Unable To Access Site For MONTHS!!!

[Taliesin]

Ok, so I haven't been around much, 'cause I haven't been able to get on the site...at all! This is the first time in a few months, I think.

What happens is that the site takes forever to load and when it does none of the visual html works and neither do links or anything, really. Often I just get a general error when trying to load the site...no access at all.

I used to be able to just clear my cache and any related web browser stuff, but for the past while nothing has worked!

I use both IE and Firefox and IE was the only one I could get on this site with but oddly enough I am now on here with Firefox for the first time ever!

Maybe this means the problem has somehow fixed itself, but as it seems to come and go I'm looking ideas or suggestions on how to fix this.

This is the ONLY site I have this trouble with and it sucks to feel like one is banned from this wonderful community due to technical difficulties! I miss it here!

[darkwaves]

I remember you dropped by to say you were back -- but then you disappeared.

When the site has been down, some of us have had to change a setting to get back in... It might be deep in this thread. I'll see if I can find what I'm thinking of.

eta -- no luck. i hope someone smarter than me come along soon!

[eaglesflight]

You're thinking of changing the hosts file to point the longhaircommunity.com URL to its old IP address. The IP address is different now, so that setting in the hosts file will disrupt your ability to return to the new site.

Follow the instructions given here (http://www.network54.com/Forum/227393/message/1168271359/Step+by+step+to+get+into+LHC,) for finding the hosts file, but when it gets to the part about adding a new line, this line should already be in your hosts file. Delete it or put a pound symbol (#) before it. This disables it. Now hit save and close. Reboot and everything should work fine.

[Taliesin]

Thanks for the suggestion eaglesflight, but that didn't work :( I actually already had the new ip in the host file, but tried re-doing it anyways hahahahaha No luck.

The only way I'm getting on here right now is by doing a google search that brings up forum threads from this site...those links work fine. If I try to access the site with the main web address, it loads VERRRYYYY slowly but only text on a white background...then, when I try to click on a link within the site I get a page that says "Unable To Connect: Although the site seems valid, blah blah etc.". The http://forums.longhaircommunity.com link doesn't work at all either.

Open to other suggestions!!! I just hope this "sneaking in the back door" method continues to work, 'cause it's good to be back here! ;)

Open to other suggestions!!

[Flaxen]

By any chance do you have the AdBlock add-on with Firefox? If so, you may have accidentally blocked all images from the site instead of just one that you wanted to.

Go to Tools > AdBlock Plus Preferences, and see if there's an entry for http ://forums.longhaircommunity.com/* If so, uncheck "enabled," and then click "apply."

Try clearing your cache again, and also clear all cookies.

See what those do, and let us know. :smile:

[Taliesin]

Nope, no add block. I use AVG virus scanner and have even tried disabling various things in there to no avail.

I have a program called CCleaner that wipes out cookies and all sorts of web history type stuff, and there was a time when running that would allow me access. Unfortunately, something must have changed 'cause even that doesn't work anymore!

[Flaxen]

How about firewall settings? Also, make sure that you only have one anti-virus program and one firewall. Two anti-virus programs, for instance, can really mess things up.

[Taliesin]

Nope, no dice with any of those either. Something, somewhere along the line dropped a kink in my browsing capabilities and I think that maybe the only way to fix it would be to do a good old drive format and start from scratch. Gonna hold off on that until I have a little more reason to take such drastic measures ;)

For now, I think I'll just keep using this google link method and hopefully it lasts!

[snowbear]

Have you tried reinstalling your browsers?

[Taliesin]

Have you tried reinstalling your browsers?

Hahahaha, just getting this now...couldn't access the site for the past few weeks AGAIN, and I'm not sure why it's letting me on now....not complaining about that, though ;)

To answer your question: Yep, tried that as well...very strange that I'm the only one with this problem...one of these days it's gotta get fixed!

[Debra83]

Have you tried adding www.longhaircommunity.com to your "trusted sites" in the security folder? That might help. or maybe your security setting is to high. Don't forget you have to allow it access as it changes pages too.

[Taliesin]

Ya know, I think I may have just fixed it.

Wayyyyyy back when the board first went down and re-vamped, I couldn't access and had modified the "host" file to get in. Well, I just deleted that modification and it seems to have worked! I think the original "fix" may have been the problem for me all along!

Anyways...let's see if things stay cool for a few more days before I declare "Problem Solved!" ;)

[Teresa9000]

Hmm...I think my fiance's computer has a similar problem with Myspace. Neither one of us care too much for the site, so he's never bothered to try and fix the problem. It's weird. It's just his computer, not any others in his household.

[eaglesflight]

That's odd that you had to try the hosts file thing twice to get it to work. On the other hand, I'm glad it did work out for you!

[darkwaves]

Ya know, I think I may have just fixed it.

Wayyyyyy back when the board first went down and re-vamped, I couldn't access and had modified the "host" file to get in. Well, I just deleted that modification and it seems to have worked! I think the original "fix" may have been the problem for me all along!

Anyways...let's see if things stay cool for a few more days before I declare "Problem Solved!" ;) The hosts file! Yes, that's what I was thinking of in my first post.

Should work now!