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Intermitent white screen

Started by Marchie69, September 18, 2013, 09:28:13 AM

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Marchie69

Hi
I am having a problem logging in to our forum. It takes several attempts before I get to login.
All I get is a blank white page!
I've checked the error logs and there is no faults listed apart from wrong passwords by users.
I've also checked our DB usage and we have only used 1% of disk space.
Is there something else I could try to solve this problem?

Shambles

Long shot this, but as it's so inconsistent have you tried unticking this option:

Admin > Configuration > Server Settings > General > Disable hostname lookups

QuoteThis disables host name lookups, which on some servers are very slow. Note that this will make banning less effective.



(PS, your topic title is a bit vague)

Marchie69

Hi Shambles

I'll try and see if it makes a difference.

Marchie69

Tried unticking "Disable hostname lookups" but still the same.

Dav999

What mods do you have installed? What was the last thing you changed before the problem started?

margarett

A white page (if it's not the white screen of death) is usually a PHP error. You need to check your host logs (PHP logs) as the cause should probably be pointed there...
Se forem conduzir, não bebam. Se forem beber... CHAMEM-ME!!!! :D

QuoteOver 90% of all computer problems can be traced back to the interface between the keyboard and the chair

Shambles

^--- I mentioned hostname lookups as OP reports that it is a transient error.

Marchie69

#7
Quote from: Dav999 on September 18, 2013, 12:27:05 PM
What mods do you have installed? What was the last thing you changed before the problem started?
I have no mods installed, just the latest version of Smf 2.0.5.
Only had the forum running for a couple of weeks and all was working fine until yesterday.
The last thing I did was change the way "News" was displayed but have put it back to how is was.
I've check the error logs but I could find nothing.

Tried to get on the forum today but it's virtually impossible.
When I do got to log in, it then takes several attempts before I can do anything.

Storman™

QuoteThe last thing I did was change the way "News" was displayed but have put it back to how is was.

Are you sure it's back as it was. What exactly did you do ?   :)

Otherwise suggest you contact your host and check whether they have changed anything from their side.

Marchie69

Quote from: margarett on September 18, 2013, 12:48:51 PM
A white page (if it's not the white screen of death) is usually a PHP error. You need to check your host logs (PHP logs) as the cause should probably be pointed there...
Hi Margaret

I've followed the instructions on:
http://wiki.simplemachines.org/smf/Phpinfo()_-_What%27s_that,_then
but unclear as to how & where I upload it to!

margarett

You upload it to the root of your "public_html" or "www" folders and then run it through your browser
Se forem conduzir, não bebam. Se forem beber... CHAMEM-ME!!!! :D

QuoteOver 90% of all computer problems can be traced back to the interface between the keyboard and the chair

Marchie69

Hi.
I've now got the phpinfo, what am I looking for?

margarett

Actually I don't know why you're trying to see phpinfo :P I was just telling you how to access it :P
But now that you have it, search the page for "mod_security" and, if found, printscreen us that piece of the window ;)

What I've told you was:
Quote from: margarett on September 18, 2013, 12:48:51 PM
A white page (if it's not the white screen of death) is usually a PHP error. You need to check your host logs (PHP logs) as the cause should probably be pointed there...
Meaning that there should be, in your cPanel (if your host has it available), a place to check server logs, namely php error logs. That's the info you're looking for. If you can't find it, maybe you can ask your host to email you the logs between xx-yy hours?
Se forem conduzir, não bebam. Se forem beber... CHAMEM-ME!!!! :D

QuoteOver 90% of all computer problems can be traced back to the interface between the keyboard and the chair

Marchie69

I've looked but don't see "mod_security".
Also check with host (NS) and found that the error logs were not enabled!
So can only get any errors from today!

What else can I do to try and access the forum?

Arantor

mod_security doesn't get listed in phpinfo() because it's not a PHP module.

But now that you've got the error log enabled, maybe that will tell us something.

Marchie69

I've tried to log onto the our forum a number of time today but still getting blank screen.
So checked error log and nothing there.

I seem to be getting nowhere and the forum has been unobtainable for 5 days.
I've managed to get Wamp on my pc and installed SMF which is working fine.
If I copy all the files from host site and transfer them to my pc, will it work in the same way
with all the posts etc?

Dav999

Quote from: Marchie69 on September 23, 2013, 03:31:38 PM
If I copy all the files from host site and transfer them to my pc, will it work in the same way
with all the posts etc?

You will also need to copy the database if you want to have the posts and other things on your PC too.

Kindred

usually, the white screen will generate a file called error.log in your root or forum directory.

Setting it up in WAMP really serves no good purpose, since there is no way that you're be duplicating your exact hosting environment (and it is something in the environment that is likely causing the error - especially if you have no mods installed)

Слaва
Украинi

Please do not PM, IM or Email me with support questions.  You will get better and faster responses in the support boards.  Thank you.

"Loki is not evil, although he is certainly not a force for good. Loki is... complicated."

Marchie69

#18
Quote from: Kindred on September 23, 2013, 03:46:29 PM
usually, the white screen will generate a file called error.log in your root or forum directory.

As I said before, the error logs were not enabled until today and even after trying several time to get on the forum, there is nothing in the file.

I thought that, if I can get the forum working as it was on my pc, then I would delete the install and reinstall it. Then at least I have a working copy.
NS are no help at all and I'm getting desperate.
I am 64 and not an IT person. I have only you guys to guide me. I am leaning slowly :-\

Marchie69

Hi. I've just had a live chat with NS tec-support and asked how much memory is allocated to scripts.
See attached.

Is there anything else I should ask them?

Kindred

the memory is only one possible cause of the white screen.


Seriously, without details form the error.log file, we have no idea.

As for "turning it on"   Where and how?   That error.log would be automatically generated by almost any host server setup that I can imagine
(this is **NOT** the SMF error log.  Since the error is a php level failure, there is no way for SMF, which is a php script, to collect the error data.  As I said, the sevrer should be generating a file called error.log when those sort of errors happen.
Слaва
Украинi

Please do not PM, IM or Email me with support questions.  You will get better and faster responses in the support boards.  Thank you.

"Loki is not evil, although he is certainly not a force for good. Loki is... complicated."

Marchie69

Cheers Kindred.
I will check again but this is the only error log file I can find and this is the one NS pointed me to.

Marchie69

Good news, our forum seems to back up & working ;)
Don't know how or why but we are back in business.
I have done nothing and have had no emails form NS to say they had a fault!

I'll just keep my fingers crossed and hope it stays stable :-\

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