this site isn't a good solution fyi.

I'm on Mac Catalina (newest OS I can run on this Mac), newest Google Chrome: "Version 100.0.4896.60 (Official Build) (x86_64)". Chrome has auto-updated a few times since this problem started 3+ months ago. I've deleted every single Chrome file (down to hidden p-lists, hidden ~Library files, everything) several times and reinstalled Chrome... Have disabled every single extension and it STILL happens.

In fact, I've had to re-do my entire computer since this problem started: a true re-do - formatted the SSD and everything. Installed Mac Mojave this time (just runs faster on this older computer) and the problem STILL persists!!!

...So I can only think that it's something with this site, or something with my Google account (which I DO sign into the browser automatically whenever it's opened) which has a flag setup to save the cookie for this site - I checked... but after a complete re-format of the computer (and the Shumps cookies being there between visits and NOT auto-deleted or anything) I don't think so... Anybody have any ideas?

[GaijinPunch]

Check the "keep me logged in" option?

[Dochartaigh]

Check the "keep me logged in" option?

If it were only something that easy! And no, that's always the first thing I check and it's been checked.

[ZacharyB]

Oh, someone else has been having this problem?

I've only had this problem on my 1st generation iPad; here on a laptop, it hasn't happened. But I did tend to get logged out when a page would not load fully and crash the browser on an iPad. It happened so often, that I no longer log in when using it. I was wondering if it were related to some kind of spambot detection.

[Sumez]

Are you logging into the site from different devices frequently?

[BareKnuckleRoo]

Not every website is necessarily 100% flawless with a given browser. Given this site's been around for decades and Chrome is still getting updated (and thus potentially broken with older sites), this isn't out of the realm of possibility.

The first thing I'd suggest is you install Firefox or Opera and test those out. If they work, then it confirms it's a Chrome specific issue.

[Dochartaigh]

Are you logging into the site from different devices frequently?

Only this one computer. Maybe my laptop every blue moon (like more than three times a year I would be surprised) - no phone.

Not every website is necessarily 100% flawless with a given browser. Given this site's been around for decades and Chrome is still getting updated (and thus potentially broken with older sites), this isn't out of the realm of possibility.

The first thing I'd suggest is you install Firefox or Opera and test those out. If they work, then it confirms it's a Chrome specific issue.

Totally solid advice, but to be honest with you I'm not going to change my decade-plus-long browser habits for one single misbehaving website.

This is also a very basic phpBB website - which I visit probably a dozen others on a regular basis with no problem. Not that how the website is customized/coded or it's specific extensions/add-ons couldn't perhaps play a part as well (along with my own on Chrome - although it does it with all extensions turned off as well). The owner most likely updates the phpBB backend on a quasi-frequent basis too (or just like Wordpress, when you don't update it can lead to the site being hacked).



Right now, since I use LastPass as my password manager, it has an auto-login feature which I turned on for this site - so although I still see the 'i'm logged out' prompt fly by quickly, that at least helps and saves me a couple clicks every time I visit the site.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

Totally solid advice, but to be honest with you I'm not going to change my decade-plus-long browser habits for one single misbehaving website.

Sorry, I wasn't trying to say I expect you to change your browser for one site. As you say, phpBB has been around long enough that I wouldn't expect browsers to have any issues nowadays. However, for the purposes of troubleshooting if you want the site owners to try and fix it it's a necessary step to confirm if it's an issue with Chrome, if it's a specific build of Chrome on your OS, if it's somehow tied to the OS (unlikely), etc. Basically, if you want system11 to be able to address it, it's best to provide as much info as you can and do basic troubleshooting to narrow down and confirm the source of the issue. That way they'll have as much available info from someone experiencing the issue that can be used to try and track it down to fix it.

So again, the first question is: does the site keep you logged in when you check off the box on any other browsers such as Safari, Firefox, Opera, etc?

I'm also assuming you've tried clearing cookies/cache and tested logging in again, just in case it's something like that, but if you haven't, try deleting browser history and see if it's just a glitch that's resolved itself.

