I've configured all my sandboxes to allow direct access to Internet Explorer cookies; also to save outside sandbox: history of search strings and saved commands. In Resource Access/File Access/Direct Access, an entry duly appears for [%Cookies%] applying to iexplore.exe.

However I find I am constantly having to re-log in to various forums, etc, (including this one) which hitherto was rarely if ever necessary. Also my browsing history contains hardly any records. Looking at my cookies folder (C:\Documents and Settings\Graham\Cookies\) recording my visits to Jimsbeerkit over the last few days, for example, there are five cookie files named graham@jimsbeerkit.co[2]...[6].txt, so it seems that a new one is being created each time, rather than the existing one being accessed.

Any suggestions how this can be resolved?

I believe that at least for the Sandboxie site you need to check "Log me in automatically each visit" - It's down near the bottom of the forum page. But you need to log out to see it ...

Thanks Mitch. I logged out, then logged in again and made sure that box was ticked also. I then closed down IE and Outlook Express (keeping the Sandbox Control window open) to ensure all sandboxes were automatically deleted. Then I relaunched IE and went back to the Sandboxie forum page, and found I was indeed still logged in. I did the same thing with the Jim's Beer Kit forum (which judging by its appearance uses the same software as this forum), and found I was still logged in there too.

OK then, but I still have an issue with my browsing history not being retained. Any thoughts as to what might be causing that?

In Control Panel / Internet Options/ Advanced Tab/ the bottom section named "Security".
'Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed' - Do you have that unchecked?

(That's where it is with XP IE6 - yours may be slightly different)

I'm on IE8. There is a separate "Delete browsing history on exit" button, in addition to the "Empty temporary internet files" one, which was actually checked - don't know how that happened - I thought it was configured just to delete temporary internet files on exit, not browsing history. However that's by the by. That button is now definitely now unchecked (I double-checked again just now, if you'll forgive the pun).

I closed down IE again, but got a Direct OCR error so had to reboot anyway. On restarting and launching IE, I visited a few sites then closed IE. On relaunching IE I opened the history tab for today, but the only entries were My computer (which I had visited earlier but not in the last session) and uk.msn which is my Home page. None of the other sites I had visited showed up, so there's still some other factor at work here.

I would surf a few 'definite' safe sites UNsandboxed just to make sure your history is being retained (to rule out the Sandboxie settings) - if that history is being retained, then double check your openfilepaths to make sure they are correct.

I've just done that, closed IE, the re-opened it and can confirm that sites visited during the unsandboxed session are being retained in browsing history. As I mentioned in my original post, in Applications/Web browser/IE, I have enabled "Save outside sandbox: history of search strings and saved commands". Unlike the "Allow direct access to cookies" option, however, where In Resource Access/File Access/Direct Access, a corresponding entry duly appears for [%Cookies%] applying to iexplore.exe, there is no specific entry for search history. Do I need to add one, and if so where is the history folder located?

In XP it's;
C:\Documents and Settings\*UserName*\Local Settings\History

In Sandboxie it's; Resource Access/File Access/Direct Access

Add Program (iexplore.exe)

Browse to folder, select, apply

I tried to reproduce this problem with both IE 6 and IE 7, I visisted Yahoo.com and used Page Options to change colors. With direct access to cookies, the colors persisted just as I expected them to. But now I see you're talking about IE 8, so I guess I'll try that next.

Right, in Resource Access/File Access/Direct Access for iexplore.exe, I've added %History% using Edit/Add. I am pleased to say that would now appear to have resolved the problem.

The underlying question, though, is what does enabling "Save outside sandbox: history of search strings and saved commands" in Applications/Web browser/IE actually do? The corresponding option for cookies automatically adds %Cookies% to the Direct Access openfilepath, but that obviously isn't happening for %History%.

Checking that item in Applications/ Web Browser/ Internet Explorer
"Save outside sandbox: history of search strings and saved commands"

adds;
Template=IExplore_ProtectedStorage

To the Sandboxie.ini file, located in Windows

From the template file, located in the Sandboxie Program Folder;

[Template_IExplore_ProtectedStorage]
Tmpl.Title=#4329
Tmpl.Class=WebBrowser
OpenProtectedStorage=y
OpenKeyPath=iexplore.exe,HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\IntelliForms

Seems a bit unclear - maybe %History% should be added to the Applications choices.

Now I tried with IE 8. Everything seems to be working well as far as I can tell.

1. The Yahoo cookies situation works as it did in IE 6 and 7.

2. I enabled "Save outside sandbox: history of search strings and saved commands" and then asked saved username/password information in a sandboxed browser. Then closed and restarted the browser outside the sandbox. The information was auto-completed in the unsandboxed browser.

I believe Hotmog was looking to retain all of the browser history .... Such as sites visited.

Thanks, Mitch. As you acknowledge, all that is rather unclear and I'm not really any the wiser as to what it actually means in practical terms. I agree with you, however, that it would be logical for %History% to be added automatically to the Direct Access openfilepath when the Applications/Web browser/IE history option is enabled, as is already the case with cookies.

Your welcome, I guess then that is an official request for a Template addition to the program, lol. I do think though that most folks use Sandboxie to keep the History off the computer, but if there is one for Cookies, I guess there should be one for History also....