Server timed out message - even to access the folder list!

Question

This seems to be a variation on the existing questions, because in this case, I am not even attempting to do a publish. I am running Expression Web 4. 

I have a large number of files in the subdirectory - one for each day over a four year period. Even to open the directory in the Folder List, I get "The server""timed out. The current request did not complete successfully."  Other subdirectories appear as normal.  

If I attempt to publish, I cannot get the subdirectory to list the files. Any attempt to look inside this subdirectory results in the EW4 closing down and the following crash details:

Problem signature:
  Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
  Application Name: ExpressionWeb.exe
  Application Version: 4.0.1303.0
  Application Timestamp: 4e117236
  Fault Module Name: Webber.dll
  Fault Module Version: 4.0.1303.0
  Fault Module Timestamp: 4e1171fe
  Exception Code: c0000005
  Exception Offset: 001755d3
  OS Version: 6.1.7601.2.1.0.256.48
  Locale ID: 3081
  Additional Information 1: 0a9e
  Additional Information 2: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789
  Additional Information 3: 0a9e
  Additional Information 4: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789

I cannot backloadfiles from my destination site, as every attempt to bring files to my hard disk results in the very same server time out message.   Nor does Synchronize work. 

Recalculating links fails. It tells me "An error has occurred accessing your site configuration files. I have no idea what this means. 

My site has run without angst for years, through FP and now EW, with the same number of files.

The machine is 7.6 on the Windows Experience Index,  running Windows 7 64-bit, standard mouse software. 

Answer 1

Two suggestions, first is to get the correct version of FPCleaner for your site and use it to clear out cache and meta data. It may or may not help but it will not hurt. Second if FPCleaner doesn't help - aka the issue isn't in your meta data having become corrupt then try connecting with a standalone ftp client like Filezilla (free). If you have problems with it as well contact your host.

---

Free Expression Web Tutorials
For an Expression Web forum with without the posting issues try expressionwebforum.com

Answer 2

I don't think the problem is remote, Cheryl. Not, at least, going by his description ("I am not even attempting to do a publish" and "Recalculating links fails" and "...even to access the folder list!"). That seems to make the problem local. Your suggestion of using the correct version of FPCleaner is a good one, since it operates on local metadata, but if the problem is indeed local, I'm not sure what opening the remote site using a 3rd-party FTP client would achieve. Just sayin'...  ;-)

One question not asked yet is if the OP can open that folder using Explorer, PowerDesk, or any other non-EW file manager. If so, that tends to rule out corruption of the folder's actual file structure.

cheers,
scott

---

Please remember to "Mark as Answer" the responses that resolved your issue. It is common courtesy to recognize those who have helped you, and it also makes it easier for visitors to find the resolution later.

Answer 3

I have run EWFPCleaner 4 and cleared the temp files and hidden cache files. When  I attempt to open the subdirectory  in the folders list of EW (by clicking on the +, the error message ("The server"" timed out. The current request did not complete successfully") instantaneously pops up. 

The OP easily opens the folder using Explorer.  I ran Filezilla, and it too works without any problems at all. The subdirectory opens without any hiccups. 

The connection type of connection setting is FTP. 

Regards and appreciations,

Paul W

Answer 4

Just a suggestion, but try this. Using Explorer, outside of EW, copy the entire site folder to another location. Then, in EW, use "Site|New Site...|Empty Site," then navigate to that new folder, give the site a name, and make sure that "Add to managed sites" is checked. Then, when the new site opens, see if you can navigate to the problem folder. If so, work with the site for a while to make sure all is copacetic, then when you feel confident, you can delete the old, duplicate site.

Doing this generates an entirely new set of metadata, so any existing corruption is mitigated, and future problems opening the subdirectory are obviated.

cheers,
scott

---

Please remember to "Mark as Answer" the responses that resolved your issue. It is common courtesy to recognize those who have helped you, and it also makes it easier for visitors to find the resolution later.

Answer 5

Thanks Scott/Paladyn,

As you might imagine, I have been trying all sorts of variations, trying to understand why EW was failing. Indeed, even with EW set as my default editor for html files, EW would crash 100% of the times that I sought to edit a file within the offending subdirectory. It really started to discourage me that there was some inherent weakness within EW if it couldn't open a html file based on a request out of Explorer. It made me pine for old simple and robust FrontPage. Ah sweet nostalgia! 

Your suggestion gave me  the idea of another way of doing things, but the key thought was your phrase "outside of EW, copy the entire site folder".  You had set me to thinking outside the EW box entirely. The idea was for me to think of the problem as being incapable of being fixed within my original EW Web.  I located a stable version of my site on another hard disk (a few months of changes outdated), opened it in EW,  and backloaded the published sub-web from my host to the HD. Thus updated to the web version, I then did an Explorer copy across from the HD to my computer, apparently overwriting the entire sub-web. It appears to have opened! It appears to be working! Oh joy of joys!

So we have the workaround solution, but have we got to the point of understanding why we had the problem? 

Thanks
Paul W

Answer 6

Sounds like a corrupt page or set of circular references (an example of such a thing could be an include that included itself, which would include itself again, and repeat forever).  But all I can do is guess - the files are on your PC, not mine.  :)

Answer 7

So we have the workaround solution, but have we got to the point of understanding why we had the problem?

