Nothing changed between 4.1.1 and 4.1.2, but you can try php-4.2.0rc1 from www.php.net/~derick if you want.
Please report back if this fixes the problem.

Derick

When updating PHP, remember to always replace the php4ts.dll 
with the one found in the release package.

Hi,

It is fixed in PHP 4.2.0

Look for PHP 4.2.0 at:
http://www.php.net/~derick/

once again, whenever you update/downgrade PHP remember
to replace ALL the dlls and other binaries in your systems
with the ones found in the release packages.

Redhat 7.2 or 7.3.  PhP 4.1.2, Apache 1.3.23.

I get something similar to this when I change session.cookie_lifetime to something other than zero, and only when connecting with IE (my version 5.5).  PHP generates two session files, one has all the info I initialized with, the second just has the sessionId in it.
It's as if it ignores the first session it created and makes a new one.  Netscape 4.79 works properly, and when I set session.cookie_lifetime to 0 the problem goes away on IE.

I got simmilar problem with PHP 5.0.2, Apache 2.0.52 
(Linux, kernel 2.6.8.1). 
The session files are apeared in the session.save_path 
directory and they contains correct entryes, but each time 
I call session_start() a new file is apeared and $_SESSION 
array does not contain anything.

I have this same issue. Just did a clean install of Apache 2.0.52 and PHP/4.3.9 ... and I have the same issues. A new session is created, and yes, the php.ini is correct (the one that installed with the Gentoo ebuild).

Same here using

PHP 5.0.4
Apache 2.0.54
Windows XP SP2 (up to date)

Just wanted to say that I got the same problem in PHP 5.0.5 clean installation with Apache 2.x.x.
Reading\Writing to session works in the same page but the server loses the session when going between different pages or reloading the page.

I got the same problem in PHP 4.3.10. What should I do?

System  Linux
Build Date  Dec 18 2004 22:24:47  
Server API  CGI  
Virtual Directory Support  disabled  
Configuration File (php.ini) 
Path  /home/lib/php/php.ini  
PHP API  20020918  
PHP Extension  20020429  
Zend Extension  20021010  
Debug Build  no  
Thread Safety  disabled  
Registered PHP Streams  php, http, ftp, https, ftps 


session.cache_limiter nocache
session.cookie_domain no value
session.cookie_lifetime 0
session.cookie_path /
session.cookie_secure Off
session.entropy_file /dev/urandom
session.entropy_length 64
session.gc_divisor 100
session.gc_maxlifetime 1440
session.gc_probability 1
session.name PHPSESSID
session.referer_check no value
session.save_handler files
session.save_path /home/var/state/php
session.serialize_handler php
session.use_cookies On
session.use_only_cookies Off
session.use_trans_sid Off

Same problem with PHP 5.0.2, Apache 2.0.52, Windows XP.

Did anybody solved the problem?

Thanks in advance,
Faith

I've got same problem with 5.1.2 (and previously with 4.3.8).
Both clean install, Win2k, IIS 5.0.

Everytime I enter (reload) a page, it creates a new file in my sessions directory.

got same problem under using php 4.3.10 :(
on heavy load, php creates a new session...

fc3, apache2, php4.3.10, lvs

Same problem with 5.0.5 running on Debian x86_64...

Only I.E. does this 2 cookies thing and scroolled my code...

Digging the net, i found that those bugs started only in the browsers that executes windows update automatically...

So i find that the day that the problems started matches the day of the release of one Microsoft Bugfix that affects I.E.
14/feb/2006

Only the updated browsers behave incorrectly....

Might we need to blame M$....


Any workarounds???
Am i right???

MS did not return the bug report...

I expereinced the same problem in PHP 5.0.5
Reading\Writing to session works in the same page but the server loses the session when going between different pages or reloading the page. Please help me..

Changing the character set from utf-8 to the old iso-8859-1 helped. Now a session cookie is succesfully stored on the client and thereby the sessid and thus one file on the server maintained.

