Michael many thanks I new i had read another forum member had had similar problems.

So I am NOT the only person to have such a problem after all!!!

I've just posted in the link Michael gave

I stated earlier in this thread I had not been even using Flash and had not trouble accessing archives of the forum digital type. The explinations in the other thread indicate well that it is a response between both server and user which even I know can be corrupted anywhere between. This can also be the server cache not just user cache.

The proof of this is the fact we both can/could get as far as front covers yet get error message when trying to open each file. The server see is responding with the error message or something between.

I do not see any resolve for the other Raymond in the other thread as he didn't come back and say he had success in getting through???

"Someone suggested I use another browser. I have Chrome and so I tried that. Success"

Raymond, You have been asked to try another browser which will help us eleminate some of the likely problems, you have not done this yet. So help us to help you by trying another browser.

Edited By JasonB on 12/07/2018 12:40:23

Edited By JasonB on 12/07/2018 12:40:50

Ray,

As you got the 'bad referrer' message that means it is almost certainly do to how your flash player extension is set up in Firefox.

You can use a player other than Flash, but whatever it is you need a flash player installed in Firefox add ons and it needs to be enabled for the archive site.

The situation you describe (not using Adobe Flash, suddenly lose access to archive) possibly means that one of the (several) recent updates to Firefox has change the settings or broken your non-standard Flash player.

Raymond Berry found that despite him thinking Firefox had a flash player, it did not have one enabled, and he was able to view the archive in Chrome.

Please can you try Chrome and report back? If you can view it in Chrome it is clearly a Firefox settings/plugins issue, not one at our end.

Ah.. I see Jason has made the same request.

Neil

Jason please go back through my posts and read them. i have already stated I tried Microsofts Edge it responded with "I needed to download the latest Adobe Flash Player"!!
I did that and still it didn't work. However this morning on re-downloading it in Edge it has worked and I gained access to the mags.

I have now downloaded Flash Player 3 times turned everything to ON in Firefox and still it doesn't work.

My problem is within and between the server mys machine & Firefox and obviously now Flash Player and Firefox.

I will not use one a perm basis Microsoft browsers OR Chrome security is lacking greatly in both.

Neil as stated above

adding to this I have now tried 3 machines the PC, The Tablet, Laptop using Chrome it came back with "I needed to download the latest Flash Player"

As I had stated earlier I had not had Flash player installed for some 2+ years on my PC and had no trouble viewing the forums digital archive. Go figure that one.

I've delved deeper opening up the Page Info in Firefox to find in the background It has been blocked "Not my doing"

This is the link to the page when I click on the front cover that i am taken to.

This if the screen capture of the Page Info in Firefox

I have altered 2 check boxes allowing "Add On Installs" & "Run Adobe Flash" I am doing re-start to see if this fixes the problem. There is no choice to do this within Firefoxes Add Ons.

Frances thanks I've known of the demise of Flash for years and I am surprised companies have not headed the warnings of it security breaches and sort better quality software/add on's etc.

It is also the reason I removed it and had no problem viewing the files I am trying to get to now even with the latest installed Player and still no luck.

Further to my screen capture post above the changes did nothing and still I go the error message as stated previously.

Oh well thats life I guess.

In weeks to come it might come good again

In that case, Raymond I think I must have misunderstood this whole thing. It was my impression that you were trying to view the online ME/MEW magazine archive that you get with a digital subscription.

As far as I'm aware you NEED Flash player to view those magazines. If you were able to view something without Flash player, I think I must have been wrong about what you are actually trying to look at.

You actually said it asked for the latest flash when you tried edge, then went BACK to Firefox and loaded Flash. No mention that you then went back to edge after loading the latest flash. But now that latest flash is on the machine and you tried Edge again today you get access.

"I just opened Microsofts Edge signed in went to Mag archives clicked on mags and got a message I required to load up Adobe Flash. So came back to Firefox my prefered browser you know the one I am having the response from ( I should say no response from). I installed the latest Adobe Flash and low and behold still the same error message even after closing down and restarting Firefox just to make sure it was fully installed and yes I click the check box to ON in Flash. "

J

If you mean the forum digital archive of bot ME & MEW accessible only via the forum yes thats the one. Yes and we pay via the Digital subscription to access that only with the digital subscription the main reason for taking that form of subscription as well as printed. You do not get access to he forums archive digital section under Print Only.

