When the page loads, it checks for a particular cookie. If it is not found, it is the first time the page has been loaded: figure out the time to which you are counting down and set the cookie. If it is found, load it and start counting down again. An alternative would be to store the time server-side -- the session object might be a good choice. If Session("Deadline") does not exist, the page is being generated for the first time; if it does, it contains the time. Use it to set a hidden field in the code that your Javascript will reference. There are problems with either approach, but they should usually work.