diff --git a/clite/core.js b/clite/core.js
index 6574c0c..47e91db 100644
--- a/clite/core.js
+++ b/clite/core.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ var clite = {
 		isinit:false,
 		runlevel:1,
 		bios:null,
+		cookiesAccepted:null
 	},
 	includes:{
 		// a list of program/command files to load
@@ -511,12 +512,7 @@ license.txt:/etc/license:0:0:-rw-r--r--`;
 				if (b) {
 					let list = b.getList();
 					list.forEach(function(fn) {
-						let d = clite.lib.dirname(fn);
-						vfsapi.mkPath(0,d);
-						vfsapi.mkFile(0,fn);
-						let n = vfsapi.getNode(0,fn);
-						if (n)
-							n.data.content = b.getFile(fn);
+						clite.vfs.restoreFile(fn);
 					});
 				}
 				// populate /dev (data/filesys.txt is /dev/wfs already)
@@ -923,7 +919,6 @@ clite.user = {
 			return null;
 		}
 		function saveUsers() {
-			var b = clite.state.bios.io.read(2)
 			var n = vfsapi.getNode(0,'/etc/passwd');
 			if (!n)
 				return false;
@@ -935,7 +930,7 @@ clite.user = {
 					pw = '$'+u.pass;
 				n.data.content += u.name+':'+pw+':'+u.uid+':'+u.gid+'::'+u.env.HOME+':'+u.env.SHELL+'\n';
 			});
-			b.addFile('/etc/passwd',n.data.content);
+			clite.vfs.saveFile('/etc/passwd');
 			n = vfsapi.getNode(0,'/etc/group');
 			if (!n)
 				return false;
@@ -944,7 +939,7 @@ clite.user = {
 			data.groups.forEach(function(g) {
 				n.data.content += g.name+':x:'+g.gid+':'+g.users.join(',')+'\n'
 			});
-			b.addFile('/etc/group',n.data.content);
+			clite.vfs.saveFile('/etc/group');
 		}
 		function loadUsers() {
 			// load in user data from /etc/passwd
@@ -2469,6 +2464,131 @@ clite.vfs = {
 			parent.data.content = c;
 			return true;
 		}
+		clite.vfs.getSavedFile = function(path) {
+			var fsnode = {
+				name: '',
+				uid: 0,
+				gid: 0,
+				mode:clite.io.modes.S_IRUSR|clite.io.modes.S_IWUSR|clite.io.modes.S_IRGRP|clite.io.modes.S_IROTH,
+				time:{
+					access:clite.time.sec(),
+					modify:clite.time.sec(),
+					change:clite.time.sec()
+				},
+				data:{
+					remote:null,
+					isdir:false,
+					islink:false,
+					isdev:false,
+					istty:false,
+					parent:null,
+					content:null
+				}
+			};
+			let n = vfsdata.api.getNode(0,path);
+			if (!n)
+				return null;
+
+			var str = n.uid.toString(10)+':'+n.gid.toString(10)+':';
+			str += n.mode.toString(10)+':'+n.time.access.toString(10)+':';
+			str += n.time.modify.toString(10)+':'+n.time.change.toString(10)+':';
+			let t = clite.lib.getFileType({node:n});
+			str += t.toString(10)+':';
+			if (typeof n.data.content === 'string' && (t == clite.io.types.FT_LINK || t == clite.io.types.FT_SCRIPT || t == clite.io.types.FT_TEXT))
+				str += n.data.content.length.toString(10)+':'+n.data.content;
+			return str
+		}
+		clite.vfs.setSavedFile = function(path,data) {
+			let ind = data.indexOf(':');
+			if (ind < 0)
+				return false;
+			let v = data.substring(0,ind);
+			let str = data.substring(ind+1);
+			let uid = parseInt(v,10);
+			ind = str.indexOf(':');
+			if (ind < 0)
+				return false;
+			v = str.substring(0,ind);
+			str = str.substring(ind+1);
+			let gid = parseInt(v,10);
+			ind = str.indexOf(':');
+			if (ind < 0)
+				return false;
+			v = str.substring(0,ind);
+			str = str.substring(ind+1);
+			let mode = parseInt(v,10)
+			ind = str.indexOf(':');
+			if (ind < 0)
+				return false;
+			v = str.substring(0,ind);
+			str = str.substring(ind+1);
+			let access = parseInt(v,10);
+			ind = str.indexOf(':');
+			if (ind < 0)
+				return false;
+			v = str.substring(0,ind);
+			str = str.substring(ind+1);
+			let modify = parseInt(v,10);
+			ind = str.indexOf(':');
+			if (ind < 0)
+				return false;
+			v = str.substring(0,ind);
+			str = str.substring(ind+1);
+			let change = parseInt(v,10);
+			ind = str.indexOf(':');
+			if (ind < 0)
+				return false;
+			v = str.substring(0,ind);
+			str = str.substring(ind+1);
+			let type = parseInt(v,10);
+
+			let size = 0;
+			let content = null;
+			ind = str.indexOf(':');
+			if (ind > -1) {
+				v = str.substring(0,ind);
+				content = str.substring(ind+1);
+				size = parseInt(v,10);
+			}
+			let n = vfsdata.api.getNode(0,path);
+			if (!n) {
+				return false;
+			}
+			if (clite.lib.getFileType({node:n}) != type)
+				return false;
+
+			n.uid = uid;
+			n.gid = gid;
+			n.mode = mode;
+			n.time.access = access;
+			n.time.modify = modify;
+			n.time.change = change;
+			if (content != null)
+				n.data.content = content;
+
+			return true;
+		}
+		clite.vfs.saveFile = function(path) {
+			if (!clite.state.cookiesAccepted)
+				return true;
+			var str = clite.vfs.getSavedFile(path);
+			if (!str)
+				return false;
+			var b = clite.state.bios.io.read(2);
+			if (!b)
+				return false;
+			b.addFile(path,str);
+			return true;
+		}
+		clite.vfs.restoreFile = function(path) {
+			var b = clite.state.bios.io.read(2);
+			if (!b)
+				return false;
+			var d = b.getFile(path);
+			if (!d)
+				return false;
+			return clite.vfs.setSavedFile(path,d);
+		}
 
