Cookies and XaraClub

Cookies are snippets of information stored on your computer by a Web server. Although they can in principle be used to store any information, they are most commonly used to store a unique code identifying you to the server as you move between pages on the site. This is how XaraClub uses cookies.

Obviously there are different uses to which this information could be put. It could, for example, be used to track your progress through a website; many people regard this as an invasion of privacy and turn cookies off on their browser as a result. On the XaraClub site, however, cookies are used simply so that once you've logged in to the site our server can identify you when you access other pages, and serve you up your account information. The alternative to this would be to force you to enter your password on every page on the XaraClub site, which would be a very clumsy solution.

Rejecting cookies in XaraClub

The upshot of this is that if you reject cookies on the XaraClub site, you will continually be returned to the same (entrance) page. This is because the server can't tell who you are, and so won't give out account information - hopefully this strikes you as a reasonable course of action.

On most browsers, you can set the browser to warn you before accepting cookies. This is fine - there's no need to change this setting - but when you first arrive at the site you'll probably see a dialog box like the one below, asking if you want to accept the cookie:

You should click on 'Allow Cookie' or the equivalent to accept the cookie. You'll only need to do this a maximum of twice (the XaraClub site sets a second cookie later which is only ever sent over secure connections) unless you select 'Apply my decision to all cookies from this Web site'.

In Microsoft Internet Explorer, and possibly other browsers, it is possible to turn cookies off completely. Obviously, this means that you'll get nowhere on the XaraClub site so, at least while you browse the site, you'll have to turn them back on again. You do this by choosing Tools > Internet Options in your browser then clicking the 'Privacy 'tab as shown in the screen shot below:

The screen shot shows the medium security level. If yours is set to a higher level, drop it down to medium.

Alternatively click the Advanced button, and the following screen will appear:

Select to override the automatic settings, and ensure that (at the very least) first-party cookies are set to 'Prompt'.

If you use a non-Internet Explorer browser, please consult your browser's documentation.

If the above steps do not help you solve the problem, please try disabling any internet security software (for example anything by Norton) that you may have running. These programs often interfere with legitimate internet traffic.

Other information...

• For a complete step-by-step guide to downloading and unlocking a product visit our product installation and account queries troubleshooter.
• Forgotten your XaraClub password? Go to the password reminder page.
• Keep returning to this page? Maybe you're refusing cookies.