Yes thats right no Flash Player and I was gaining access to the forum only archives of both magazines no hassles.

Thats right Jason but I have not loaded up Flash Player for two years across the whole spectrum. Flash Player is well known to be troublesome full of holes.
I am surprised such as Mytime media and Pocket mags are even still using it. I've known of Flashes problems for over 10 years. Maybe its just cheap and easy to use so those in the background take the easy road without considering the out comes or caring. Bit like Microsoft and its life time of Blue screens over the years.

So the server has been updated to latest Flash Player? It then asks us to update but somehow Firefox isn't allowing that to come through I wonder if that means Firefox knows something others don't and halts it in its tracks?

Oh well There goes another Digital subscriber only Printed for me from now on its not worth the hassle or the additional $$$.

From my own experience on other sites, and from many of the earlier posts here, including Raymond's, I would say the problem is with Firefox, which I still use for most of my online activities.

Unfortunately, too many sites have security 'issues' which cause Firefox to block them. If you want to use those sites you either use another browser or go into Firefox's settings and enable/disable certain features . . . after reading the dire warning, "Here be Dragons", etc . . . assuming you have sufficient understanding of the system.

A different browser is the easiest option if you don't understand all the settings, and a decent antivirus program should protect you against most threats.

Good point - 'Bad referer' might well be caused by malware messing with Raymond's referrer URL. Most websites don't care who the referrer is; they are more likely to be checked by a paid service. To the user failure to access a paid service when everything else seems OK creates the illusion that the paid service is malfunctioning. Actually the error message is a symptom of malware, corrupted cache, or some other under the bonnet fault, most likely at the user end.

Raymond's conviction that the problem is at the server coupled with a reluctance to patiently eliminate possibilities make him difficult to help. An emotional approach to customer service might work in a shop because many retailers like to get rid of noisy customers with minimum fuss. Unfortunately it's the wrong way to approach a tricky technical problem like this one; what they need is patient persistence, reliable reporting, cooperation and willingness to follow instructions.

Dave

So are you sorted or not?

If it works under edge and not Firefox, I think we can safely assume it's a setting somewhere in Firefox causing the issue.

Neil

Not quite a safe assumption, I think it's more likely the Firefox cache is corrupt than a user setting is misconfigured. (Apologies if you meant 'setting' in the broadest sense, which would include cached system settings.)

Four possibilities:

• the browser itself is responsible (very unlikely);
• a browser configuration setting is wrong (unlikely);
• the browsers cache of remembered working parameters, cookies etc, is corrupt, accidentally or by malware (possible);
• or it's something completely different, like a Router fault, (also possible).

Edge, Chrome and Firefox etc. each have their own cache so using a different Browser also uses a different configuration and memory. Depending on the cause, especially if malware is the root, they may become corrupted too.

One example how a bad cache causes this sort of problem. When a Browser connects to a server it sends a mass of information about the client, like the browser name, operating system, available plugins and versions thereof. The server uses the information to adapt web pages to the user device, which could be a Mac, or a SmartPhone, or a PC. Either the server or the client can bail out when an inconsistency is found, or results are undefined. (In computer-speak an 'undefined result' can be anything between apparently normal operation and a crash - all bets are off.)

Frequently used information is often cached to improve performance. It can be remembered between sessions and reboots. If an upgrade is applied and the cache isn't updated correctly, then the resulting mismatch between client and server is liable to cause peculiar errors. Completely emptying the cache forces the Browser to repopulate it from scratch, with luck fixing the weirdness. In the other thread I provided a link to a site explaining how to clear Firefox's cache. It's worth trying. As is powering off the router for at least 20 minutes, which should force it to refresh as well.

Raymond has hinted he may not have a fast Internet Service with no-download limit. As I know to my cost upgrades that misfire due to network problems cause havoc.

Dave