Forum Moderators: mack
Now I'm a freak when it comes to debugging and testing my sites. It's a perpetual chore. But I KNEW that our site was fully operational because we were still receiving invoices.
It turns out that I've discovered a HUGE glitch in the current MSN Search (www.msn.com).
Search for a domain, go ahead, any domain - for instance, try searching for "webmasterworld.com" and see what happens.
You will get the following page:
***
---
Server Error in '/' Application.
Runtime Error
Description: An application error occurred on the server. The current custom error settings for this application prevent the details of the application error from being viewed remotely (for security reasons). It could, however, be viewed by browsers running on the local server machine.
Details: To enable the details of this specific error message to be viewable on remote machines, please create a <customErrors> tag within a "web.config" configuration file located in the root directory of the current web application. This <customErrors> tag should then have its "mode" attribute set to "Off".
<!-- Web.Config Configuration File -->
<configuration>
<system.web>
<customErrors mode="Off"/>
</system.web>
</configuration>
Notes: The current error page you are seeing can be replaced by a custom error page by modifying the "defaultRedirect" attribute of the application's <customErrors> configuration tag to point to a custom error page URL.
<!-- Web.Config Configuration File -->
<configuration>
<system.web>
<customErrors mode="RemoteOnly" defaultRedirect="mycustompage.htm"/>
</system.web>
</configuration>
---
***
Not only are users being directed to this cryptic page of information - but THEY ARE THINKING THAT OUR SITES ARE NOT WORKING PROPERLY!
Quotes span from "your site is broken" to "your business is very unprofessional".
The way I see it, this is DETRIMENTAL to the well-being of our businesses - and MSN has us bent over a stool, because we cannot do a single thing about it. You can't sue them for their site not working - even though it is SLOWLY DESTROYING our customer base.
Be aware that this has been happening, on and off, over the past several days. If anyone wants an exact copy of the error page, I can provide a link.
[search.msn.com...]
<added> sure. a screenshot would be useful to many, i guess</a>
It was just basically a colorful version of what was posted above.
Here is what the current "Runtime Error" page says (when it shows up):
***************************************************
Search Error
------------
MSN Search is temporarily unable to process your request.
Please try again in a few minutes.
EID: f:152801243 - 10004:1059
HC: da650241
***************************************************
And here is the original "Runtime Error" page that I got about five times in a row for five different domains (including webmasterworld.com):
***************************************************
Server Error in '/' Application.
--------------------------------
Runtime Error
Description: An application error occurred on the server. The current custom error settings for this application prevent the details of the application error from being viewed remotely (for security reasons). It could, however, be viewed by browsers running on the local server machine.
Details: To enable the details of this specific error message to be viewable on remote machines, please create a <customErrors> tag within a "web.config" configuration file located in the root directory of the current web application. This <customErrors> tag should then have its "mode" attribute set to "Off".
<!-- Web.Config Configuration File -->
<configuration>
<system.web>
<customErrors mode="Off"/>
</system.web>
</configuration>
Notes: The current error page you are seeing can be replaced by a custom error page by modifying the "defaultRedirect" attribute of the application's <customErrors> configuration tag to point to a custom error page URL.
<!-- Web.Config Configuration File -->
<configuration>
<system.web>
<customErrors mode="RemoteOnly" defaultRedirect="mycustompage.htm"/>
</system.web>
</configuration>
***************************************************
I don't believe this is the end of it either. Sometimes you can search on MSN by typng the keyphrase and hitting ENTER and other times, you have to literally click the "Search" button for it to work.
What are they doing? Testing with a live site?
If so, then you are over reacting to unreasonable/ignorant people. Just tell them that the error is occurring on the MSN site, not on yours.
There are some other threads floating around about the MSN search tech-preview. The error message in your second post indicates that they are working on integrating that into their own site. (that error message was common yesterday on the techpreview site)
First, you do mean that the error occurs on the search results page, right? (as opposed to the results show fine and you get the error when someone clicks a link in the results to get to one of the listed sites)
The search results page didn't even display at first.
It was a real simplifed HTML page with the Runtime Error info I posted above, and the snippets of code where on colored backgrounds. It was a raw error page with no branding or anything but the Runtime Error info.
The second one I saw was a branded, and much shorter page using the blue MSN Search design and a two line error (as posted above).
If so, then you are over reacting to unreasonable/ignorant people. Just tell them that the error is occurring on the MSN site, not on yours.
I don't feel it over reacting. This has been happening on and off for the entire week. Some people just don't understand that it not OUR site that's giving them those errors. Most people, I'm sure, never even cared enough to call us up... they probably just went right to the competition.
Yes, they can be unreasonable and ignorant, but they are also our customers.