[Dochartaigh]

Sorry, I wasn't trying to say I expect you to change your browser for one site. As you say, phpBB has been around long enough that I wouldn't expect browsers to have any issues nowadays. However, for the purposes of troubleshooting if you want the site owners to try and fix it it's a necessary step to confirm if it's an issue with Chrome, if it's a specific build of Chrome on your OS, if it's somehow tied to the OS (unlikely), etc.

.................................................

I'm also assuming you've tried clearing cookies/cache and tested logging in again, just in case it's something like that, but if you haven't, try deleting browser history and see if it's just a glitch that's resolved itself.

Been to extreme lengths I described in my OP lol - like not just totally removing every aspect of Chrome from this computer (like I've done, multiple times over months and months), I even FORMATTED the entire SSD hard drive (unrelated to this problem of course, thankfully And not only re-formatted the entire thing, but changed to a DIFFERENT OS version too! ...and the problem is STILL there. It's also been going on for long enough that I've used numerous versions of Chrome too...

... so if it IS a problem with Mac and Chrome (and/or possibly phpBB), it's a problem between MANY different years worth of Mac and OS's and Chrome versions and phpBB versions... and simply can't believe it would be just be me with the issue (although I know being on a gamer forum that I'm probably in the minority by using a Mac to begin with... so that doesn't help things! . -- so that's why I replied here, just to see if I'm alone in this issue (not to make them change the forum or anything).

This also isn't something I can test reliably 100% of the time. Like these last few days have been good actually (OR, that auto-login I setup with LastPass is so fast I don't even see it auto-login for me). So using another browser (like 20-30 times a day I check the forum i would then have to load up a separate browser every time) wouldn't guarantee a perfect troubleshoot (but would be a good idea though).

[o.pwuaioc]

Totally solid advice, but to be honest with you I'm not going to change my decade-plus-long browser habits for one single misbehaving website.

Firefox is better anyway.

[Specineff]

This issue has happened to me with Firefox, except the logging out happens more at random than every single time.

[ZacharyB]

I had it like Specineff: Firefox on laptop, logs me out of the Safari one on the iPad seemingly at random. Usually preceded by a crash.

It's not a bug deal (just logged in on my iPad to post this), but it's there.

[Ed Oscuro]

I had this happen to me recently, too - and I only visit via Firefox on one device.

[To Far Away Times]

Happens to me too. I'm 100% firefox on all devices. I figure it has to do with the server or something.

[Dochartaigh]

This issue has happened to me with Firefox, except the logging out happens more at random than every single time.

I had it like Specineff: Firefox on laptop, logs me out of the Safari one on the iPad seemingly at random. Usually preceded by a crash.

It's not a bug deal (just logged in on my iPad to post this), but it's there.

I had this happen to me recently, too - and I only visit via Firefox on one device.

Happens to me too. I'm 100% firefox on all devices. I figure it has to do with the server or something.

So now I'm glad I posted about this since I'm not the only one. Did you all PM a mod to let them know? If they're not aware the issue is effecting multiple people they don't know to look into a fix! Hopefully it's just something simple that needs to be updated/tweaked on the phpbb forum platform (saw a couple references to this happening elsewhere when I checked phpbb's forum).

[neorichieb1971]

Happens to me. It times out. I've had it on the screen and it just times out. Sometimes your typing something and when you press Submit its already timed out in the background.

I always copy and paste if its a long one, so that I don't have to type it all out again.

[Dochartaigh]

This also isn't something I can test reliably 100% of the time. Like these last few days have been good actually (OR, that auto-login I setup with LastPass is so fast I don't even see it auto-login for me). So using another browser (like 20-30 times a day I check the forum i would then have to load up a separate browser every time) wouldn't guarantee a perfect troubleshoot (but would be a good idea though).

So I posted the above April 11 (saying the forum had been working fine). And it's been working fine since then for the last 3 weeks... then the same-old same-old happened again today...

I've joined two or three other phpBB forums since then, so the issue definitely seems to just be with this one (Shmups).