Wednesday, March 31, 2010

The Blue Screen of Death

The blue screen of death is also known as the stop error, BSod, blue screen of doom or simply the blue screen. This screen is seen when there is an error in the operating system of the computer and is most common with Microsoft Windows operating systems. It is used to tell the user that something is seriously wrong with the operating system.

The blue screen is shown as a result of an internal critical system error, which causes the system to automatically shut down. Shutting down is the operating systems’ way of preventing any loss of data or irreversible damage to the computer. When it appears, a series of information, usually error codes, is usually listed that provides the operating system with a command to check the data. These codes serve as instructions to tell the operating system that there is a problem and start a check of the computer.

Any data is then dumped into a file to preserve it. Depending on the operating system and the severity of the error, data can be lost. Usually a trained computer technician will be able to successfully retrieve data from the file.

The blue screen of death was given this name because ultimately it could result in the death, or loss of, data or the entire computer system. Sometimes the blue screen error occurs for reasons beyond the users’ control. Poorly written device drivers, hardware malfunctions and bugs in the operating system are common reasons for the onset of the blue screen error. These issues are generally configured at the time the computer is built, so the average computer user will probably not be able to detect the issue, let alone repair it. Often, the assistance of a trained computer technician will be required if the error is severe.

There are ways to avoid being a victim of the blue screen. Ensuring that power supplies are adequate and preventing the computer from overheating from extensive use are simple ways to avoid loss of data. Following the instructions for hardware installation so that the hardware will run well within its limits should also prevent many occurrences of the fatal blue screen error.
It’s important to remember that most computer errors are trying to communicate something to the user. Do not ignore errors by clicking out of them or rebooting when they are displayed.

There are times that the blue screen error will require a long-term fix from a trained technician. If this error is ignored, it can ultimately result in the crash of your computer for good and the subsequent loss of all data.

Monday, March 29, 2010

History of the Fail Whale

The Fail Whale is an interesting name for an online error; but one that is quite well known to those who have become familiar with the ever growing Twitter movement. The Fail Whale is is the image that tells Tweeters Twitter isn’t working right now. When Twitter is having technical difficulties, from an overloaded server to unscheduled maintenance, users will see the Fail Whale and know that the site is down. The idea is that the image of the whale will make this bothersome news a little more bearable to anyone who receives the error.

The whale is a legend in its own right and interestingly enough has even formed a following. Shirts, mugs and various other items now proudly showcase this very popular image, which ironically doubles as an error message. We all know the frustration when our technology isn’t working the way we think it is supposed to. We expect that we are in the era of having something up and running in a matter of seconds. WAIT is not an easy word to hear, especially when it is appearing in the form of a computer error message. Twitter has found a lighthearted way to empathize with their users who are inconvenienced by the overload that sometimes happens on Twitter causing them to have to WAIT until service is back up and running.

Although people hate to see that error message that states that Twitter is down, for whatever reason, the Fail Whale seems to make people smile. It just swims right in and offers a little bit of humor to an otherwise frustrating situation.

The Fail Whale is an image logo that is now owned by Twitter. Interestingly the original photo was designed by Yiying Lu who had innocently posted the image to iStockPhoto. It was discovered by Tom Limongelloto who made a personal shirt from the image. The shirt, which was nameless, became a big hit. This whale image and the attention it commanded was the start of something great.

The Fail Whale project began when finally all of the parties got together and began negotiations about rights and money and all of the technical stuff that goes into branding an image. From there, an effort to create a community around this image was started by Sean O’Steen. It was Sean who created an actual brand for the Fail Whale image, followed by the website, the memorabilia and so on and so forth.

Obviously the image took off and became immediately popular. Nick Quaranto coined the name Fail Whale to describe what is known as the popular little Twitter error message with a great big story behind it. And there you have it!

Friday, March 26, 2010

408 - Request Timeout Error

Hurry up and wait is probably how most of us feel when we are greeted with the request timeout error message. Rushing is such a normal pace for many of us today. We rush through the day squeezing things in and waiting can be such an inconvenience. We expect that our high speed internet services will be as quick as the blink of our eye. Unfortunately, there are glitches that are either user caused or happen behind the scenes that cause us to wait for the page we are looking for to load.

The request timeout error is a HTTP status code that is telling the user that the connection that they attempted to make with the website’s server is taking a bit longer than the server was prepared to wait. Servers expect that connections will only take a certain amount of time. If something happens that pushes the connection beyond the expected time period, the computer will automatically recognize that it is taking too long and generate an error message. In this case, the request has timed out and you will see an error message that says just that – 408 request timeout.

The request timeout is usually temporary. Refreshing the page will often cause the connection to take place successfully on the second or third attempt. Waiting, especially for the Internet because we expect it to be so quick, can seem like forever, but don’t keep clicking in hopes that this will speed things up. Typically, continued and repeated immediate attempts will cause things to move more slowly. Simply hit the refresh button, hurry up and wait and see what happens. If you are met with the same message, try again.

