$_SESSION only seems to work part of the time for my site

[snapple]

I created a game called Mystic Crusade (www.mysticcrus ade.com) and it tends to work perfectly except for one thing, sometimes it doesn't register the session, i guess. For some reason, some of my users have to log in several times before they are logged in to stay. This is what I mean...

Most users log in and it takes them to their "home" page, then they can move around and do stuff in the game.

But some users log in, it takes them to their "home" page (which you have to be logged in to see) but when they try to move around the page, it's like as if they were not logged it. If you are not logged in, it kicks you off the game and you have to sign in again. These users will sign in again and again and it will eventually work. This problem has never affected me, but it does effect some users every time.

I use $_SESSION to register the user, the it takes them to their 'home' page via
[php] header('Locatio n: home.php');


exit;[/php]

and I do start the session on every page with session_start() ;

Please help me, I just don't understand why it seems to work only some of the time

[Motoma]

This problem may have more to do with how you are destroying your sessions.
Tell me, what method are you using for keeping the session id?

[snapple]

This problem may have more to do with how you are destroying your sessions.
Tell me, what method are you using for keeping the session id?

I'm sorry, what do you mean? I assume that when you use $_SESSION it keeps the information until the browser is closed.

Here is an example on how I set them up
[php]
$name='collin';
$_SESSION['user'] = $name;
[/php]
Now, $name actually equals the username of the user, that was just an example.

to end the sessions I do this...
[php]
if (isset($_SESSIO N['user'])) {
unset($_SESSION['user']);
}
[/php]
which is located at logout.php

[snapple]

if someone tried to look at my website earlier, it was down because I was trying to figure it out, but I failed to do so. Someone please still help me.

[snapple]

if someone tried to look at my website earlier, it was down because I was trying to figure it out, but I failed to do so. Someone please still help me.

Come on, there has to be someone that can help me

[Motoma]

Come on, there has to be someone that can help me

I'm sorry, but you still haven't answered my question as to how you are handling Sessions. Are you using a Cookie to store the Session ID, or are you passing it around via POST or GET?

The way I usually log out is like so:
[php]
function logout()
{
$_SESSION = array();
session_regener ate_id(true);
session_destroy ();
}
[/php]

Methinks that your users may have a problem with their PHPSESSID Cookie getting removed, either by your system or by clearing the cache.

[snapple]

I've never really totally understood sessions, so I would have to guess that I use cookies. I defiantly don't do anything with post and get as far as sessions go.

I changed the way I delete sessions to how you showed me you did it. I currently don't know if that fixed anything (The problem doesn't occur with me).

Um... so I hope I answered your question on how I handle the sessions.

When I make the sessions I say something like

$_SESSION['username'] = $username;

[Motoma]

I would suggest, then, to read the article about Session Handling Functions. In particular, focus on the section about passing the session id.

[snapple]

Right, I knew all of that. I did some other research before I saw this post and found out that I pass the sessions by cookies. This really confuses me because it works after a few attempts at it. I'll see if changing the way the sessions are deleted does anything

[snapple]

So yeah, I talked to my friend who has the problem and it still occurs. He logged on to the site (took him two tries) then he logged out, closed the browser, reopened it, and it still took him two tries to log in.