Internet Explorer Troubleshooting and FAQs

Internet Explorer Troubleshooting and FAQs

Document number: 19011

This document covers frequently asked questions regarding use and behavior of Internet Explorer. If you are experiencing specific problems you may wish to use the Eureka! answer wizard to help diagnose the problem. It is difficult, sometimes, to tell from the error message whether the problem is with the user, with the browser, with the site or with the internet connection. Also see Eureka! document 19036 — Unauthorized changes to IE, or You Cannot Change Your Home Page Setting and the List of documents related to Internet Explorer issues.

To bring up a search box to search this page press and hold {Ctrl} then {f} or from the menu bar click on Edit then select Find

Internet Explorer FAQs

What are the common error messages and their causes? Solutions below include both general and specific solutions, e.g. Planet,Lotus Notes links etc. To bring up a search box to search this page press and hold {Ctrl} then {f} or from the menu bar click on Edit then select Find
What trouble shooting steps should I try first?

Common Error Messages and their cause: To bring up a search box to search this page press and hold {Ctrl} then {f} or from the menu bar click on Edit then select Find

The 400 codes generally include cases in which the document is unavailable in the manner you requested it. It could be that the request you made is misspelled, typed in incorrect case, or simply incorrect. It could be that the document has been re-named or deleted, or your permission to access it has been changed.

400 - Bad request
This error message indicates that the server can't figure out the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) you requested. The problem often occurs because of incorrect URL syntax. If you typed the URL, check it for incorrect uppercase or lowercase letters, colons, and slashes. Try to type the URL again. If you still get an error, try to backtrack the URL to the directory the document resides in. If the error message persists, there may be a problem with the document. If others have the same problem contact the site’s administrator, or try again later. Go to troubleshooting steps.

401 - Unauthorized
401 - You are not authorized to perform this operation
401 errors usually occur when an Internet site is protected and the server didn't receive the correct encryption ID or password for entry. If you're registered with the site, you can try your password again if you have the opportunity. Passwords are usually case-sensitive, so type the password carefully. Also make sure that your Logon settings are correct.See Eureka! document 19013 — How to check your security settings in Internet Explorer Go to troubleshooting steps.

403 - Forbidden or Connection refused by host
These errors are similar to 401 errors. They usually occur when a server denies access because of your domain, because of security restrictions, or because you don't have a password. These errors also occur when you haven't signed up with a site that requires registration. You can try to register with the site or try your password again. You can also attempt to contact the site's administrator for a password. Go to troubleshooting steps.

404 - Not Found or File Not Found
The 404 error often appears as Not Found or simply File Not Found. Server cannot find the file you requested. File has either been moved or deleted, or you entered the wrong url or document name. Look at the url. If a word looks misspelled, then correct it and try it again. Your best bet is to assume you made a mistake when you typed the URL. Backtrack by deleting the portion of the URL that follows the last slash, until you come to a page on that site that isn't a 404. From there you may be able to find the page you're looking for. Go to troubleshooting steps.

The 500 codes generally include instances when the server software running on the site that you are contacting is having a problem sending you the html document.

500 Internal Server Error
Couldn't retrieve the HTML document because of server-configuration problems. There’s something wrong at the Web site itself. As the server is not functioning correctly, it’s unable to provide you with the requested Web page. Contact the site’s administrator, or try again later. Go to troubleshooting steps.

501 Not Implemented
Web server doesn't support a requested feature. If others have the same problem contact the site’s administrator. Go to troubleshooting steps.

502 - Service Temporarily Overloaded
This error indicates that the server is experiencing high-traffic load and can't process the request. You can often access the site by trying to load the site again. If the error persists, you may want to try at a later time. Go to troubleshooting steps.

503 - Service Unavailable
This error occurs when your access provider, gateway, or system is down or busy. Site may have moved, or you lost your network or dial-up internet connection. Go to troubleshooting steps.

Other typical messages

Bad file request or Too many users
These error messages indicate a problem with HTML coding at the site. The problem may be that the browser doesn't support the form you're trying to access. You can try to bypass this problem by E-mailing the Web site administrator for help. Go to troubleshooting steps.

Cannot add form submission result to bookmark list
This error appears when you try to save the results of a form-based search engine (such as Lycos) as a bookmark. The problem is that the URL of the query results is invalid - even though it may not appear to be. You can bypass this problem by either printing the search results, or you can try to save them as an HTML document on your hard disk. Go to troubleshooting steps.

Can't Find Website
This error may occur if you have typed the address incorrectly, clicked on a broken hyperlink, accessed a page that is no longer available, or simply have too many temporary Internet files stored. Often this is a server issue so first step is to see it others have the same problem. If others have the same problem contact the site’s administrator, or try again later. Go to troubleshooting steps.

Error getting content
This error may occur if your security settings are incorrect or you are using the wrong user name or password. Often this is a server issue so first step is to see it others have the same problem. If others have the same problem contact the site’s administrator, or try again later. Go to troubleshooting steps.

