Browser shows blank page

[MichaelHooker]

I have a regular visitor to my website complaining that when he clicks on the usual url, Internet Explorer "won't let me in". It used to until recently but no longer does so. I haven't changed the coding so the problem must be his end, but getting some basic info from him is like wading through treacle. He didn't understand the term "browser"... I've been trying to get him to go beyond more detail than "Vista", but it's hard work.

I have reason to believe his browser is IE7 simply because he said that he uninstalled IE8 (something I wouldn't have believed him capable of). He may have meant that he installed IE8, his spelling is a bit haphazard too. I don't think he would have installed any non-Microsoft browser, and I know he's not using aol or Google Chrome. Whatever it is, it simply shows a blank page, with the correct address in the address bar and "Done" at the bottom.

There must be an obvious reason for this. My website worked for him before, it doesn't work now, I have changed nothing. Nobody else has reported any problem and I can't replicate it. On the other hand, he says he can access other sites. Is there a setting in IE which can result in this behaviour, without warning? Apart from html, my site uses php/MySQL, and the relevant page calls a small standard javascript to open image windows when buttons are clicked. There is nothing in it to cause anyone to think it's dangerous, it's entirely non-commercial and innocuous.
The photos are all aircraft at the local airport, nothing even remotely unclothed.

As the chap has supplied content for the site and would like to see what his own photos look like, I can't just ignore him.

If somebody could give me a clue where to start I would be very grateful. Maybe there's an add-on causing trouble?

Thanks

Michael Hooker

 

[BillyRayPreachersSon]

Given what sounds like his complete lack of technical nous, it might be quicker to email him instructions for requesting 'remote assistance' and then you controlling his computer remotely to diagnose the problem yourself.

Hope this helps,
Dan



Coedit Limited - Delivering standards compliant, accessible web solutions

Dan's Page [blue]@[/blue] Code Couch:

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[robmazco]

While it could open the can o' worms, see if he will install another browser.
Is this a site for the general public? Like can we have the URL?

 

[MichaelHooker]

In reply to BillyRayPreachersSon.

It has taken 6 e-mails but I've finally got him to find "About" and tell me what it says (internet explorer 7.0.6001.18000). It would actually be quicker and easier on my nerves to go round to his house than try to set up remote assistance! It's not too far away, I collected a car-full of photos from there a while ago. However, I would still face the problem of not knowing what to look for. That was my actual question.

In reply to robmazco: With respect, I would rather establish why IE7 doesn't co-operate in case this happens to somebody else. The site is for the general public, though of rather limited interest. And like you could have the URL. There are some odd ancient bits and pieces to the site waiting to be upgraded, so I don't advertise it as a "site", and a lot of it is waiting to be quietly deleted. However the core page that is advertised to the local aircraft enthusiasts is the one that has all the fancy php/MySQL stuff in it.

http://www.avphotosonline.org.uk/Gatwick/Latest.php

it actually redirects from there to

http://www.avphotosonline.org.uk/PHPTests/Latest.php

This page has been left alone for quite a while now while I work on hidden administration pages, but there is still a lot I want to do with it. A 3 column layout adjusting itself to screen size is on the project list, as is a better routine for displaying the images. But it keeps the local enthusiasts happy. All except one. I'm reasonably happy with my work, in fact quite proud to have learned all that php and MySQL when my braincells are well past their sell-by date. If only I could fathom out positioning elements with css, but by the time I've got to the end of the paragraph I've forgotten what it said at the beginning. It seems to be a no-go area for me until all recent browsers behave. .

Thanks

Michael Hooker

 

[BillyRayPreachersSon]

It seems to be a no-go area for me until all recent browsers behave.

In what way do they not behave?



Coedit Limited - Delivering standards compliant, accessible web solutions

Dan's Page [blue]@[/blue] Code Couch:

http://www.codecouch.com/dan/

Code Couch Tech Snippets & Info:

http://www.codecouch.com/

 

[MichaelHooker]

In what way do they not behave?

Make a reasonable suggestion as to what might be causing a blank page in IE7, and I'll refer you to the relevant pages of "CSS - The Missing Manual".

