IDNetters Forums

Technical News & Discussion => IDNet Help => Topic started by: DorsetBoy on Jun 14, 2007, 16:32:26

Title: WHY?
Post by: DorsetBoy on Jun 14, 2007, 16:32:26
3 Times so far today when I have tried to log in to Idnetters forum I have been presented with a download box for the Groan smiley  :o ::)

Is someone playing silly b's in the backroom?
Title: Re: WHY?
Post by: Rik on Jun 14, 2007, 16:36:00
Not that I know of, Dorset. I haven't been into the admin centre today, neither has Adam.

I've moved this to help. Any chance of a screenshot?
Title: Re: WHY?
Post by: DorsetBoy on Jun 14, 2007, 17:32:07
Ran CCleaner,and rebooted machine and this time it has not shown.

Will post a screen shot if it comes up again.Just seems very odd as I have never opened or downloaded this file.
Title: Re: WHY?
Post by: Rik on Jun 14, 2007, 17:37:36
Odd indeed, Dorset. I've just check with Opera from here, but no sign of the problem. Me confused. :)
Title: Re: WHY?
Post by: DorsetBoy on Jun 15, 2007, 16:45:48
Same problem again..................tried to login,long pause and this comes up.

(http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x72/CareyCrew/GROAN.jpg)
Title: Re: WHY?
Post by: Rik on Jun 15, 2007, 16:50:24
I really can't explain it, Dorset. No-one else has reported a problem and I can't replicate it in any of the three browsers. I'll ask Adam to take a look and see if he has any ideas. :(
Title: Re: WHY?
Post by: Inactive on Jun 15, 2007, 17:02:28
Quote from: DorsetBoy on Jun 15, 2007, 16:45:48
Same problem again..................tried to login,long pause and this comes up.




Just a thought DB, why log out at all?, I leave mine logged in all of the time.
Title: Re: WHY?
Post by: DorsetBoy on Jun 15, 2007, 17:09:15
Quote from: Inactive on Jun 15, 2007, 17:02:28
Just a thought DB, why log out at all?, I leave mine logged in all of the time.

1) Browser cache and cookies get wiped at system shutdown.

2) I switch operating system and the forum logs you out if the cookies are killed.

3) Security.

4) The Groan Smiley should not have anything to do with the log in script.
Title: Re: WHY?
Post by: Inactive on Jun 15, 2007, 17:11:03
Fair enough.. ;) ;)
Title: Re: WHY?
Post by: Adam on Jun 16, 2007, 11:45:23
The groan smiley isn't part of any login script, nor should we even have a groan.gif on the server. I'll take a look and try to find out the cause of the problem; and I'll also investigate how groan.gif managed to get on the server.
Title: Re: WHY?
Post by: DorsetBoy on Jun 16, 2007, 13:32:25
The same happened at 13.22hrs today,this time I was reading the Comedy Corner ,clicked the Opera Wand to log in and "Groan Gif" download comes up again.
Title: Re: WHY?
Post by: RobMc on Jun 16, 2007, 14:12:06
This might not be relevant but the following link will attempt to download the groan.gif smiley...

http://www.idnetters.co.uk/forums/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2638.0;attach=1015 (http://www.idnetters.co.uk/forums/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2638.0;attach=1015)

Why this should get triggered when DB logs in is beyond me.

Rob.

Title: Re: WHY?
Post by: DorsetBoy on Jun 16, 2007, 14:50:45
Quote from: RobMc on Jun 16, 2007, 14:12:06
This might not be relevant but the following link will attempt to download the groan.gif smiley...

http://www.idnetters.co.uk/forums/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2638.0;attach=1015 (http://www.idnetters.co.uk/forums/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2638.0;attach=1015)

Why this should get triggered when DB logs in is beyond me.

Rob.



Don't know Rob,just tried to log in to view that link and there it is again.Press cancel,go back to wand and no problem.

The main thing is that I have never used that smiley,not opened or downloaded it :(
and I have cleared cache,cookies and run CCleaner at shutdown .

Title: Re: WHY?
Post by: Adam on Jun 16, 2007, 19:17:26
I've removed the attachment; although I've yet to find out why it was being served at login. Let me know if your problems persist.
Title: Re: WHY?
Post by: DorsetBoy on Jun 16, 2007, 19:35:09
Quote from: Adam on Jun 16, 2007, 19:17:26
I've removed the attachment; although I've yet to find out why it was being served at login. Let me know if your problems persist.

Well it appears to have stopped popping up when I log in now.

