IE Refresh Bug Found - POST and GET

[Panthaur]

Hi all,

I have found a REALLY weird problem with the latest critical browser update from Microsoft (Q832894). I have to give a bit of a scenario.

I log in, then get the main menu displayed. I click on my first option, then fill out the form, and click submit, which should take me to a validation screen. Here's where the problem comes in. It takes me back to the main menu unless I hit the refresh button about 2-3 times.

Now, before someone says it is not programmed properly, that is NOT the case. It has been running correctly for over a year. In digging into the problem, I discoverd that if I removed the above listed critical update, everything worked PERFECTLY! I was starting to get annoyed at the thought that a MS Update screwed up my customers system. Not good.

I then emailed Microsoft and contacted them about it. I have included the response from Microsoft:

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"Based on my research and experience, KB 832894 is an update for accessing some secured Web Sites, and is not for virus or security issues with the computer. Since the computer is working well currently, I suggest you remove these updates from the computer. The system will be safe without them.

For more information about KB 832894, please refer to the following article.
MS04-004: Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;832894

Windows Updates modify critical system files and may cause issues in certain system environments. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that all updates can install perfectly in all computers because every computer has different software and hardware environments

Currently, I don't recommend you install these updates. The good news is that Service Pack 2 is scheduled to release this year. I believe you will be able to install all the post updates from SP2 without any problems."
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Based on my own digging into this, I have found a way around it. I took all of the POSTs in my program and changed them to GETs. The program now worked. But, as I am sure you all know, there is a limit on the string passed via a GET (I belive it's 1024 or something like that). At any rate, I have my system allowing the customer to create as many "line items" as they need. Problem is that now, using the GET method, if they create over 3 line items, they wind up overflowing the buffer of the browser.

I really need the ability to use post again. I have even tried adding a random string to numbers and text to the URL displayed under a POST method, I have also tried resetting the browser cache settings, turning them off, EVERYTHING. I'm severly stuck without being able to run my program as it was designed without asking users to uninstall a security patch. Even with this email from Microsoft, I wouldn't uninstall a security patch if I didn't know exactly what it did or didn't do, and in some cases, users might not even have the access on their computer to uninstall this patch.

So, finally, on to my quesiton. Does anyone have any ideas on how I could fix this? Some way of completely disabling the internet cache with a registry entry? Anything anyone can do to help would be GREATLY appreciated!

Thanks all,
Pan

 

[bcastner]

Any help here?

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=834489

 

[Panthaur]

Unfortunately, no... none of the stuff they mention are things I am doing. I appreciate the effort though. Anyone else got any ideas?

Pan

 

[manarth]

I'd suggest going through your web server's logs, or writing a testcase web app to explore exactly what IE is doing.

Is it mangling a POST request? Droppiing the first 20 characters? Encrypting the whole post request?

Some more information about the root cause of the problem can help a great deal wigh resolving it.

<marc> i wonder what will happen if i press this...[ul][li]please tell us if our suggestion has helped[/li][li]need some help? faq581-3339[/li][/ul]

 

[bcastner]

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=831167

 

[bcastner]

Critical Update for Microsoft XML 3.0 Service Pack 4 - KB832414
Microsoft XML Parser

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...5d-7b07-4872-b7a7-6bbd384ba8e9&displaylang=en

 

[Panthaur]

I know exactly what IE is doing. It is retrieving the pages from it's cache instead of reloading the page like it's supposed to be doing. I have setup IE to check for newer versions of a page on every visit to the page, but it's not working. The only way I can get the correct page to load is by doing a refresh (F5), and I have to do that 2-3 times. I finally got around the problem but setting my program to use the &quot;GET&quot; method instead of the &quot;POST&quot; method, but's it's sloppy and limits my program to a degree.

Also, as in my initial post, Microsoft ACKNOWLEDGES this problem, but says there won't be a fix until SP2 for XP. GO FIGURE. I am trying to find some sort of reg-hack or any other ideas that I might use to fix this problem in the meantime. I really don't want to have to rewrite a portion of my application if I don't have to.

Also, I have tried appending a randomized string of text to the URL to get IE to think it is a totally new page, but it doesn't work

Thanks for the help all, and let me know anymore ideas,
Pan