 		// make some directories
 		vfsdata.api.mkDir(0,'/bin');
@@ -2502,6 +2622,12 @@ clite.vfs = {
 
 		clite.core.execSafeAsync(function() {clite.vfs.init = null;});
 	},
+	getSavedFile:function(path) {
+		return null;
+	},
+	setSavedFile:function(path,data) {
+		return false;
+	},
 	getApi:null
 };
 
diff --git a/clite/libs/libclite.js b/clite/libs/libclite.js
index 216f592..6e798db 100644
--- a/clite/libs/libclite.js
+++ b/clite/libs/libclite.js
@@ -146,6 +146,14 @@ This way all of your personal data is kept on your own computer, rather
 than being uploaded to a random server somewhere.
 
 `);
+	},
+
+	getcookiestate:function() {
+		return clite.state.cookiesAccepted;
+	},
+	setcookiestate:function(v) {
+		if (typeof v == 'boolean')
+			clite.state.cookiesAccepted = v;
 	}
 
 });
diff --git a/clite/user.js b/clite/user.js
index c32c01b..dc0f59e 100644
--- a/clite/user.js
+++ b/clite/user.js
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ Options:
 
 	function preLogin(str) {
 		if (str == 'no') {
+			clite.setcookiestate(false);
 			io.exit(0);
 			return;
 		}
@@ -86,6 +87,8 @@ Options:
 			return;
 		}
 
+		clite.setcookiestate(true);
+
 		if (stdlib.getuid() != 0) {
 			stdio.write(io.stdout,'Password: ');
 			term.ttyctrl('echo',false);
@@ -169,7 +172,7 @@ Options:
 			return 1;
 		}
 
-		if (accept || user == 'root' || user == 'guest') {
+		if (accept || user == 'root' || user == 'guest' || clite.getcookiestate() == true) {
 			preLogin('yes');
 			return null;
 		}