HTTP 500 errors when signing in and after signing in

Question

Starting about five days ago I've been getting HTTP 500 (server-side errors!) when trying to use SQL Server Database Engine and SQL Server Integration Service forums - all forums I think, even this one.  That is, I've been completely blocked from posting.

As of this morning, the behavior was as follows.

If I'm not logged in I can browse with no problem.

When I log in, I get an HTTP 500 message (and nothing else).

If I navigate back to the forums it looks like the login was successful because my name now shows in the upper right corner.

But if I click on a thread, I get an HTTP 500 (and nothing else).

I'm now on a different machine, but same version of XP sp3 and IE8.

I do have ESET antivirus on the other workstation and not here.

But I was having similar troubles from work last week as well, at least sporadically, from IE7 with whatever (Macafee?) antivirus.

So, ... what is going on with this?

Is it globally fixed now, or just happens to be working better from this location?

Earlier in the week, from various locations, I saw a different problem, when I composed a reply and said submit, a popup box appeared with no message - and the reply never posted.

I presume there is some kind of maintenance on the forum software going on, but any hints as to how to proceed are welcome.

Thanks.

Josh

 

Answer 1

Thanks for reporting this. Last Thursday and early Friday we did experience some issues with 500's. We think most of these should be addressed at this point.  But it is possible we have more work to do, so I'll follow up with operations to ensure we don't have some roughe server in rotation or something.

Can you include a couple of URL examples of the problem?  Thanks

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Community Forums Program Manager

Answer 2

OK, I can now talk to the forum from a second home workstation, and from this one at work.

BUT as of last night, I was still getting 500's when connecting from home.

If you have an error log on your site, you can probably see these.

Thanks.

 

Josh

 

Answer 3

This is STILL BROKEN from my home workstation as of Thursday night 11/4/2010.

Oddly, it *occassionally* work a little better, but I still have not been able, not even once, to first log in, then click open a thread list, click open a thread, hit the reply, or post a reply.

After putting in my password and hitting "login", 99.5% of the time EVERYTHING else gives me HTTP 500.

The problem is after login.  Apparently the login itself succeeds, since it displays my name in the upper-right corner.  And apparently it succeeds since NOTHING WORKS from that point, until and unless I kill the browser to logoff ... come to think of it I have not tried to explicitly logoff instead.  Something to try tonight.

... but the same account, the same forums, seem to work fine from here at work or from another home workstation.

So I'd say there is still a problem with the forums and HTTP 500's, but it is somehow more limited.

Josh

 

Answer 4

Just curios, what OS and browser version are you using?

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Community Forums Program Manager

Answer 5

sorry, couldn't respond from home still!

As in the first message, xp sp3 and ie8.

(and is still broken from home, this is posted from another location - same account, same xp sp3 and ie8, but it works from here, go figure)

FYI: did some online support with your staff on Friday night, submitted a fiddler trace, hope that helps!

Thanks.

Josh

 

Answer 6

testing ...

ha!  got through from home!

but it wasn't easy.

1. after login, got 500

2. but was able to display message list from saved URL.

3. hit reply, entered text, hit submit - got empty message box and no test.

4.  hit refresh on this message list

5.  hit reply, entered text, hit submit - it worked!

... and now, if this posts, then edit and submit worked, too!

Still very squirrely, but maybe a tad better, since with about six extra refreshes, it *sometimes* is going thru!

Would still like to see it completely fixed of course - any hint as to what the problem is?

Thanks.

Josh

 ps - after it got better, it got worse, could not even display login screen without first killing browser and restarting, could not see any forum list or message list from stored URLs.  have not yet tried from home today 11/12.

pps - yet another update, still entirely broken 11/12 thru 11/14, will try again tonight!