The 'Off Topic' Forum

I'm having trouble viewing the "Off Topic" forum. I simply can't get there from here. My primary desktop system refuses to recognize that forum. All other forums in the Sysopt group are very assess able. I am having a problem with only the single forum.

When I'm viewing the list of Sysopt forums and click on the "Off Topic" forum, my system says "No way. I can't get there from here. I don't recognize that url", or something to that affect. The reason is that that forum has been assigned the url of "https://www.www.sysopt.com/forumdisplay.php?21-Off-Topic" on my computer. Notice that "www" is repeated. This is not something I'm entering, but what has been assigned as the url for that forum.

How do I correct this? Is it a problem on my system, or is it a Sysopt-wide problem?

I have seen this issue as well. It appears to be intermittent for me. Have you tried a different web browser?

What browser and version are you running? Are you using any adblocker addons?

What happens when you click on this:
https://www.sysopt.com/forumdisplay.php?21-Off-Topic

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Steve R Jones

What happens when you click on this:
https://www.sysopt.com/forumdisplay.php?21-Off-Topic

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I get the same response, "We're having trouble finding that site..."

I'm running W7, the latest version of Firefox (78.0.2), and uBlock. This is on my primary desktop computer. My laptop, running W8.1, has no problem bringing in the forum. I just tried IE ( a much older version since I never use IE) and had no problem getting on. Firefox is my browser of choice, to the point where I have none other installed other than IE which came with W7.

And now, when I try to post this answer, I receive an notice, "Bitdefender has blocked this page".

EDIT: I added the last statement and was able to post my reply.

Can you get to it without the "s" maybe?:

http://www.sysopt.com/forumdisplay.php?21-Off-Topic

Dropping the "s" has no effect.

Hmmm... weird.

Click Firefox's hamburger menu button (three small stacked horizontal bars near the top right), click "Help", select "Restart with Add-ons Disabled….". When Firefox's Safe Mode dialog pops up, click the "Start in Safe Mode" button. Now see if you can get to https://www.sysopt.com/forumdisplay.php?21-Off-Topic

If that also doesn't work, what about a shortened bit.ly link? https://bit.ly/2X0Df3e

Before I try that let me list the few add-ons and extensions I have.

Extensions: Enabled:
1)AVAST Online Security ( This is odd since I removed AVAST and installed Bitdefender)
2)uBlock Origin
3)YouTube MP4 Downloader (doesn't seem to work, so looking for a better one)

Plugins: Enabled
1)Open H264 Video Codec provided by Cisco Systems
2)Shockwave Flash
3)Widevine Content Decrytion Module provided by Google.

Thats it. If any of these should be replaced, or others added, please let me know.

Starting Firefox in Safe Mode is only temporary. It disables Add-ons and themes.

Then when finished testing, re-start Firefox as you normally do and everything should be back like you had it.

More info about it all here on Mozilla: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb...ctlocale=en-US

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SpywareDr

Hmmm... weird.

Click Firefox's hamburger menu button (three small stacked horizontal bars near the top right), click "Help", select "Restart with Add-ons Disabled….". When Firefox's Safe Mode dialog pops up, click the "Start in Safe Mode" button. Now see if you can get to https://www.sysopt.com/forumdisplay.php?21-Off-Topic

If that also doesn't work, what about a shortened bit.ly link? https://bit.ly/2X0Df3e

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Neither of these showed any improvement. Each came up with the same response, "We're having trouble finding that site."

Why does it react to that forum in that way, but none of the other forums in the Sysopt group?

Occasionally when opening the Sysopt site (sysopt.com) Bitdefender objects, claiming something about encryption security. I have to re-assure it that I want to go there anyway.

Use the Quick Navigation tool that is to the lower right and see if it'll take you to the Off Topic section.

When I try to log in using IE11, it fails and I get a vBulletin Message: Invalid Redirect URL (http://www.sysopt.com/index.php).

When I right-click on this thread and select Open in a new tab in IE11, the url has the extra www. and of course fails to open.

The "Quick Navigation" tool doesn't seem to be working for me. I see the words, "Quick Navigation" to the left of "Feedback/Announcements", but it is not a clickable link. My cursor doesn't react when passing over it.

