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Tech: PM - Access Denied

16 Jan 08 - 06:57 PM (#2238047)
Subject: Tech: PM - Access Denied
From: Leadfingers

I am having trouble with PM's - SOME I can read , some I get a blank screen with Access Denied at the top - nd I CANT send at all - Same message shows when I hit Send Message ! Any Ideas ?


16 Jan 08 - 07:06 PM (#2238052)
Subject: RE: Tech: PM - Access Denied
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)

Terry

Try this: When you get the Access Denied message, delete the

  &messages=<number>

from the link in your browser and the thread should open. (I've had a couple of those recently and that seemed to work around it).

Mick


16 Jan 08 - 07:09 PM (#2238055)
Subject: RE: Tech: PM - Access Denied
From: Alice

It isn't a thread problem for Terry.
A PM sending problem


16 Jan 08 - 07:16 PM (#2238064)
Subject: RE: Tech: PM - Access Denied
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)

Sorry - me being too quick to read properly - it's just that I've had a few Access denied messages opening threads these last 2 days.

Mick


16 Jan 08 - 07:34 PM (#2238076)
Subject: RE: Tech: PM - Access Denied
From: Jeri

It's the message you'd get if you tried to access member stuff with no cookie, so I'd bet your cookie's embuggered.

Try logging out then in again. If that doesn't work, log out and follow the instructions in the FAQ for cleaning your cache out before logging back. After that, I'm out of ideas.


16 Jan 08 - 08:14 PM (#2238104)
Subject: RE: Tech: PM - Access Denied
From: Leadfingers

I have logged out and in , closed down and rebooted and its all the same - UNTIL I log into The Cat on Internet Explorer , NOT through my norml ISP (AOL) . Through I E I CAN access all my PM's AND send !!


16 Jan 08 - 08:31 PM (#2238116)
Subject: RE: Tech: PM - Access Denied
From: Jim Lad

There are some things we just don't want you to know.
Trust me.
It's for your own good.


16 Jan 08 - 08:35 PM (#2238119)
Subject: RE: Tech: PM - Access Denied
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)

Terry

Seems to be a recent AOL problem. My access denied messages only appeared when I used the browser in AOL. I had no problems when I used IE directly (which I mostly do) - I suppose I should have mentioned that earlier too! (I actually PMed Joe yesterday about it, them PMed him again to ignore me when I discovered it seemed to be an AOL-related problem)

Mick


16 Jan 08 - 08:40 PM (#2238124)
Subject: RE: Tech: PM - Access Denied
From: JohnInKansas

If the problem occurs only with AOL, it seems likely that it's AOL that's causing the problem. Perhaps AOL is "helping" you by filtering stuff through a "SPAM" or "Phishing" filter? I haven't heard that they've developed a "BS Blocker" (more appropriate here?) but some tales about AOL peculiarities features might imply that they'd think it was a reasonable thing to do.

In IE, you need to put mudcat.org in the "allow" list (Tools|Internet Options|Privacy Tab|Sites button) to get it to let you keep a login cookie, and to not, on rare occasions, grouse about "content". Your "AOL browser" might require a similar separate entry?

Do we have an AOL "seasoned user" who can advise?

John


16 Jan 08 - 09:15 PM (#2238142)
Subject: RE: Tech: PM - Access Denied
From: Effsee

Mmmm...just tried to send a PM to Leadfingers, I got the Access Denied message too. I'm on AOL as well. What's going on?


17 Jan 08 - 01:20 AM (#2238218)
Subject: RE: Tech: PM - Access Denied
From: JohnInKansas

On the possibility that this might be an AOL problem:

Common Error Messages for Web/Internet Browsing

Quite a few "Access Denied" messages were referenced on pages I went through getting to this one, with many of them apparently connected to Parental Consent filter settings. I wouldn't expect them to be involved for Leadfingers, as we're uncertain whether there were "parents" involved or if it was an "incubator event." AOL apparently does have, and imposes, fairly strong "content filtering" and settings in your browser - or if they're like some services in your account settings - may be needed/helpful.

I can't get into some of the linked articles, since I'm not an "AOL person."

(I'm not sure that the few I could look at offer a lot of help.)

John


17 Jan 08 - 01:31 AM (#2238219)
Subject: RE: Tech: PM - Access Denied
From: Joe Offer

Hi, Leadfingers. I sent your e-mail on to Jeff (Pene Azul) to see what he can do about it. I wish you had told me it was on an AOL browser. We've had a bit of trouble with AOL browsers lately, and I don't think it's our fault.
Please send me the text of the "Access Denied" message so I can tell if it's our message or AOL's.
-Joe-


17 Jan 08 - 04:30 AM (#2238256)
Subject: RE: Tech: PM - Access Denied
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)

Joe

The message I get when accessing (still) this thread:

  http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=107721&messages=11 (Tune Req: on one april morning)

is just the two words with a stop at the end, at the top of the page:

  Access Denied.

If I delete the &messages=11 from the link:

  http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=107721

it works.

I had a similar problem with The Curly Headed Ploughboy thread, but that's gone now (maybe when messages were 10).

The problem only occurs browsing in AOL; when I used IE directly (which is more usual) I get no problems.

Mick


17 Jan 08 - 04:38 AM (#2238260)
Subject: RE: Tech: PM - Access Denied
From: Leadfingers

As described by Mick - A white screen , with Access Denied in the top left hand corner .


17 Jan 08 - 05:11 AM (#2238267)
Subject: RE: Tech: PM - Access Denied
From: JohnInKansas

AOL Safe Search is apparently a "regular feature" of AOL browsing. It appears to be a separate thing from the "Parental Monitoring" option, and although they indicate it's "optional" it may be a default feature.

