CMS - Welcome msg doesn't indicate user logged in

[nforcer]

When I log in using any user account/password, i'm returned back to the main CMS page (as intended) but the "Welcome, <user>..." doesn't indicate I'm logged in, rather it still thinks I need to log in. (but I 'am' actually logged in)

However, when I navigate into the forums, or anywhere else on my site, it properly displays, "Welcome SiteAdmin, You have....." and when I go back to my main page, it retains the "Welcome..." indication. But when I close out of my browser, and come back to the site, I'm presented with the same thing as before (groundhog day comes to mind)

I've tried re-applying the 4.0.8 upgrade to no avail
I've tried testing a development version of the site (locally hosted) and could not mimic this situation.

Thoughts anyone? Thanks in advance!

[Lynne]

Do you show as logged in in the upper right corner of the site on the main CMS page when the message doesn't indicate your are logged in? What happens if you reload the page? How about using a totally default style? And do you allow users to browse your site via both www.yoursite.com and just yoursite.com?

[nforcer]

When I first load the site, it shows the login boxes.
I put in the information and the logged-in screen briefly appears and then dumps me back to the page I was just at (this is normal) but the login boxes are still there - making me think I'm not logged in.
This is all via the CMS which is the default for my site

At this point I have a button that points to a forum topic which (upon loading) shows that I am, infact, logged in, and shows the Welcome SiteAdmin, blah blah, etc.

When I click on the HOME button (just points to the Front Page for CMS) the login boxes disappear and the Welcome SiteAdmin, blah blah message is now on the screen.

Additionally, since I'm the only user able to Create Articles, that peticular drop-down box (which is only visible to certain users when logged in) NOW shows up (where as it did not right after logging in) and I'm able to create articles, etc.

I've only had my fingers in vB for about 2 months (after 4 years of frustration with PHPNuke) so my thoughts first point to a corrupt page (like the main page for my CMS) but if that were the case, then why (after navigating to a different page within my site, then going back) does it then show I'm logged in.

Its almost like, "ok you logged in, but until you DO something....vB won't act like you've logged in"

HOWEVER, this does not happen when I use Facebook Connect. That works flawlessly.

Honestly, I'm thinking about backing down to 4.0.7 because all the stylevars for my site (before I re-launched it using VB instead of phpnuke) got borked and I'm still not happy about that. I know its for the better of the program but....grrr... :P

BTW, thanks for the help thus far!

[Lynne]

You didn't answer this question:
And do you allow users to browse your site via both www.yoursite.com (http://www.yoursite.com/) and just yoursite.com?
It sounds to me like you allow users to browse both and you don't have your cookie domain set up properly to ".yoursite.com"

[nforcer]

Son of a gun - that fixed it!

I must have gone though all those Settings pages atleast twice and never noticed it - probably because it was a default setting and I never (needed to) change it!

Thanks Lynne!