Right. Exactly as Kathy described, we actually had a case here within the last two weeks where a user had an include file which was including itself. In the bad old days this would have led to the dreaded "General Protection Fault," locking up Windows and requiring a reboot, but Windows is more sophisticated now, so it only takes down the app.  ;-)

Not saying that that was the problem here, but it could have been, or it could have been one of several other kinds of faulty file issues we've encountered. It's fair to say, however, that since no change was made to EW itself to resolve it, the problem does not appear to have been with EW, but with one or more of the files it was working with.

cheers,
scott

---

Please remember to "Mark as Answer" the responses that resolved your issue. It is common courtesy to recognize those who have helped you, and it also makes it easier for visitors to find the resolution later.

Answer 8

It's happened again - this time, with vengeance. Different computer, same web, I was running EW4, and updating several files I had just completed working on, when I received the 'The server "" timed out.  The current request did not complete successfully,' message. 

Thereafter, within EW4, I could not expand the folder from which I had been uploading to my site. Merely to click on the + to expand the subdirectory, EW4 would spit the dummy and automatically close. This state of affairs is ONLY from the offending subdirectory, all others can be expanded, uploaded, downloaded, normally. 

EW4 cleaner had no effect. Similarly, deleting the Temporary Files and asking the web to Recalculate Links fails too, with the "An error occurred accessing your site application files." 

I attempted to backload from my published web, but on each occasion, the message received will be the dreaded 'The server "" timed out.  The current request did not complete successfully.'

Paul W

Answer 9

This state of affairs is ONLY from the offending subdirectory, all others can be expanded, uploaded, downloaded, normally.

Well, again, the problem is clearly limited to one folder, and by inference, probably to one corrupted file or resource. If it were my machine, again working outside of EW, I would copy that folder, whole cloth, to another folder, then delete all the files within that folder.

Now, back in EW, open that folder, which, of course, will be empty. Now, one file at a time, using Explorer or another external file manager, move files back into that folder. Then, in EW, focus it in the Folder List and press F5 to refresh the folder view. Lather, rinse, repeat... At some point you will move a file into that folder which causes the error, and you will have found your culprit.

Then it becomes a matter of sleuthing that file to find the exact cause. In earlier versions there have been issues where, for example, a corrupted font referenced in CSS caused such a problem. Hard to say, but until you isolate the file, you're dead in the water.

Yes, it is time-consuming. But I can think of no other way to determine which file is causing the problem. Give it a shot and see what you find out.

cheers,
scott

---

Please remember to "Mark as Answer" the responses that resolved your issue. It is common courtesy to recognize those who have helped you, and it also makes it easier for visitors to find the resolution later.

Answer 10

Scott,

I had copied the dubious directory and the problem was likewise copied.

Following your idea, I broke the dubious subdirectory into several sub-sub-directories, and thus was able to track down  the problem into a group of files. With these sequestered in their own subdirectory, I now have access to the rest of my files. 

I still haven't found the cause, but at least now I have access to 99% of the files in that area, and can deal with them

Thankyou, thankyou.

Off Topic: As you are someone who is clearly visiting everywhere, I ask you whether anyone has opened a thread yet about "what the heck will we amateurs do now that Expression Web will no longer be the product of preference for amateur web authors?"    

regards,

Paul W

 

Answer 11

Yes, several threads in fact about what now that EW has been "given to the community". For now and the next few years you shouldn't need to worry about rushing off to switch to something else. EW will continue to work and as it is standards based it will continue to be a good editor. It already has some HTML 5 and CSS 3 support. Additional HTML 5, CSS 3 and some jQuery have been added using snippets (see the gallery for Ian's additional code snippets and others) so for now just keep an eye out to see what fills the gap, if anything.  Many of the pros here use both Dreamweaver and Expression Web so I'll probably eventually end up using Dreamweaver more but for the serious amateur at this point I don't have any other recommendation than continuing to use EW.

---

Free Expression Web Tutorials
For an Expression Web forum with without the posting issues try expressionwebforum.com

Answer 12

I feel like I am digging a hole, and am not smart enough to stop. 

In my effort to locate the files which may have been causing the problems, I had isolated a group of files from the subdirectory which had been giving me the problems, and moved/isolated them elsewhere. They were duplicate files from some years ago.  Everything worked, so I deleted them.  Things continued to work. I then did a full upload, with pages I had been fixing.   Now I cannot even open  either directory, on my computer or on my ISP. By "cannot open", I mean that EW4 crashes immediately I attempt to open the directory, or to publish, or to Synchronize. 

Problem signature:

  Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
  Application Name: ExpressionWeb.exe
  Application Version: 4.0.1303.0
  Application Timestamp: 4e117236
  Fault Module Name: fpacutl.dll
  Fault Module Version: 4.0.1303.0
  Fault Module Timestamp: 4e1170a3
  Exception Code: c0000005
  Exception Offset: 000f4cc7

  OS Version: 6.1.7601.2.1.0.256.48

  Locale ID: 3081
  Additional Information 1: e593
  Additional Information 2: e593f0d6507dcc1f3ba13c5bf464b937
  Additional Information 3: b3a4
  Additional Information 4: b3a4a230db80432dd61efbf045fd8381

This is my third day of difficulty.