However I do not understand this behavior.

same problem on 5.1.2 and 5.1.4.
 php.ini shows ;default_charset = "iso-8859-1", suggesting
 it's default.
 enabling fixed the problem.

May be same problem ..

4.2.3 version, WinXP

Only IE 5 and IE 5.5  After login, any link on the page to a file with session_start() sets new (empty) session, and therefore am returned to login page.

IE 6, Opera and Firefox all work correctly.  

Adding 
php_flag session.use_trans_sid on 
to my htaccess fixes it, but would rather not do that.

I got the same problem.  Callin session.start() create a new 
session id and a corresponding file and session data are not 
maintained between pages.

I've got the same problem with php 5.1.6.
session data is not maintained between pages.

If I add default_charset = "iso-8859-1"; in php.ini, everything works.

Try setting cookie_domain in php.ini to a period (.) followed by your domain.  For example, ".google.com".  The default typically tells PHP to use www.google.com which will cause problems if the user types google.com.

Similar problem happend to me. The following is my configuration:
Apache 2.2.3, 
PHP 5.1.16
I tried three different browsers, IE, FireFox, Maxthon
same error happens.
I host the website on my local machine, Win XP Home, therefore, I try to access the site using http://localhost/testsite

add default_charset = "iso-8859-1"; in php.ini, did not work
set setting cookie_domain=localhost did not work
set session.use_trans_sid on did not work.

Same thing for 5.1.16
I tried other people's suggestion, did not work for me neither. 

Please give a workaround.

PHP 5.1.4
Windows NT SERVER 5.1 build 2600

Possible workarounds installed as mentioned in the thread.

I also noticed that the session cookie is not updated 
when another pages is loaded that contains session_start();
This causes the session always to expire after its lifetime,
where I expect the session to expire after the last session_start + lifetime.

Try to change this:

session.save_path = "0;c:\program files\php\tmp"

don't forget to use the 0; before the path.

Same problem using v5.2.0

I get empty sess_ files in /tmp

I have had this problem many times before. It seems that it works if its installed on a sunny day..

I am having the same problem.  I have tried all the suggestions here.  One system is fedora core 4 the other is fedora core 5.  Updating the packages does not help.  Setting charset does not help.  Adding 0; to the save_path does not help.  The save path has the appropriate permissions.  The session file is created but always empty.  Using session_write_close has no effect.  We developed the application, fully tested, went to deploy and now this is blowing everything up...ouch!

I have same problem and I have tried all suggested solutions. Problem still remains.

same problem here - FC4, PHP 5.0.2 - session files are empty.
possible solution ( sometimes works ) - use session_register insted of $_SESSION to set a new value to the session

Generally occurs during peak server loads. Intermittently, a new session is created at session_start() call even though the cookie id has not changed. Old session file remains with associated data. New session wipes out all key value pairs resulting in lost data.

PHP Version:  4.3.9
Server: Apache 2.0
OS: wsprolinux
kernel: 2.6.9-42

Has a workaround been posted for this yet?  I'm having a similar problem.

THanks

The only work around I have found is on the first call to start a session in your application capture that session id. Then pass it in the url or as a form parameter. After the session_start() call on your next page, reset the session id to the passed in session id. Also may consider archiving all session files such that can be parsed at a later time to extract the key-value pairs.

This bug has been a major, major problem in my clients environment. This has been the first time I have run into it. It also has nothing to do with the time of the session as I have had the lost session occur in less than 2 minutes after session start.

If not executing a session destroy, which will delete the session file from the temp location, then look at the old session files and recover the `lost` parameters.

Found this solution:

I was running a server on my pc and session data was lost when I left the page.

php_info() revealved session.save_path was C:\DOCUME~1\MyUsername\LOCALS~1\Temp\php\session

but when I looked on the C drive, in the temp folder, there was no php folder. So I made a php folder, with a session folder inside it, and hey presto everything works fine :)

Win XP
IE 7
PHP 5.2.3
Apache 2.2

Suggested sollutions not helped. When I am using site as http://localhost/site it works well, session resumed.
When I am using site using computer name (externally) http://computer_name/site, session is not resumed and separate files are created for it.

Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2, v.2096 (build 2600)
Internet Explorer 6
Php triad
   Php 4.1.1
   Apache 1.3.23

I have changed the php.ini file in my default folder C:\apache\php
 i.e., SMTP = smtp.cc.iitk.ac.in    (my mail server in iitk,india) &
       sendmail_from = shivamv@iitk.ac.in (my e-mail id)

The code i am using is simple

<?php
  mail('shivam.honey','Hi','Hello');
?>


Everything seems to be fine but i am getting an error -->

Warning: Server Error in c:\apache\htdocs\experiment\e-mail.php on line 2


where, as i am able to send mails from my outlook account using the same mail server.

Please Help!!! me out.
Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2, v.2096 (build 2600)
Internet Explorer 6
Php triad
   Php 4.1.1
   Apache 1.3.23

I have changed the php.ini file in my default folder C:\apache\php
 i.e., SMTP = smtp.cc.iitk.ac.in    (my mail server in iitk,india) &
       sendmail_from = shivamv@iitk.ac.in (my e-mail id)

The code i am using is simple

<?php
  mail('shivam.honey','Hi','Hello');
?>

Everything seems to be fine but i am getting an error -->

Warning: Server Error in c:\apache\htdocs\experiment\e-mail.php on line
2

where, as i am able to send mails from my outlook account using the same
mail server.


Please someone listen i got some serious problem,i gotta show it to someone!!!
Please reply me at shivam.honey@gmail.com

I had the same problem with IIS (version? from XP Pro) and PHP 5.2.3. I changed the session.save_path to a simple path without weird windows short form (like PROGRA~1 and so on) and reinstalled php with the windows php installer and it works now.

Hi Every one.
My name is shivam.
Thanks for the suggestion i tried it and now its not giving me any error just simply printing mail sent successfully

But i m "NOT" getting the mail delivered to the recipient account

my new php.ini mail setting are

[mail function]
SMTP = smtp.cc.iitk.ac.in
sendmail_from = shivamv@iitk.ac.in

; For Unix only.  You may supply arguments as well (default: 'sendmail -t -i').
sendmail_path = /usr/local/sbin/sendmail -t -i

and my code is

<?php 
if(mail('shivam.honey@gmail.com', 'xxx', 'yyy')) {
 echo('<p>Mail sent successfully.</p>'); 
} else {
 echo('<p>Mail could not be sent.</p>');
}
?>


Now i m just wondering if
1. my mail settings are not correct or 
2. my smtp server is not forwarding the mail or
3. the reciepient server is not excepting the mail

can anyone HELP me!!!
Please do mention ur name would b easy to address.
Thanks in advance

hELLo i use php 5.1 and still experience this bug

has anyone solved this issue??????

I cannot find any solution for this... it is unbelievable!!!!

I think that part of the problem is, at least on Windows, that the session.save_path (and upload_tmp_dir) are being created within the user's 'Temp' area.  (By the Windows msi installer?)
But this directory is occasionally cleaned out (either manually or by system / 3rd party disk cleaners). This BTW, is the idea of a temp area, that you may delete old data without regrets.

Well, since php does not re-create the sub directories structure as needed, it would be better to change these paths to a less temporary place, like "user\application data\php". Or store the files directly in the temp folder, not in subdirectories therein.

I'm facing the same problem. Waiting for solution or suggestion, please.

FreeBSD 6.0-RELEASE
Apache 2.0.59
PHP 5.2.4

My same code is work fine on following system.

FreeBSD 5.4-RELEASE
Apache 2.0 Handler
PHP 4.3.10

Same problem here.

Debian 4.0
Apache 2.0 Handler
PHP 4.3.10

It works only if I'm not using session_regenerate_id(). When I put session_regenerate_id() before $_SESSION... it doesn't work.

