DOSTIPS.COM does not work on XP

[miskox]

Hello!

For a few days (since some upgrade) I can't access DOSTIPS.com on my XP computer (does not work with Firefox 43, Browzar, Opera).

Cleared everything possible.

Steffen provided some suggestions via email (thanks Steffen!) but I decided to ask all of you.

Any ideas?

Please stick to the topic (avoid asking questions like: why still using XP...)

Troubleshooting on Firefox shows 2 lines in a log: first line is when DOSTIPS.com is accessed and then redirected to https://www.dostips.com and next line which tries to connect to site via HTTPS hangs.

Thanks.

Saso

(I am writing this on my work computer - so replies can follow late)

[aGerman]

(avoid asking questions like: why still using XP...)

I already had a hard time to avoid it

I'm afraid I can't help much because I don't have access to XP anymore.
Just a few questions to understand the issue:
What do you see if you try to open DosTips?
Is there any error displayed? (e.g. an error number or a PHP error with a description where the error occurred)
Do you see anything of the site? (e.g. only the top with all of the links to the library ressources and the black side bar but without the list of forum topics)
Did you already try to install Firefox new?

I'll link Peter (admin) to this topic. Maybe he can say anything about OS and browser support of the new forum software.

Steffen

[Squashman]

I still have XP Mode installed on my Windows 7 computer at work. My kids took the liberty of upgrading my computer to Windows 10 at home. I should flog them. I will see if I can figure something out in my free time at work.

[Squashman]

I got it to work with Chrome but I get a warning message before I enter and have to bypass the the warning by clicking Advanced and then proceed.

[miskox]

Thank you all. I will try some suggestions:
- upgrading Firefox: I did one upgrade but fonts were not clear anymore (so I don't use the latest version which XP supports)
- if I remember correctly it just hangs. There is nothing on display. I will start the firefox debugger and post it
- Chrome: I did not try with Chrome because on the website it says that XP is not supported anymore (so I would have to download an old version somewhere).

Update on monday I guess.

Thanks.
Saso

[aGerman]

- upgrading Firefox: I did one upgrade but fonts were not clear anymore (so I don't use the latest version which XP supports)

With "install Firefox new" I meant to uninstall Firefox and reinstall the old version that runs on XP.

- Chrome: I did not try with Chrome because on the website it says that XP is not supported anymore (so I would have to download an old version somewhere).

Old portable versions can be found here:
https://google-chrome-portable.en.uptod ... indows/old
If you are asked to rename the executable to end in "_online.paf.exe" please do so. If a version still doesn't work you can easily delete the created folder without uninstallation and try another one.

Steffen

[miskox]

@aGerman:

Will try that.

About this XP installation: I have a machine that I use just to connect to the internet. Everytime I use it it has 'fresh' Windows XP installation (that gets prepared when I shut down the computer).

Saso

[miskox]

Update:

I upgraded Firefox to the latest XP supported version (52.5.2 esr). I already had version 52 installed but fonts are not sharp anymore. See attached files (url shows very cleary the difference (switch between them quickly). I checked the settings and they are the same (times new roman, 16) - this is of course more of a question for the Firefox developers.

Question still remains why dostips.com does not work with the previous version.

Thank you all.

Saso

[aGerman]

but fonts are not sharp anymore

I see the difference. There are hundreds of people in the internet who complained that the font is blurred or fuzzy using Firefox. Unfortunately there are also hundreds of possible reasons with different solutions. I'm afraid it would be a mess to test all of them. But it might be worth trying ...

Question still remains why dostips.com does not work with the previous version.

Still can't answer your question. I asked Peter if he knows anything about the Windows or browser versions that the new forum software requires but he didn't answer yet.

Steffen

[miskox]

Update regarding blurry fonts:

I asked a question on the Firefox support forum and received an answer:
- open about:config
- find gfx.canvas.azure.backends and change it's value to either (current value should be direct2d1.1,skia,cairo): direct2d1.1,cairo,skia or direct2d1.1,cairo
- find gfx.content.azure.backends and change it's value to either (current value should be direct2d1.1,skia,cairo): direct2d1.1,cairo,skia or direct2d1.1,cairo

Thanks to the Support team.

Now I have to prepare new OS image file...

Saso

[admin]

The dostips.com certificate uses sha256 encryption. This google forum thread states that sha256 wasn't supported before Windows XP Service Pack 3. Could this be the issue? Possibly later Firefox versions added their own support?

Peter

[miskox]

The dostips.com certificate uses sha256 encryption. This google forum thread states that sha256 wasn't supported before Windows XP Service Pack 3. Could this be the issue? Possibly later Firefox versions added their own support?

Peter

Thank you for the answer. XP I use has SP3 installed (though it does not have all the patches installed). If I remember correctly from some previous googling if there is a reason with TLS or something?

Thanks.
Saso

[MicrosoftIsKillingMe]

FWIW I am making this reply on XP XP3 32 bit
Firefox 5.0, NoScript 2.9

So you may possibly not need to rush to upgrades. Indeed, there are a multitude of LAZY developers (or more likely I.T. policymakers) whose sites neglect to test support of legacy browser versions when they do an upgrade, instead saying "(you must upgrade your browser to version ___ to use this site)" - even though the additional effort to support earlier browsers, at very least with partial functionality, is often trivial. So in some cases I can no longer pay bills, etc. (BTW the worst offender is Microsoft, whose designers are often truly incompetent, and who are clueless in understanding how users are hurt by forcing upgrades in many fashions). But dostips.com is cranking just fine on this box. (At least, it is currently One day the BBS software will be upgraded, and some people will be hurt. Business as usual )

I'll test Opera 26 in a moment and attempt to post with it.

If it helps, I'm happy to to test something here or report system info or whatever.

One curiosity, the URL for this post for me shows, in this browser, on XP,
https://www.dostips.com/
instead of what I would expect,
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=8284

The short URL also shows when I view the forum instead of
viewforum.php?f=3

and there's a bunch of "home page junk" on the top of the page - but if I scroll down, I can see the forum, or a post in the forum, as I just did to make these replies.

FYI - I was unable to even the site at all with Opera 36.0, on XP SP3, though other sites work fine before and after the attempts.

Maybe you'll like FX 5.0 since it works and is not bloated

[MicrosoftIsKillingMe]

Small corrections regarding my post above (it feels rather late to edit it now)
I tested Opera 36 only. Tested many times; it always reports "This site can't be reached.
www.dostips.com's DNS address could not be found"

The behavior I described on FX 5.0 is worrisome but I was unable to find anything "broken" other than I described.

I said "XP XP3 32 bit" but of course meant "XP SP3 32 bit"

[Samir]

I'm running xp as well. Using chrome portable 26 (I think) and it's working fine.

phpbb is a very established forum software and has worked over several operating system incarnations (I started using this version of phpbb as a user when I was on win98), and I don't see any reason for them to update so high that only 'new os' users can view the site. That also hurts mobile users as many of them find forum layouts like this very mobile friendly.