There is an AOL toolbar that may (or may not) appear when you're browsing in "AOL Mode." The page at the link shows how to "turn off Safe Search" on the toolbar, but doesn't tell me anything about what gets blocked or what's passed. A similar "safe mode" on the Google toolbar pretty much prevented me from finding anything useful until I figured out how to turn it off. (OK, so I'm a hypochondriac and I spend a lot of time looking up sites that talk about body parts.)

IF YOU'RE SEEING an AOL toolbar, this might be a place to loosen up the rules when you get an Access Denied - if it is coming from the AOL browser.

I'm not finding much of anything else about the innards of AOL's security setup, or how/where you might tailor what it does more to your personal needs.

I can assert that back when Microsoft Knowledge Base Search was useful, I found a VERY HIGH INCIDENCE of articles with titles that started off with "AOL users may receive the error message ..."

Since Mickey converted to their new "Vistacised" indexed search, I can't find much of anything there. I've signed up for a remedial course in "Baby-Talk as a Second Language" in hopes of figuring out how they're making up their search indices, but it may take a while for me to get the hang of it.

John


17 Jan 08 - 06:00 AM (#2238283)
Subject: RE: Tech: PM - Access Denied
From: Emma B

LF, got your PM OK last night (finally)


17 Jan 08 - 06:03 AM (#2238284)
Subject: RE: Tech: PM - Access Denied
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)

John

This is not from an AOL toolbar, it's from the ordinary AOL browser, which (unless they've changed things) is an IE control in their own wrapper.

I wouldn't have thought it was content control, otherwise I'd expect it still not to work when I delete the messages parameter.

One further thing - if I change messages=11 to messages=10 (or even messages=110, just adding a digit) it works, which suggests there's nothing strange embedded in the original link (I did look for that before but found nothing; this just seems to confirm it). It may be just some glich in AOL's processing of the address in its address box. I didn't intend to pursue the problem, since it seems to appear infrequently, and I use IE directly most of the time.

Mick

(BTW, I agree with you about the Knowledge Base - it seems a lot harder to find things now they've revamped it).


17 Jan 08 - 06:18 AM (#2238285)
Subject: RE: Tech: PM - Access Denied
From: John MacKenzie

AOL is crap, that's the reason. People with AOL have had problems accessing my chat room. I seem to remember Terry had a problem there too.
G


17 Jan 08 - 06:41 AM (#2238289)
Subject: RE: Tech: PM - Access Denied
From: JohnInKansas

Mick - I've seen some indications that the KB may be doing a little bit of recovery, but it's still not very useful. They've obviously gone to the "indexed search" that's integral in Vista (which doesn't work there either), and have done a lousy job of picking "Keywords" to index. If/as they add more robust entries in the search index, it may become more useful - but only if they go back to some tech content and get rid of the $@#!*# ADVERTISING.

AOL is not alone in putting their own wrapper around IE without telling you what it does. MSN Explorer is pushed very hard, and makes Internet Explorer into a ball of crap. (personal opinions included here should be obvious)

I've avoided picking up the Yahoo stuff since we changed ISPs, but we had to install it on one machine (Lin's unfortunately) to complete the signup, and it's not an entirely "fulfilling experience."

John


17 Jan 08 - 08:03 AM (#2238310)
Subject: RE: Tech: PM - Access Denied
From: Jeri

Your cookies are being blocked, and Mudcat can't access them so it looks like you're not a member and you're trying to get into someone else's PMs. IF IE works and AOL doesn't, maybe there's a conflict.

Here's some help with changing cookie settings in AOL (and other programs).


21 Jan 08 - 11:42 AM (#2241333)
Subject: RE: Tech: PM - Access Denied
From: katlaughing

I am getting a message which says that something went wrong if I am "reading this" and "good luck," whenever I try to send a PM. I checked and one of the three times I tried to send did go through. Very strange...the wording did make me smile though.


21 Jan 08 - 02:47 PM (#2241476)
Subject: RE: Tech: PM - Access Denied
From: katlaughing

Still getting the same message, yet they all seem to go through okay. Weird, huh?


21 Jan 08 - 03:17 PM (#2241500)
Subject: RE: Tech: PM - Access Denied
From: Leadfingers

I know MY problem was an interraction with aol , which they seem to have sorted out now !


22 Jan 08 - 12:19 AM (#2241777)
Subject: RE: Tech: PM - Access Denied
From: katlaughing

Here is what I get when I send a PM, all day, today:

Hi. Something went wrong if your reading this. Good luck.

Cheerful, eh? Sounds nice enough. Then, when I check to see if the PM really didn't go through, I find it has, so it seems this is just some kind of minor glitch. Has anyone else had this happen?

Thanks!


24 Jan 08 - 11:45 AM (#2243660)
Subject: RE: Tech: PM - Access Denied
From: katlaughing

Any one else getting this error? I am still getting it. I turned off my AVG thinking that may have something to do with it, but no go. I am on a new mini-tower, but I am using the same browser, operating system, etc.


24 Jan 08 - 07:00 PM (#2244036)
Subject: RE: Tech: PM - Access Denied
From: katlaughing

Thanks, Joe. Dumping all the private data, even though there was hardly anything there, did the trick. I now can see that my PMs are going through, as they were. No more error message.


25 Jan 08 - 08:43 AM (#2244401)
Subject: RE: Tech: PM - Access Denied
From: Roger the Skiffler

I have had the same problem Terry reports: "Access Denied" when trying to send PMs but intermittent. I also use AOL.
RtS