Often when I go "Back" to a previous SysOpt page, I get the following Internet Explorer error: Internet Explorer cannot open the Internet site
http: //63/210.31.72/cgi-bin/html/ads/1093/2947/mobo_cost_468x60.html?mpck=altfarm.mediaplex.com/ad/ck/1093-2947-1125-1?cr=1&mpt=57452&
Invalid syntax
I'm not sure if mediaplex is doing something with their ads that my "Restricted list" doesn't like, but the message "The page cannot be displayed" replaces the ad when the page is initially loaded, but that message is replaced with the IE error when going "Back"
My problem? ... or a problem with the mediaplex.com ad server?
[This message has been edited by Fingers (edited 07-06-2001).]
Fingers
07-06-2001, 02:00 PM
Well I've been trying to find the source of this problem all day now, and apparently it's on my end since no one else is complaining. http://www.sysopt.com/forum/frown.gif
I've 1) changed my security setting, 2) delete all temp internet files, 3) deleted cookies, 4) removed mediaplex from "restricted sites", 5) added altfarms.mediaplex.com to "restricted sites", and 6) reset my SysOpt cookie... and I've done them all multiple times and in every imaginable combination.
I have no doubt that I've had to close at least 100 IE "invalid syntax" error messages today, and now I've had enough.
I hate to block ads, especially at my favorite website, but I'll no longer play host to altfarm.mediaplex.com until I find a solution. I'm tired of closing an error dialog message everytime I click "BACK" or "FORWARD" at SysOpt.
[This message has been edited by Fingers (edited 07-06-2001).]
socalgal
07-06-2001, 03:06 PM
Sorry, Fingers.. not sure what this could be.. I'll try to find out.
I, too, have altfarm.mediaplex.com in my restricted sites, and IE6 shows that it has an unsatisfactory policy for my settings. But I haven't experienced errors because of it.
Fingers
07-06-2001, 04:01 PM
Yeah, I've pretty much ruled out "restricted sites" as a cause since I originally thought the ads were coming from mediaplex, when they are actually coming from altfarm.mediaplex, which wasn't in my list of "restricted sites" when the problem began.
I have seen a IE syntax error before, but maybe only a half a dozen times in the last year, and it wasn't persistant like it is now.
It's definitely a conflict between my browser (IE5.01 SP1) and altfarm.mediaplex.com though, because I can turn the problem on and off by adding and removing that site from host.
[This message has been edited by Fingers (edited 07-06-2001).]
Fingers
07-06-2001, 04:55 PM
Are there 2 altfarm.mediaplex ads?
If there ARE two ads; I can only see the Cisco System ad that says "A flexible, secure network remains...The blue wires are gone."
I only see that banner ad on about 50% of the SysOpt forum pages... the other 50%, the ad is replaced by the message The page cannot be dispayed
If I go "BACK" to a page where the ad IS displayed, I have no problems. Going "BACK" to a page were the banner didn't load is when I get the syntax error.
There doesn't seem to be any method that determines when the ad loads for me; and when it doesn't. ie I just spent 3-4 minutes flipping through the forums and everything was normal, then all of a suddon, the banner was gone from practically all the pages and I was getting the error message almost every time I clicked "BACK"
There's never any syntax error displayed when the page is initially opened...only when I try to return to it using "FORWARD" or "BACK"
Update:
More weirdness... if anyone is listening?
I deleted all my Temp Internet files again, (including the SysOpt cookies) and upon return to the Forums, the SysOpt logo (logobbs1.gif) wouldn't display. So now in addition to the missing ad, I also has a "broken img" icon at the top of the screen. When I reset my cookie under preferences, it came back???
I think IE isn't caching properly?
[This message has been edited by Fingers (edited 07-06-2001).]
Fingers
07-07-2001, 07:31 AM
Nothing like talking to yourself.... LOL http://www.sysopt.com/forum/wink.gif
PROBLEM SOLVED... I think
I have discovered that there ARE multiple versions of the Cisco Systems ad... but the only one I could load was this one:<IMG SRC="http://63.210.31.72/ads/1093/2947/pic3.gif" border=0><IMG SRC="http://63.210.31.72/ads/1093/2947/title2.gif" border=0>
Apparently, a download manager that I use only likes the female version of the Cisco banner.
I'm SURE this version won't display with the download manager running:
<IMG SRC="http://63.210.31.72/ads/1093/2947/pic4.gif" border=0><IMG SRC="http://63.210.31.72/ads/1093/2947/title4.gif" border=0>
... and I can't remember seeing these either:
<IMG SRC="http://63.210.31.72/ads/1093/2947/pic2.gif" border=0><IMG SRC="http://63.210.31.72/ads/1093/2947/title2.gif" border=0>
Sorry about the "hotlinking", but if anyone is actually seeing this thread http://www.sysopt.com/forum/wink.gif, I thought the demonstration would be useful.