Failed DNS lookup
This error indicates that the Domain Name System (DNS) can't translate the URL to a valid Internet address. This DNS error message occurs in several situations. The server that you're trying to connect to may be overloaded with traffic or temporarily down. If the server is just busy, you can sometimes get through by trying to access the site again. If the server is temporarily down or offline, there's nothing you can do except try again later. Unfortunately, there's no way for you to tell whether a server is down or just busy. You could have also incorrectly typed the URL. If you're accessing the Internet via a modem and you get a DNS error for each Web site you try to access, chances are there's something wrong with your connection. Try re-launching the browser and your required communication software. If the problem persists, contact Technical Support Operations (or your ISP). Go to troubleshooting steps.

File contains no data
When you get this error, it means that you've accessed the right Web site, but the file you requested is empty. There's a possibility that the site administrator is updating the site, in which case you can try to access the document again later. You can also try to bypass this problem by retyping the URL with :80 before the last slash. If others have the same problem contact the site’s administrator, or try again later. Go to troubleshooting steps.

Helper application not found or Viewer not found
These errors occur when the browser doesn't recognize a file. This usually happens when you download a file that needs a specialized viewer, such as sound clips, video, 3D VRML pages, Zip (compressed) files, spreadsheets and so on. If you don't have the helper application, your best bet is to save the file to a disk and then try to get the application that will let the browser read the file. The latest versions of the major browsers usually offer to install the required ‘viewer’ or ‘helper’ program automatically. If you want to view the file, click OK to install the program and follow the prompts. If your browser doesn’t prompt you for automatic installation, you’ll usually find the error message provides information about the type of file that can’t be viewed. Look for a reference to graphic, VRML, audio and so on. Go to troubleshooting steps.

Host unavailable
This error usually occurs when the host server is down. You can try to access the site again by clicking the Reload button on Navigator's toolbar. If others have the same problem contact the site’s administrator, or try again later. Go to troubleshooting steps.

Host unknown or Unable to locate host
These errors often occur for one of three reasons: the host server is down, you lost your Internet connection, or you incorrectly typed the URL. Try clicking the Reload button first. If this doesn't work, look at the URL again. If you still get the error message, check your Internet connection. If others have the same problem contact the site’s administrator, or try again later. Go to troubleshooting steps.

Network connection was refused by the server or Too many connections - try again later
These errors most often indicate that the server is too busy to handle more traffic. You can try the site again by clicking the Reload button, or wait until a later time. Go to troubleshooting steps.

The Page cannot be displayed
This error may occur if you have typed the address incorrectly, clicked on a broken hyperlink, accessed a page that is no longer available, your Windows user profile is corrupted, your computer is not using 128-bit encryption, or simply have too many temporary Internet files stored.

Often this is a server issue so first step is to see it others have the same problem. If others have the same problem contact the site’s administrator, or try again later.

If the problem occurs when you are trying to login to Planet make sure your home page is set to Planet Peoplesoft. See Eureka! document 19039 — How to set your Home page in Internet Explorer

If the problem occurs when you are trying to access Customer Connection you may need to try again or change your internet settings. See Eureka! document 28151 — ERROR: Page cannot be displayed (Customer Connection only).

If the problem occurs when you are trying to access a link to a Lotus Notes database you may need to reload a utility from the Software library. See Eureka! document 19034 — Links from Planet PeopleSoft to Lotus Notes documents not working.

If the problem occurs when accessing a secure website (typically one with an address starting https://) check the encryption strength.

Go to troubleshooting steps.

Unable to locate the server
This error message indicates that the browser can't locate the server or that you incorrectly typed the URL. Look carefully at the server name in the URL and try retyping the URL. If others have the same problem contact the site’s administrator, or try again later. Go to troubleshooting steps.

A Runtime error has occurred. Do you wish do debug?
This error message is usually a problem with the script on the page, not your browser. It could be that there is a problem with the script, or it could be that the script is expecting some information that it is not getting (permissions, data, it could be anything). Test this by seeing if another person gets the same error on the same page. If others have the same problem contact the site’s administrator, or try again later. Generally this problem occurs only on one particular page or site. If the site is a PeopleSoft application then you can check Eureka! for error messages associated with that specific application and see if there is a known problem and resolution. Otherwise, go to troubleshooting steps and try those solutions, starting with clearing your cache and cookies, then reinstalling the Microsoft Virtual Machine.You can turn off the warning permanently but then you won't know why something isn't working.

To turn off the warning:

Open Internet Explorer.
From the menu bar select Tools
Select Internet Options
Click on the Advanced tab.
Under the Browsing category select (check) " Disable script debugging "

NOTE: This only resolves the fact that you are getting the message. It does not fix the problem.

Return to list of Internet Explorer FAQs

Internet Explorer has generated errors and will be closed by Windows. You will need to restart the program. An error log is being created.
This is actually an operating system error. You can try the troubleshootings steps, but most likely what will work is covered in Eureka! document 29008 — Various Fatal, Stop and Exception Errors.

