session problems

[Vexator]

Below is my code for login and session variables. From the login.php page the user password is POSTED to signing_in.php where they are verified and a session created. I can display the values successfully here. At the menu.php page I have code to detect the session but no luck. the session is not available, and returns me back to login. My php.ini is enabled for session support. I am using PHP 4.2.3 and Dreamweavermx with Mysql. I have tried various ways of creating sessions $HTTP_POST_VARS, $_SESSION, session_register etc....... It makes me think there is a setting in php.ini or the like that is incorrect, i have tried changing many of them.

// Signing_in.php //

<?php // from loginn page //

session_start();

// getStatus returns status = admin or staff //

$status = getStatus($HTTP_POST_VARS);	// from login form

if($status == "Admin" || $status == "Staff"){
	session_register("status");
	header("Location: menu.php");
	exit();
}else{

/ redirect back to login page if not authorised /

	header("Location:login.php");
	exit();

}
?>

// menu.php //

<?php
session_start();

if (!session_is_registered("status")) {
	header("Location: login.php");
}else{
	echo '<p>I am in session</p>';	

}
?>

[dfr574]

Try:

<?php
session_start(); 

$status = $_POST['status']; // From the logon page

if($status == "Admin" || $status == "Staff"){ 
$_SESSION['status'] = $status; 
header("Location: menu.php"); 
exit(); 
}
else{ 
header("Location:login.php"); 
exit(); 
} 
?> 

<?php 
session_start(); 

$status = $_SESSION['status'];

if(isset($status)) { 
echo '<p>I am in session</p>'; 
}
else{ 
header("Location: login.php"); 
} 
?>

[timus]

You can try setting session.auto_start = 1 in the php.ini file and remove the session start tags in the code. this will show you if its a problem starting the session - make sure the session directory is set to something that exists, e.g.
session.save_path = c:\php\tmp

If you check that your session files are being created, and open them in notepad to check they hold the correct values

hope this helps