diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
index 112f92b..a2ef8ef 100644
--- a/index.html
+++ b/index.html
@@ -313,7 +313,7 @@
             style="display: none"
           >
             <span
-              onclick="this.parentElement.style.display='none'"
+              onclick="this.parentElement.style.display='block'"
               class="w3-button w3-display-topright"
               >&times;</span
             >
@@ -322,7 +322,6 @@
               <a
                 href="#"
                 style="text-decoration: underline"
-                onclick="localStorage.clear()"
                 >clear</a
               >
               all files?
diff --git a/js/9.9.9/init.js b/js/9.9.9/init.js
index 5fd3e00..11e54ef 100644
--- a/js/9.9.9/init.js
+++ b/js/9.9.9/init.js
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ function init() {
   try {
     window.localStorage.getItem("test")
   } catch (e) {
+    console.log("localStorage not available");
     activeState.settings.persistentStorage = "false";
   }
 
@@ -76,12 +77,13 @@ function init() {
   //load settings from storage
   let settings = storeSettings("getInit", true);
 
-  if (settings != "") {
+  if (settings != null) {
     for (let setting of Object.entries(settings)) {
       activeState.settings[setting[0]] = setting[1];
     } 
   }
 
+
   //load NavigationBar with templates according to server
   loadNavBar();
 
diff --git a/js/9.9.9/scripts.js b/js/9.9.9/scripts.js
index ed133b4..8ea1616 100644
--- a/js/9.9.9/scripts.js
+++ b/js/9.9.9/scripts.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { createStorageObj, retrieveData } from "./storage.js";
+import { clearStorage, createStorageObj, retrieveData } from "./storage.js";
 import sha256 from "./sha256.min.js";
 import XORCipher from "./xorc.js";
 import getBrowserFingerprint from "./identify.js"
@@ -7,29 +7,42 @@ export const passwordHash = {
   name: cyrb53("m21_"+getBrowserFingerprint( { hardwareOnly: true } )),
   toString: function () {
     let token = window.activeState.sessionToken;
-    if (token == null || token == "") return "none";
+    if (token == null) return "";
+    if (token == "") return "";
     return XORCipher.decode(this.name, token);
   },
   set: function (pw) {
     activeState.sessionToken = XORCipher.encode(this.name, pw);
+
   },
   init: function () {
     //check if cookie exists
     if (getCookie(sha256(this.name)) != null) {
-      this.set(XORCipher.decode(sha256(this.name), getCookie(sha256(this.name))));
+      if (getCookie(sha256(this.name)) != "") {
+        this.set(XORCipher.decode(sha256(this.name), getCookie(sha256(this.name))));
+      }
+    }
+    if (passwordHash == "") {
+      return;
     }
     let verifiedStatus = false;
     let tF = retrieveData("templateFiles");
     if (tF != null) {verifiedStatus = true}
 
+
     if (verifiedStatus == true) {
       setCookie(sha256(this.name), XORCipher.encode(sha256(this.name), this), 10);
     }
   },
   verify: function () {
+    if (passwordHash == "") {
+      return false;
+    }
     let verifiedStatus = false;
     let tF = retrieveData("templateFiles");
-    if (tF != null) {verifiedStatus = true}
+    if (tF != null) {
+      verifiedStatus = true
+    }
     return verifiedStatus;
   }
 }
@@ -43,16 +56,28 @@ function setPassword() {
     passwordHash.set(sha256(pw));
     let templateFiles = retrieveData("templateFiles");
     if (templateFiles == null) {
-      document.getElementById("wrongPWAlert").style.display = "block";
-      const alertTimeout = setTimeout(() => {
-        document.getElementById("wrongPWAlert").style.display = "none";
-      }, 5000);
+      let wrongPWAlert = document.getElementById("wrongPWAlert");
+      wrongPWAlert.style.display = "block";
+      wrongPWAlert.addEventListener("click", (e) => {
+        if (e.target && e.target.tagName === "A") {
+          clearStorage();
+          document.getElementById("wrongPWAlert").innerHTML = 
+            "<p>all files cleared - set new password</p>";
+        }
+      });
       passwordHash.set(pwOld);
       x.elements[0].value = "";
       return;
     }
     //user logged in
 
+    //make sure to bring back persistent stat after logout
+    activeState.settings.persistentStorage = "true";
+    let tF = retrieveData("templateFiles");
+    if (tF == null || tF.length == 0) {
+      activeState.settings.persistentStorage = "false";
+    }
+
     document.getElementById("login").style.display = "none";
     setCookie(sha256(passwordHash.name), XORCipher.encode(sha256(passwordHash.name), passwordHash), 10)
   }
diff --git a/js/9.9.9/settings.js b/js/9.9.9/settings.js
index db43a24..c1318e4 100644
--- a/js/9.9.9/settings.js
+++ b/js/9.9.9/settings.js
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 import { hideMenus, modalNotifier, printVersion, resetNavBar } from "./evts.js";
 import { passwordHash, sanitize } from "./scripts.js";
-import sha256 from "./sha256.min.js";
-import { retrieveData, storeData, storeSettings } from "./storage.js";
+import { clearData, retrieveData, storeData, storeSettings } from "./storage.js";
 
 const buildSettings = () => {
   //set current page value in activeState object
@@ -185,16 +184,14 @@ function saveSettings() {
       if (setting[0] == "persistentStorage") {
         let tF = retrieveData("templateFiles");
         let settings = storeSettings("get", true);
+        storeSettings(obj);
         activeState.settings[setting[0]] = setting[1];
 
         if (setting[1] == "false") {
-          try {
-            window.localStorage.removeItem(sha256("settings_m21_"));
-          } catch (e) {}
           let msg = (activeState.settings.persistentStorage == "false") ? "temporary" : "persistent";
           printVersion("storage mode: "+msg+" |");
         }
-        if (settings != "") storeSettings(settings);
+        if (settings != "") storeSettings(obj);
         if (tF != null) storeData("templateFiles", tF);
       }
     }
diff --git a/js/9.9.9/storage.js b/js/9.9.9/storage.js
index da4f3fc..b3f276e 100644
--- a/js/9.9.9/storage.js
+++ b/js/9.9.9/storage.js
@@ -133,6 +133,9 @@ function clearData(name, template = "none") {
     lT = template;
     key = sha256(name + "_m21_" + template);
   }
+  if (name == "templateFiles") {
+    key = sha256(name + "_m21_");
+  }
   store.removeItem(key);
 }
 
@@ -176,6 +179,7 @@ function getFileName(ref = "none") {
 }
 
 function obfuscate(data, mode = true) {
+  if (data == null | data == "") return "";
   if (mode) {
     return XORCipher.encode(sha256(passwordHash), data);
   } else {
@@ -271,6 +275,10 @@ function storeSettings(data, get = false) {
   }
 }
 
+function clearStorage() {
+  store.clear();
+}
+
 export {
   createStorageObj,
   storeData,
@@ -280,4 +288,5 @@ export {
   createBookShelf,
   importBookShelf,
   storeSettings,
+  clearStorage
 };
diff --git a/js/9.9.9/web.js b/js/9.9.9/web.js
index 9a3f7d4..a484825 100644
--- a/js/9.9.9/web.js
+++ b/js/9.9.9/web.js
@@ -48,8 +48,10 @@ function loadTemplate(template, newFlag = false, loadOnly = false) {
       } else {
         cdata = retrieveData("userInputForce");
       }
-      if (cdata != "" || cdata == null) {
-        retrieveForm(cdata);
+      if (cdata != "") {
+        if (cdata == null) {
+          retrieveForm(cdata);
+        }
       }
 
       //select first object and focus on it