Return to list of Internet Explorer FAQs

What trouble shooting steps should I try first? To bring up a search box to search this page press and hold {Ctrl} then {f} or from the menu bar click on Edit then select Find

Are other people having the same problem? There is no point in troubleshooting your machine if it is the site itself that is the problem. First confirm that someone else can access the site. If other people are having the same problem it could be a server issue or it could be a problem with the Internet port. This should be reported via NorthStar. Submit a NorthStar ticket providing the following information: The exact error message text, a description of what page was showing when the error occured (ideally including the URL) and the icon or link you clicked on (again ideally including the URL) of the page attempted to be loaded. You can also report missing or broken links on Planet sites directly. .
Make sure you are typing the site name correctly. Sometimes pasting the address into notepad can give you a fresh look at it and point out mistakes. Case often makes a difference when typing a URL. Common mistakes are: including an @ symbol, forgetting // or : after http, putting spaces in the address, misspelling the address, not including the www at the beginning of the address, using back slashes (\) instead of forward slashes (/), and not understanding that dot means period (.). The correct format for a web address is http://www.peoplesoft.com.
Exit I.E., shutdown, power-off, then reboot.
Clear your cache. For more information see document 16093 — How to clear the cache in Internet Explorer.
Check your cookies settings. For more information see document 18121 — How to change your cookies settings in Internet Explorer.
Delete cookies. For more information see document 19012 — How to find and delete cookies in Internet Explorer
Run virus scan. For more information see document 15039 — Norton AntiVirus LiveUpdates.
Ensure you have sufficient disk space. For more information see document 39008 — How to free up some hard disk space.
Make sure your security settings are correct. For more information see Eureka! Document 19013 — How to check your security settings in IE
If you are getting a blank window, Active-X errors, an " Error getting Content" message or are unable to open PDF files, then

Use the fix in the software library. For more information see document 29035 — Error: This page provides potentially unsafe information to an ActiveX control.
If that does not resolve your problem see Eureka! document 19003 — Blank Adobe Acrobat screen after selecting a PDF file in Internet Explorer
If the problem is a non-pdf link see Eureka! document 29060 — The current operation could not be completed because an unexpected error has occurred.

If the problem appears to be script related then try re-installing the Microsoft Virtual Machine. See Eureka! document 29050 — Java applet errors, update Java Virtual Machine
If you are accessing the network remotely, for example by RAS, into one location (e.g Miami) try a different server (e.g. phone number) and see if the problem persists
Use Add/Remove programs to see if "Comet Cursor" is installed, If you find it, remove "Comet Cursor". See Eureka! document 69004 — How to uninstall and install software.
Use Add/Remove programs to see if "Java 2 Runtime Environment " is installed, If you find it, remove "Java 2 Runtime Environment ". See Eureka! document 69004 — How to uninstall and install software.
Check that you have the correct version of Internet Explorer. .
In most cases you should not be downloading applications from the Internet. This is especially true of products, such as Internet Explorer, that may have been customized for the PeopleSoft environment. Always check the software library. If you get your software from other sources it will be unsupported. Just because a version is newer does not mean it is "better." Newer versions are tested and evaluated thoroughly before being made available in the software library.

To determine which version of Internet Explorer you are using, including the encryption strength:

Open Internet Explorer.
From the toolbar click on Help.
Click on About Internet Explorer.

If your encryption strength is not 128 bits, go to the link below and install the appropriate High Encryption Pack for your OS. http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/downloads/recommended/encryption/default.asp If your encryption strength is 40 bit or 128 bit, try the resolution in document 26042 — ERROR: IE cannot open the Internet site https:... An error occurred in the secure channel support. To check your security settings see document 19013 — How to check your security settings in Internet Explorer.

If you have tried everything else you can try reinstalling the High Encryption Pack for your OS. http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/downloads/recommended/encryption/default.asp even if it appears you have 128-bit encryption.

Try a repair:
1. Click on the Start button, then select Settings
2. Click on Control Panel
3. Double click the Add/Remove Programs to open it.
4. Scroll to Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 and Internet Tools. or Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 SP1
5. Click on the Add/Remove button. (Restore original configuration if IE 6)
6. Select Repair
  
  If that does not work go on to Software Library Install
Try re-registering the dlls as described in Eureka! document 29060 — The current operation could not be completed because an unexpected error has occurred.
As a last resort only reinstall I.E. For more information see document 19014 — How to restore or reload Internet Explorer or its components.

Return to list of Internet Explorer FAQs

Internet Explorer is heavily integrated into the operating system. When a service pack is loaded the entry for Internet Explorer is removed from "Add/Remove Programs".To restore the entry it is necessary make a change to the registry. These links will make the change for you:

I.E. 5.5 Save the file to the desktop of the affected machine, then double-click to install it.

I.E. 6 Save the file to the desktop of the affected machine, then double-click to install it.