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Technical Question: Error Messages

21 May 01 - 03:21 PM (#467266)
Subject: Technical Question: Error Messages
From: Don Firth

Is it in the system somewhere, or is it me?

I have Mudcat in my list of "Favorites" (Internet Explorer), and usually all I have to do is click on Favorites, scroll to Mudcat Café (http://www.mudcat.org/) and click, wait for a few seconds and I'm there. For the last couple of days, when I do that, I come up with the dreaded Error screen --

The page cannot be displayed

The page you are looking for is currently unavailable. The Web site might be experiencing technical difficulties, or you may need to adjust your browser settings.

followed by "Please try the following:" -- none of which helps much.

Or

Error Occurred While Processing Request
(then, in a box)

Error Diagnostic Information

WaitNamedPipe returned FALSE.

Windows NT error number 121 occurred.

This happens from time to time, and when it does usually I assume that Mudcat is down for maintenance or something like that. But this started this weekend and prevailed into today. I tried the mirrors (loki, dharma, and ragtime), which sometimes gets me in, but yesterday and today I kept coming up with the same result. The only way I was able to get on was to go to google.com, type a string that I knew was in one of the threads into the "advanced search" box, and and it gave me a couple of shots at it (thanks, mousethief!), which allowed me to access the thread directly -- a pretty damned convoluted way of going about it! I was able to access other threads and such, but I couldn't go anyplace from there (such as "Resources"). Other people seemed to be accessing Mudcat okay, because there were new messages showing up, so I got to wondering if I'm goofing up somewhere.

Can somebody enlighten me?

Don Firth
(I just hope I can get back on)


21 May 01 - 03:26 PM (#467267)
Subject: RE: Technical Question: Error Messages
From: Don Firth

The main panic (fed by the Pledge threads) was that Max may have come to the end of his resources and pulled the plug. The check is in the mail, Max!!

Don Firth


21 May 01 - 03:30 PM (#467269)
Subject: RE: Technical Question: Error Messages
From: MMario

Don - sometimes "shorty" - the main mudcat server "has a headache" - check the links on the "help forum" page. (Access by clicking on help at the top right of the main forum screen.)

The alternate links can keep you catting merrily along when shorty/www is not responding.


21 May 01 - 03:39 PM (#467275)
Subject: RE: Technical Question: Error Messages
From: CarolC

Or you can save yourself some time by putting a separate link for each of the servers in your list of favorites. That way, if one of them isn't working, you can just click on another one.


21 May 01 - 04:05 PM (#467296)
Subject: RE: Technical Question: Error Messages
From: Noreen

loki seems to be the only one working today. No, Don, it's not just you!


21 May 01 - 04:10 PM (#467297)
Subject: RE: Technical Question: Error Messages
From: katlaughing

You should always be able to get onto the help forum, Don, at http://help.mudcat.org/threads.cfm

Usually, if people are havng troubles they will post there and then we find out we are not all alone in our sudden panic attack of "whaddya mean no Mudcat?!"**BG**

And, as noted, the Help Forum lists the other servers, loki, ragtime, and dharma, from which you can access Mudcat.

Loki is the only one I've been having luck with, too, today and last night.

Thanks,

kat


21 May 01 - 04:10 PM (#467298)
Subject: RE: Technical Question: Error Messages
From: GUEST,Adi

Thank God for that, I've been going mad trying to get here


21 May 01 - 04:37 PM (#467324)
Subject: RE: Technical Question: Error Messages
From: Don Firth

Thanks for the info! I just added the other servers to my Favorites list (although I did try those today and wasn't able to make them work, even loki). Got back in again by going to google.com and following a couple of links. Weird, but it worked!! Anyway, I feel better now. I was afraid I wasn't holding my mouth right, or something. Thanks again!

Don Firth


21 May 01 - 05:09 PM (#467346)
Subject: RE: Technical Question: Error Messages
From: Jon Freeman

There's one other little hint I can give you Don.

Some links on Mudcat, both within the "system" and given by users refer to a specific server (which includes www). When things go wrong, try changing the www, shorty or whatever part of the URL to the name of another server (say loki).

It won't always work but it does give you a better chance of accessing the bits that may seem unavailable when Mudcat is not running at 100% but it can be useful, e.g. we had someone post in the help last night looking for the auction - the page on loki linked to shorty but typing in and using http://loki.... worked perfectly...

Jon


21 May 01 - 06:16 PM (#467389)
Subject: RE: Technical Question: Error Messages
From: Charley Noble

Well, it is puzzling for those of us who are newcomers and expect our Mudcat fix when we want it!


21 May 01 - 06:23 PM (#467392)
Subject: RE: Technical Question: Error Messages
From: katlaughing

That's funny, Jon. I've used that technique, too, for the Forum, but last night when I was looking for the acution and posted to the Help, I had tried that, dumping the www and putting in the other names and stil was unable to get in. Must've been the timing.


21 May 01 - 06:23 PM (#467393)
Subject: RE: Technical Question: Error Messages
From: GUEST,w-o

another thing to try--if there is a routing problem somewhere between your computer and mudcat (or any other site) try going to safeweb.com and typing in the url you are trying to access there. If the site is up but your ISP's routing doesn't work, this usually does.

If you're getting various error msgs in IE and/or Outlook Express, try this: go to Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel, select "MS Internet Explorer x.x & INternet Tools" and click on "Add/Remove". (Won't work in Win98 SE, but otherwise in 95/98/ME this is a godsend.) A box will pop up giving you another option "Repair Internet Explorer". Check that one, this nifty utility will run

willie-o


21 May 01 - 06:29 PM (#467398)
Subject: RE: Technical Question: Error Messages
From: CarolC

I know what you mean, Charlie. I remember the first time I experienced some Mudcat 'down time'. I panicked.

I'm handling these situations somewhat better now that I've been here a little while. But sometimes I still want to go crawl under something if I can't get my Mudcat fix.


21 May 01 - 06:33 PM (#467402)
Subject: RE: Technical Question: Error Messages
From: Pseudolus

Loki, ragtime and Dharma, Hmmmmmmmmmm. I don't read the help Forum NEARLY enough!!! I usually just wait. Sometimes I'll reboot. My boss will be SO happy that I have found three more ways to get to Mudcat.....*BG*...

Frank


21 May 01 - 06:34 PM (#467403)
Subject: RE: Technical Question: Error Messages
From: Jon Freeman

kat, did you try the link I posted in the help? It worked fine for me but like you say, timing... one thing can be working one minute, go, come back again... and as wo as indicated above, some things that appear to be MC problems can stem from elsewhere... makes it hard to work out, especially when you know MC is not at full strength (you natuaraly assume the next problem is MC's - or I tend to).

Jon


21 May 01 - 07:39 PM (#467443)
Subject: RE: Technical Question: Error Messages
From: Snuffy

Don, the pages you found at Google were probably cached there from before Shorty went down. They wouldn't be up-to date pages from Mudcat itself.


21 May 01 - 08:06 PM (#467464)
Subject: RE: Technical Question: Error Messages
From: Jon Freeman

Snuffy, Goggle does cache pages which can be displayed but the main links to the web pages would be accessing this site.

I'd guess at one of the weird routing things.

Jon


21 May 01 - 08:12 PM (#467468)
Subject: RE: Technical Question: Error Messages
From: Don Firth

Aha! All the info goes into my data bank. Thanks, everyone! (I was afraid I was going to have to go without my regular fix -- )

Don Firth