The only problem I see now is all the posts where the smiley was used are somewhat out of context as the smiley is no longer present.
Title: Re: WHY?
Post by: Adam on Jun 17, 2007, 09:04:32
As it was an attachment it could only of been used in the post it was uploaded in; so the damage is limited to one post.
Title: Re: WHY?
Post by: Rik on Jun 17, 2007, 10:16:48
Had you seen Lance's workaround, to save people uploading the file every time it's used, Adam. The post is here (http://www.idnetters.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic,2642.msg39139.html#msg39139) if not.

Could that technique have set this issue off in some way?
Title: Re: WHY?
Post by: Lance on Jun 17, 2007, 12:04:47
I wondered that, but then I can't work out how linking to the picture using that method is any different to linking to a picture on an external server, or even a smiley!

It's a strange one this!
Title: Re: WHY?
Post by: Rik on Jun 17, 2007, 13:03:50
Indeed, Lance, and why is it only affecting Dorset?

Thinking further, the one image which would be downloaded at login time would be a user's avatar. Could that have something to do with what is happening?
Title: Re: WHY?
Post by: DorsetBoy on Jun 17, 2007, 15:53:43
Quote from: Rik on Jun 17, 2007, 13:03:50
Indeed, Lance, and why is it only affecting Dorset?

Thinking further, the one image which would be downloaded at login time would be a user's avatar. Could that have something to do with what is happening?

Well the avatar is a Gif image..........but the download, although of a Gif is a different thing altogether.

But ;D ;D (not that I can prove it now the attachment is gone) I think I may have found something which could have been involved.

Having looked at logins at dozens of sites using Opera and the "Wand" I noticed that on this machine only(out of four) there was frequently a noticable delay from clicking the Wand to the login completing.

So having spent some time looking at the software present on each PC, I found that one application was present on the "problem" machine that is not on the others.

The culprit appears to be SpyBot Seach and Destroy. In the immunization section they now have a protection against Opera plugins,remove that and the delay in login is gone.

I replicated this by installing Spybot on the other PC's,and with the Opera protection there was the delay.
[Always hated SpyBot anyway so it is now gone permanently,I only had it downloaded to prove to a friend that it missed a lot that others see straight off.]

So,can't prove that is the problem or how the login script can call up a Gif download but that is the only thing I can find causing an odd behaviour.
Title: Re: WHY?
Post by: Rik on Jun 17, 2007, 16:00:26
Quote from: DorsetBoy on Jun 17, 2007, 15:53:43
Well the avatar is a Gif image..........but the download, although of a Gif is a different thing altogether.

Agreed, Dorset, but (and I'm speculating as I haven't seen the login script) I wonder if the script makes a call for the avatar GIF and was somehow getting re-directed to the groan?

QuoteThe culprit appears to be SpyBot Seach and Destroy. In the immunization section they now have a protection against Opera plugins,remove that and the delay in login is gone.

It would make sense to me that something was happening which was local to that machine, and you may have traced it. Could it be that Spybot had got a reference to groan.gif in it somewhere, and was involved in the download call? Like you, I don't like it and don't have it on any of my machines.

Title: Re: WHY?
Post by: DorsetBoy on Jun 17, 2007, 17:39:31
Quote from: Adam on Jun 17, 2007, 09:04:32
As it was an attachment it could only of been used in the post it was uploaded in; so the damage is limited to one post.

Sorry Adam,but the smiley has been used quite extensively and there are now a good number of posts that have been affected.

I would like you to put the attachment back as it was if possible,1) It will repair the posts and 2)It would mean I can prove/disprove my suspicions as to the cause of the problem.
Title: Re: WHY?
Post by: Adam on Jun 17, 2007, 19:52:02
An image host like imageshack.us should be used for image hosting; attachments are not intended to be used for hosting images. Nonetheless, the attachment removal cannot be reversed.
Title: Re: WHY?
Post by: DorsetBoy on Jun 18, 2007, 17:06:01
 >:( >:(

Back to the drawing board!!

17.01Hrs 18/06 tried to log in and ............Download dialog box for groan.gif!!!

Getting a bit fed up with this now. ::) ::)
Title: Re: WHY?
Post by: Rik on Jun 18, 2007, 17:08:44
Is it the same on all your machines, Dorset, or is it affecting just the one?
Title: Re: WHY?
Post by: DorsetBoy on Jun 18, 2007, 17:12:28
Quote from: Rik on Jun 18, 2007, 17:08:44
Is it the same on all your machines, Dorset, or is it affecting just the one?