I have the same problem, a new session is created everytime a page is load. I'm using PHP 5.2.5 on Apache 2.0.63 Windows XP.

I just don`t know what else to try!!

I have this issue PHP Version 5.1.6

set in php.ini:

session.use_cookies = 1

this works for win xp + apache, and is more secure for id attack to user sessions...
Bye
dino

http://www.onyrix.com

I had this issue the following header fixed the issue:

<?php
session_start();
header("Cache-control: private");

...
?>

I just upgraded to leopard and now experience the same problem, i have had php on just about every platform out there and never experienced this until now. It creates a new session file every page i go to and will not use the session, if i turn on session.use_trans_id it will use the session and everything works. 
are there any mac users with this issue.

OS X 10.5.2
php 5.2.5
apache 2.2.8

I just upgraded to leopard and now experience the same problem, i have had php on just about every platform out there and never experienced this until now. It creates a new session file every page i go to and will not use the session, if i turn on session.use_trans_id it will use the session and everything works. 
are there any mac users with this issue?

OS X 10.5.2
php 5.2.5
apache 2.2.8

I had the same problem with Vista and EasyPHP. $_SESSION has problems when you give it numbers as indexes.
So, for example, if you're trying to register the results of a mysql_fetch_row or mysql_fetch_array (which contain numeric indexes) the thing fails, because $_SESSION does not accept the indexes - the file will be empty and nothing is saved in session

Try to save the results of mysql_fetch_assoc instead.

(Obviously, session permissions , path etc. must be correctly set).

I have the same problem on:
Windows XP,
Apache 1.3
PHP 5.2

But only in IE6. I have set all security setting s in IE6 to lowest and the script

<?
session_start();
print session_id();
?>

still generates new session on every page load. The same script, the same server and FF2 or IE7 work right.

Any ideas?

I found this on the php.net session page, and it worked for me:

<b> johnlonely at gmail dot com<b>
12-Oct-2005 02:32
Everytime I upgrade PHP to a new version, I used to recompile the php.ini file. Everytime I create a website, I always kept the php.ini file so that in the future I would be able to retrieve some Unique properties of the php version I used. So the last php version I've seen where session is sticking is version 4.2. I've been trying for two days with no luck searching the manual and forum, when I tried something :

If you guys always fill the
session.cookie_path = /
to somewhere you the cookies should go, then leave the fuss. You'll save two days! Leave it be!

[Session]
session.cookie_path = /

Happy sticking sessions.

While running a programme as a login for librarian, if the name of programme is changed in the URL, it switches to the pgm entered now and the borrower can perform all functions of librarian. This is not correct. Session start has been used.

I have apache/php configured to run as another user then "apache". I tried to install php-xml and yum updated php, setting the owner of the directory where the sessions are stored to "apache", NOT MY USER! 

This worked for me:

to check if this was the problem I did a chmod 777 to session directory - and: it worked again

I changed the owner of the session directory to my apache user, chmodded session directory to the initial 770 - and yay: it worked.

As noted on http://www.kirupa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=288773

"After 10 hours of searching over 2 days, I figured it out. The UTF-8 encoding was placing invisible characters before my <?php tag, thus throwing an error (which I couldn't see because my server host's debug doesn't show). Switching to ANSI removed those characters and thus the session_start() functioned properly this time, giving me a consistent session ID. Thanks to those who helped."

Hello, I have theis session problem, tried everything on this page not still wont work. Is anyone else having the problem still??

I have 2 servers, one it works fine on and the other it fails, they use the same settings, and have tried differant versions, yet it still fails on the 2nd server. 

Ho many people here are running it on a server with a " _ " in the computer name? that to me seems the only thing differant between the computers with my setup.

The same issue.