[This message has been edited by Fingers (edited 07-07-2001).]
socalgal
07-07-2001, 11:13 AM
I'm listening http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif and trying to duplicate your problem on my system (IE6) -without success.
=======
Unless I'm missing something, they appear identical.
With the altfarm.media in my restricted sites, only the woman's pic ad shows for me. Removing altfarm.media from restricted, I see the other pics ads.
I assume you're running with JS enabled in your Security settings.
Do you have 'Disable script debugging' and 'Display a notification about every script error' in your IE Advanced settings?
Also, in my T.I.F. "Settings" I have ticked 'Check for newer versions of stored pages - Every visit to the page".
I wonder enabling / playing with those during your testing would provide another clue... clearing previous cookies on each new try.
And, not sure what a download manager would have to do with anything? I don't use one.
Ahh... another thing I just noticed. After entering altfarm.mediaplex.com into my Hosts file, when I back up with the browser, I have to hit Back twice before I get back to the previous page. The "back" brings me to the "Page can't be displayed" then "Action cancelled" where the banner is supposed to be, THEN I get back to the actual previous forum page...
What kind of connection are you on? 56K, or broadband?
[This message has been edited by socalgal (edited 07-07-2001).]
Fingers
07-07-2001, 01:03 PM
<EDIT> PROBLEM SOLVED... skip the details of the problem and start reading near the bottom where it says "NEVERMIND"
Thanks for the concern Socal, but I can now assure you that this IS definitely a problem that does not exist when Nettractive Download Manager (http://www.mtu-net.ru/aborovsky/uk/netctven.htm) is disabled. And so far, it's only the Cisco ad. Yesterday I surfed all day, and I never had a single problem with IE... except at SysOpt.
Also, I haven't had any trouble with IE today, except for when I was "troubleshooting" this morning. As another experiment to verify DM (Download Manager) as the cause, just now I started DM again, and the very first time I clicked "BACK", I got the error. Then I started toggling between this page and the previous SysOpt page using only the BACK and FORWARD buttons. With DM running, I got the error every time I went "BACK" but not when I went "FORWARD", although, the previously displayed Cisco ad was now gone? I right-clicked on DM and selected "shut down", hit "BACK", and the page loaded normally, "FORWARD" and this page loaded fine (including the "male" Cisco ad)
Also, the sysopt logo( http://www.sysopt.com/forum/logobbs1.gif ) is only displayed randomly when DM is running.
My best guess, knowing virtually nothing about HTML, is that because the Cisco banner appears to load in 4 parts, ( http://63.210.31.72/ads/1093/2947/pic4.gif , http://63.210.31.72/ads/1093/2947/title4.gif , http://63.210.31.72/ads/1093/2947/logo4.gif , http://63.210.31.72/cgi-bin/html/ads/1093/2947/stor_store_468x60.html? ), the Download Manager isn't advanced enough to handle the ad when it changes. I have no idea why this program would affect IE either, but it's probably just poorly writen code.
"Script Debugging" IS disabled, and "Display notification..." is NOT checked.
As for Java Script, the "Internet" and "Trusted Sites"(SysOpt) both have "Active Scripting" Enabled, and "Scripting of Java Applets" set to Prompt. "Restricted Sites" are Disabled and Prompt, respectively, but I've already determined that this problem occurs even when altfarm.mediaplex.com is not in the "Restricted" list.
I just checked my T.I.F. "Settings", and if DM is running, the error still occurs whether "Check for newer versions of stored pages" is set to: "Every visit to the page" , "Automatically", or "Never"
NEVERMIND,... I just found an option in Download Manager for "Monitor Web Browser". http://www.sysopt.com/forum/frown.gif
I have no idea what DM is "monitoring" in IE, but unchecking that option appears to have put an end to the problem. http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif
Thank you for your time, Socal and Scott, as far as I can tell, everything (including the Cisco ads) is working properly now.
BTW, I'm still on dialup http://www.sysopt.com/forum/frown.gif , and when altfarm.mediaplex.com was in my host file, the ad always displayed as "The page cannot be displayed", however, I did not have to double-click the "BACK" button.
[This message has been edited by Fingers (edited 07-07-2001).]
[This message has been edited by Fingers (edited 07-07-2001).]
SysOpt
07-08-2001, 12:55 AM
The forum should be displaying other ads besides just Cisco. Internet.com should be fixing that in the next few days. I don't know what's causing your particular problem, but chances are if it's only one or two cisco ads that are causing the problem, it shouldn't happen once they aren't the only ads that are displayed.
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