Doozy of a permission bug. Only in W2K.

[fangthane]

This only happens on my Windows Server 2000 box, not on the XP and Server 2003 machines, but it's odd. It might also be IE6-related, since IE7 isn't available for Windows 2000.

The News and Shop headers, and the entire left-side graphic layout, shows as red X's. And despite only happening on the 2000 machine, it appears to be server-related; I get a 403 Forbidden when I try to open the graphics individually. I can see the center of Forums, and the center and right-hand components of most other menus, as well as all the graphics integrated in the forum software (icons, smilies, etc).

But no left side. It's really most disconcerting, and I've already run through every step of Microsoft's Red X document; I'd flushed the cache even before I tried that.

So if anyone has a suggestion as to how I might be able to tweak this system to make them show up, that'd be great... Alternatively, if there's something different about the permissions on those files I'd appreciate the site admins doing whatever needs to be done to ensure that older clients can still read the files. I'm not sure where the problem lies other than the fact that I've tried everything MS suggests and it hasn't worked.

And of course it's odd to get a 403 unless the server is somehow blocking me out, so hopefully the solution lies somewhere in the permissions.

Any mods/site admins who may read this, if there's anything I can do to help troubleshoot, just say the word.

Any other users who've had similar issues and might have a notion of how I can proceed on the client side, just tell me so I can keep my hair a little longer, eh? :smallbiggrin:

[Emperor Tippy]

Try Firefox.

It's a better browser than any of the IE family.

[Rawhide]

I get a 403 Forbidden when I try to open the graphics individually.

This behavour is intended.

[fangthane]

Ahh. I should mention that all the graphics which I can see (the headers for a few of the sections) show up when I set a URL directly to the gif. It's all the ones with that "intended behavior" which don't show up on that other system. On this system (Vista) and the XP and 2003 machines I tested on earlier, they do show up; no forbidden, they just appear.

I'd presume the most likely culprit is Microsoft, but I'm driven to investigate nagging little annoyances to find out what's causing (and in some cases justifying) them. I may have to dig up my 2000 disk and set up a VM for some testing... :)

[Jasdoif]

This behavour is intended.Was another site hotlinking the layout images?

[B-Man]

Try clearing the cache on Internet Explorer.

...or convert to Firefox...

[Shhalahr Windrider]

Try clearing the cache on Internet Explorer.
fangthane already tried that.


...or convert to Firefox...
Or almost any other browser for that matter. :smallwink:

[fangthane]

Heh, I would but it's a corporate RA server so I'm leery of making non-essential software changes. It's just damnably odd that the graphics which are visible in-page are also available as direct URLs whereas the ones which don't show up give the 403 error. Almost as odd as the fact that all of them show up (whether in-page or directly URL-pointed) on any other system I try.

Of course, that means that the Forum center header, as well as several others, have overly-charitable permissions set. For 'intended behavior' that 403 is awfully picky about who it affects and on which files... :)

To clarify for those playing along at home, the 'IB' affects only the Windows 2000 machine. Behavior is therefore not as intended when viewed through IE7 on XP, Server 2003 or Vista. Nor is it consistent in Windows 2000, since http://www.giantitp.com/Images/redesign/Header_Forum.gif opens just fine on this machine too.
I wonder if caching is somehow getting me around the 403 on those other systems... That might be something to investigate.

Edit - not so much. copy/pasted some individual graphic-file URLs through the network to my domain server and they loaded just fine, although that server has never even contemplated visiting the site and doesn't maintain any proxy caches.

[tannish2]

its been said, but it needs to be said again and again until it stops being true: IE sucks

[Shhalahr Windrider]

Heh, I would but it's a corporate RA server so I'm leery of making non-essential software changes.
I'd consider getting a browser that actually works (i.e. supports standards) to be pretty essential to any computer hooked up to the internet, but then that's me. :smalltongue:

Okay, that's my last crack at the expense of IE.

[Vonriel]

Okay, that's my last crack at the expense of IE.

One down, 29,998 to go. At least, on this site. :smallsigh:

Edit: And now for an actual contribution: It seems like he's unable to change to another browser, so telling him to do so is a futile effort.

[Rawhide]

Ok, I've had a chance to sit down and read it properly, I posted my earlier reply in a rush. No, that behaviour is not intended, not in the steps you have taken anyway.

What I find interesting here is that it only happens on:
Windows 2000 Server
Internet Explorer 6
That one computer (no one else has reported this issue so far)


Firstly, server computers are usually locked down a little tighter than ordinary computers, I know that Windows Server 2003's (yes, the Server goes after 2000 but before 2003) Internet Explorer comes configured in a high security mode. Businesses often like to lock down servers beyond that as well, and rightly so. Check your internet settings.

Secondly, there may be a firewall, proxy or other filter somewhere (even on the server itself) that is blocking access to specific files or addresses in a url.

Things that should be tried:
Clear the cache (yes, again)
Clear cookies
Reset the internet settings to default and look for a default setting that might be blocking it
Look for a proxy, firewall or other filter
Restart the server