# php-cgi -v
PHP 5.2.6-1+lenny3 with Suhosin-Patch 0.9.6.2 (cgi-fcgi) (built: Apr 26 2009 22:11:16)
Copyright (c) 1997-2008 The PHP Group
Zend Engine v2.2.0, Copyright (c) 1998-2008 Zend Technologies
    with eAccelerator v0.9.5.3, Copyright (c) 2004-2006 eAccelerator, by eAccelerator
    with Zend Extension Manager v1.2.2, Copyright (c) 2003-2007, by Zend Technologies
    with Suhosin v0.9.27, Copyright (c) 2007, by SektionEins GmbH
    with Zend Optimizer v3.3.3, Copyright (c) 1998-2007, by Zend Technologies

System call trace (in fact, this is processed by mod_php of the same version):

open(".../sess_a6549.............", O_RDWR|O_CREAT|O_LARGEFILE, 0600) = 1035
fstat64(1035, {st_mode=S_IFREG|0600, st_size=96, ...}) = 0
flock(1035, LOCK_EX)                    = 0
fcntl64(1035, F_SETFD, FD_CLOEXEC)      = 0
fstat64(1035, {st_mode=S_IFREG|0600, st_size=96, ...}) = 0
_llseek(1035, 0, [0], SEEK_SET)         = 0
read(1035, "Acess|s:1:\"1\";id|s:3:\"108\";login|"..., 96) = 96
...
ftruncate64(1035, 0)                    = 0
_llseek(1035, 0, [0], SEEK_SET)         = 0
write(1035, ""..., 0)                   = 0
close(1035)                             = 0

Session files are shared via NFSv4, if it is important.

Running on default XAMPP installation, with the 

session.save_path = "C:\xampplite\tmp"

When I set the apache document root to be:
<Directory "C:/xampplite/htdocs">
And then run a file with contents:
<?PHP session_start(); ?>

There is a session file created. Ie, normal operation.

When I set the apache document root to be:
<Directory "S:/htdocs">
And then run THE SAME file with contents:
<?PHP session_start(); ?>

A 0KB session file is created. Ie, it is empty, and I cannot access session variables.

Please help.

Hi there,

  I was having the same problem with PHP creating session files with 0Kb.
  I solved putting the <? session_start();?> on the first line of the php file.
  After this it works like a charm.

  Hope it helps somebody.

Ricardo Sartorato

If you run out of space you get the same effect :D

I have the same problem.

System:
Linux 2.6.26-2-686 #1 SMP Sat Jun 11 14:54:10 UTC 2011 i686
PHP 5.3.3-7+squeeze1 with Suhosin-Patch (cli) (built: Mar 18 2011 17:22:52)
Zend Engine v2.3.0, Copyright (c) 1998-2010 Zend Technologies
    with Suhosin v0.9.32.1, Copyright (c) 2007-2010, by SektionEins GmbH

Problem:
One PHP script creates a session (474 bytes), which I want to read with another PHP script.
The second script starts like this:
<?php
session_start();
var_dump( session_name() . "=" . $_COOKIE['PHPSESSID'], "<br>\n" );
var_dump($_SESSION, "<br>\n");
...

The problem is, that when I start second script, the 474 bytes of the session is emptied to 0 bytes.

The the domain of first and second script are different, but they are on the same virtual hosted server, and they use the same session path: /var/lib/php5


/etc/php5/apache2/php.ini session settings are:
[Session]
session.save_handler = files
session.save_path = /var/lib/php5
session.use_cookies = 1
session.name = PHPSESSID
session.auto_start = 0
session.cookie_lifetime = 0
session.cookie_path = /
session.cookie_domain =
session.cookie_httponly = 
session.serialize_handler = php
session.gc_divisor     = 100
session.gc_maxlifetime = 1440
session.bug_compat_42 = 1
session.bug_compat_warn = 1
session.referer_check =
session.entropy_length = 0
session.entropy_file =
session.cache_limiter = nocache
session.cache_expire = 180
session.use_trans_sid = 0
session.hash_function = 0
session.hash_bits_per_character = 4


Any ideas?