Michael Hooker

 

[BillyRayPreachersSon]

You're blaming the blank page on the browser when you actually have no idea at all what the problem is.

It could be down to your less-than-tech-savvy user somehow adding your site to a block list - who knows!

Not only are you blaming the browser, you are also assuming it's a CSS problem - which, knowing CSS, seems highly unlikely.

Dan



Coedit Limited - Delivering standards compliant, accessible web solutions

Dan's Page [blue]@[/blue] Code Couch:

http://www.codecouch.com/dan/

Code Couch Tech Snippets & Info:

http://www.codecouch.com/

 

[smah]

Even though the symptomps aren't exactly the same, possible, very user friendly fix attempt, would be to have him use the 'fix it' tool at

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/902932/en-us

If really needed, you could even have him Reset Internet Explorer Settings using

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923737/en-us

However, with this user in particular, be sure they understand the ramifications of a reset

http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/81fe3b46-2460-459e-b826-8f134a7fe1771033.mspx

 

[MichaelHooker]

BillyRayPreachersSon wrote:

Not only are you blaming the browser, you are also assuming it's a CSS problem - which, knowing CSS, seems highly unlikely.

Not in the slightest. I said, in my response to robmazco who asked about my site, that I have not worked out how to use css to position elements - so I haven't used it to position elements. The reason I can't do it (yet) is because of all the work-arounds needed for problems with browsers that do not comply with the standards. You asked what the problems were, but that's irrelevant to the question and this thread, which is why my response was framed the way it was.

I am asking if anyone knows of a reason within IE7 why one individual's setup would display a blank page when all my other IE7 users get the page content. It's a simple question about IE7. I am not blaming IE7, I am looking for an answer to my user's problem, and IE7 happens to be the area I am investigating first. I thought if anyone would know, the members of this forum would. If somebody comes up with a relevant suggestion then I can look into it. If no-one has a suggestion, or says that IE7 cannot behave this way so something else must be wrong, then I look elsewhere, and ask questions elsewhere if necessary. One thing at a time, try to eliminate one possibility before moving on the the next. It's that simple. I won't blame anyone for admitting that they can't give an answer to this question. The site is actually designed and developed on an XP laptop using IE7. I know it works in normal circumstances.

It could be down to your less-than-tech-savvy user somehow adding your site to a block list - who knows!

Yes it could. But it's the "somehow" element that is important. And would he not get some kind of "blocked site" response, or be redirected? Not just be left wondering?

Thanks to smah for some practical suggestions. I might try this. I'd do it myself on the user's PC, because if the slightest thing went wrong I'd never find out what it was. I have a suspicion that the uninstallation of IE8 amy have left him with a damaged IE7, but I did want to find out if an undamaged IE7 could act like this for a known reason.

Michael Hooker

 

[robmazco]

Some pretty good photos there, pretty good res on them.
Anyway, I wanted the links to try to recreate it not opening.
So far no luck, opens every time in every browser (inc IE8).

 

[smah]

If you're going to do it yourself, go one step further and re-register everything - including ones that aren't included in that fix it tool

http://iefaq.info/index.php?action=artikel&cat=42&id=133&artlang=en.

Also use no add-ons mode for testing behavior that might be caused by incompatible add-ons.

http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2006/07/25/678113.aspx

 

[MichaelHooker]

robmazco wrote:

Some pretty good photos there, pretty good res on them.

Thanks. Most of the recent ones are from people with fancy digital SLRs and very expensive lenses. Older ones are scanned from slides or negatives - sometimes prints - and the quality varies. There are some very rare items there that you won't find anywhere else.

opens every time in every browser (inc IE8){/quote]

Sorry if I gave the impression it didn't. Even aol works. This is the first time anyone has failed to get it to open.

Thanks again to smah. It's not something I'll look forward to, but if I learn something in the process maybe it'll be worth it in the end. It will take me some time to read and understand all this material and then try it out, but if in the meantime someone comes up with a more specific theory - based on a user setting in IE7 for example - I would still be very interested to hear it.

Michael Hooker