This morning I had some amount of trouble getting into the site. I typed "sysopt.com" and my computer could not find the server. When I typed "sysopt.com/index.php" I came immediately to the list of forums.

I posted earlier this morning, about 4am, but don't see that here. That posting simply disappeared into the great void.

Could this whole problem be relater to Bitdefender? Is that a possibility? Might I have to whitelist this site?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 4breezes

The "Quick Navigation" tool doesn't seem to be working for me. I see the words, "Quick Navigation" to the left of "Feedback/Announcements", but it is not a clickable link. My cursor doesn't react when passing over it.

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When you move your mouse cursor over the "Feedback/Announcements" portion, it should change color, then you can click it to open a scroll-able pull-down listing all of the forums. Down near the bottom of that list, click the "Off Topic" link.

Ohhh, palm slapping forehead! Why didn't I think of that. My only excuse is that I haven't had my coffee yet.

I followed that procedure, went to the motherboard forum. When I did the same thing to return to this Off-Topic forum I got the same message that my system could not find the server. When I did it again, went to another forum, and hit the back arrow, return to previous area, it brought me back here.

Know what you mean about the morning coffee. Gotta have it!

Cross your fingers that what you have discovered so far will help Steve and/or other higher-ups figure out the "why?" ...

I'm on my laptop now, and seem able to navigate the forum without problem. The problem must lie on my desktop system, my primary system. The desktop is running W7, the laptop W8.1. I use Firefox exclusively on both. The desktop has Bitdefender, the laptop has the Microsoft antivirus (can't remember the name). Both have Malwarebytes.

I had a thread about my difficulty installing Bitdefender. You all got me through that, though I'm not overly fond of Bitdefender. I'm wondering whether it may be causing these current problems.

Thoughts?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 4breezes

... the laptop has the Microsoft antivirus (can't remember the name).

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In Windows 7 it was known as Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE). In Windows 8 through 10 it is called Windows Defender.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 4breezes

... Both have Malwarebytes.

I'm not overly fond of Bitdefender. I'm wondering whether it may be causing these current problems.

Thoughts?

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Recommend, at the very least, the latest version of Windows 10 with Windows Defender (which is included with Windows 10) along with Malwarebytes Premium.

I'm on the laptop again, the only way I can get to this thread. Its getting really weird. I updated Firefox by a single upgrade. That helped. Now I can get to the Sysopt site almost all the time. Occasionally Bitdefender objects and I must reassure it that I do want to go to Sysopt. I can go to any of the forums within Sysopt with no problem. That's a great improvement. On this forum I can bring up any thread, EXCEPT this one. My desktop system simply refuses on this single thread.

What could it be about this thread which presents the difficulty? I remember that sometimes specific characters present problems in some instances. Could it be the quotation marks in the thread title, combined with something on my desktop? I'd test this idea, but I'm unable to edit the thread title.

FWIW I'm also using Bitdefender free version and it doesn't balk at any sysopt thread or forum.

The problem seems to be narrowing. This thread has gone on to a second page, and that second page is coming up on my desktop. Page one will not come up, but page two will, same thread.

The reaction to Bitdefender is only occasional, and of less concern at the moment.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 4breezes

On this forum I can bring up any thread, EXCEPT this one. My desktop system simply refuses on this single thread.

What could it be about this thread which presents the difficulty? I remember that sometimes specific characters present problems in some instances. Could it be the quotation marks in the thread title, combined with something on my desktop? I'd test this idea, but I'm unable to edit the thread title.

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Just changed the double quotes to single. Let me know if it solved the problem pr not. If it didn't, I'll change them back.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SpywareDr

Just changed the double quotes to single. Let me know if it solved the problem pr not. If it didn't, I'll change them back.

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Thank you. I can now bring up page one of this thread. Going to single quotes seems to have worked. I don't pretend to understand the mechanics of this problem, but the timing of the change is too coincidental to be ignored.

I'll give it a week for trial. If its something, a glitch, in my system it should show in that time. If it doesn't happen again in that week I'll consider the problem solved.

I appreciate your help, patience, and tolerance.

No problem whatsoever. :)

If you can only see Page one of this Thread, you might try changing your Settings > General Settings, then scroll down and change Number of Posts to Show Per Page from:

Use Forum Default

to:

Show 40 Posts Per Page

?