Only got one running at the moment Rik.Had no problem earlier on,suddenly there it is again.

Will try the others in a mo.
Title: Re: WHY?
Post by: Rik on Jun 18, 2007, 17:13:54
Thanks. Given that you're the only one reporting a problem, and so far it has only affected one machine, I feel we should be looking at any possible causes on that machine.
Title: Re: WHY?
Post by: DorsetBoy on Jun 18, 2007, 17:28:19
Tried logon several times on 2 other windows desktops and no problem,but then again it doesn't happen all the time anyway.

The attachment was supposed to have been removed so where is it coming from????????
Title: Re: WHY?
Post by: Rik on Jun 18, 2007, 17:34:03
The original attachment has been removed, but the file is in many posts around the forum. I'd really like to find how the GIF file is being called, because deleting the file would still leave the call active. In that case, would another image file be downloaded or would some other activity be triggered?

Is there anything you can identify, on the one machine on which this issue has arisen, which is different to your other machines?
Title: Re: WHY?
Post by: DorsetBoy on Jun 18, 2007, 17:42:02
Quote from: Rik on Jun 18, 2007, 17:34:03

Is there anything you can identify, on the one machine on which this issue has arisen, which is different to your other machines?

No.......the only thing was SpyBot which I removed after restoring all the previous settings and changes it had made.

Also that smiley has been around a while now,why suddenly does this come up?
Title: Re: WHY?
Post by: Rik on Jun 18, 2007, 17:47:39
Well, why now, why you, why one machine are all mysteries. I've never seen the login script, so I'll leave it to Adam to comment on whether that could call the file. As far as I can see, there are no working links in the forum to a copy of the image, the only links are to a 'dead' post, ie the image has been deleted.
Title: Re: WHY?
Post by: DorsetBoy on Jun 18, 2007, 18:31:41
Have had a look at the Opera community and there are some issues that are similar but not the same.
All resolutions seem to be around the profile and related files.

My last version of Opera was an upgrade not a new install so for the sake of an extra 5 minutes I saved bookmarks and removed Opera and all associated files.

Quick install and put bookmarks in place,tweak and back on line.Will now see what happens over the next few days.
Title: Re: WHY?
Post by: Rik on Jun 18, 2007, 18:47:33
Is that the forum profile, Dorset?
Title: Re: WHY?
Post by: DorsetBoy on Jun 18, 2007, 18:53:34
Quote from: Rik on Jun 18, 2007, 18:47:33
Is that the forum profile, Dorset?

No,the Opera profile,each user has a profile and various other .dat  and .ini files .

Cleared every single bit I could find and started from scratch.
Title: Re: WHY?
Post by: Rik on Jun 19, 2007, 09:43:46
Let us know what happens.
Title: Re: WHY?
Post by: DorsetBoy on Jun 22, 2007, 16:14:02
Quote from: Rik on Jun 19, 2007, 09:43:46
Let us know what happens.


:'( :'( :'( :'(
I am being haunted again..............now I am getting the "opened" page with that horrible ugly groan smiley when I log in  >:D >:D >:D >:D

Aaaaaaaaaaarrrrgggghhh!
Title: Re: WHY?
Post by: Rik on Jun 22, 2007, 16:16:50
Well, I'll break the link again, but even if it does go away, I'd be curious to know just what is happening with your login to cause this. This thread has been running eight days now, so if anyone else was affected, I'd expect to have heard.

I'm confused...  :(
Title: Re: WHY?
Post by: J!ll on Jun 22, 2007, 16:29:37
Quote from: DorsetBoy on Jun 22, 2007, 16:14:02

:'( :'( :'( :'(
I am being haunted again..............now I am getting the "opened" page with that horrible ugly groan smiley when I log in  >:D >:D >:D >:D

Aaaaaaaaaaarrrrgggghhh!

SPOOKY
Title: Re: WHY?
Post by: MoHux on Jun 22, 2007, 17:48:54
Quote from: DorsetBoy on Jun 22, 2007, 16:14:02

:'( :'( :'( :'(
I am being haunted again..............now I am getting the "opened" page with that horrible ugly groan smiley when I log in  >:D >:D >:D >:D

Aaaaaaaaaaarrrrgggghhh!

DB ...... is it possible you were half asleep when logging in one day, and the Groan Smiley got saved as your password??

Don't ask me how!!  :D

;D   
Title: Re: WHY?
Post by: DorsetBoy on Jun 23, 2007, 13:22:57
Err..........no.