If refreshing the page doesn’t work after the second or third attempt, try to connect to another website. If you are met with the same message on a second website, there may be an issue with your Internet connection. It may not be working or just taking longer than normal to connect, causing timeout messages.

The request timeout error can really be a way of telling you that you have a connection issue. In this event, you can check your own connectivity. If you are unsure how to do this, or have done and are still having issues, you should contact your Internet Service Provider to assist you in troubleshooting through any connection problems.

If you have determined that it is not your connection, it may be a technical issue with the website. You can notify them of the issue if you have the information to do so, or you can wait it out and attempt to visit the site at a later time.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

HTTP 403 Forbidden Error

Errors that state messages such as unauthorized or forbidden are trying to tell the visitor that they are an uninvited guest to the website. Since most webmasters want people to access their sites, these messages are usually just a way to say that you need to have certain privileges to view the content. There are a number of different types of sites that may provide the 403 Forbidden error when you try to access them. They can range from internal corporate sites that only employees can access to sites that require some kind of registration by visitors.

Most websites offer easy ways to get access. A very simple registration form is usually provided on the site that offers visitors the opportunity to register to be given access to enter. Filling this out will provide you with exactly what you need to get into the site, given that you agree to provide the information that is requested on the form. There may be a fee involved, and you will also have to agree to their terms in order to be granted access to entry. If you don’t agree with either of these options and they are required, you will not be granted access to the content on the site.

Much like the 404 error, the 403 error can usually be remedied fairly quickly and easily from the user’s end. As a user you have to be sure that the authorization information that you have been given is entered correctly. One wrong letter or number and you may be greeted with the 403 Forbidden message. This is telling you that you either need to get proper access, or you need to ensure that the access information you were given was correct. Contact the webmaster if you are sure that you have the necessary privileges to enter and the information you have entered is correct. There may be a change with the site, access privileges or the behind the scenes workings of the site.

A lot of information is stored and accessed on the Internet, but both website visitors and those maintaining the websites themselves. The last thing anyone needs is someone else tampering with the information that provides the content for a site. As such, the directory of a website is usually a forbidden area that requires access information to use. Sometimes when a website is typed in wrong, it may direct the browser to a directory instead of a page. The directory is where information is stored and manipulated, not viewed as web pages and this can cause the forbidden error to appear.

Monday, March 22, 2010

401 - Unauthorized Access Error

Simply put, the 401 error is trying to tell you that the page allows only authorized visitors.

Unauthorized error messages may be slightly different depending on the website you visit. The message remains the same but each website has the freedom to put their own touch to the same message. You may see a message that reads; HTTP Error or 401 Error or Unauthorized, which may look different but mean the same thing. In a nutshell, you are not authorized to visits this page at this time.

There are many times we need proper identification to be allowed in certain areas, which is true for websites also. Without proper identification, you are basically an uninvited guest. Some websites require some kind of information to allow access, just like trying to get into a concert without a ticket.

If you are trying to access an unauthorized page, the message will usually appear where the information would normally be displayed. In a few simple words it will inform you that you are an uninvited guest. If you are met with the 401 error code it can means one of a number of different things:
  • You don’t have the credentials to get into the site. If you are trying to get on the site without proper access and you want access, you can request from the site the necessary credentials to become an authorized user.
  • You have proper access, but you still can’t get in. If you are an invited guest who does have the proper access, you may have just typed your password or user name in wrong. Try re-typing your ID and password in again and hope that it was just a typing mistype. If not, you will need to contact the person in charge of the site to ensure your password and user name are correct.
  • The URL or site address may be wrong. If you are met with the unauthorized access error and you are sure this is not a site that requires special access there is a possibility that the URL or address is wrong. Putting in a wrong address by even one letter wrong will point a browser to a different site. Try re-typing it carefully to see if this solves the problem.
  • There may be a problem with the site itself. If you have tried all of the tips above and none of these have worked you should contact the site’s webmaster. This error may be caused from a glitch in the site that cannot be fixed from the user’s end.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

HTTP 404 Page Not Found Error

Even for people with above average knowledge of computers, figuring out computer error messages can be a constant game of decoding. Most of us have seen error codes that look familiar, but that does not help us know what to do about them. For example, at some point while surfing the Internet, almost everyone will have been met with the words Not Found at one time or another.

The 404-Not Found message appears when a webpage has been changed, taken down or moved. This all too frequent message is otherwise known as HTTP 404 or the Not Found error. HTTP stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol. It is an application protocol request that is used in Internet communication. These errors will not show up in other computer applications, such as Microsoft Word or Photoshop, because the code is used where information must be shared and dispersed through a server.

404 is basically an error message that tells you that the webpage you are trying to visit is not there. Of course it would be easier if it just said page not found, or page moved, rather than 404, but who can make sense of this confusing computer world anyway? The error can happen at any time and is particularly annoying when trying to visit a page you have been to before. It is different from a server not found error or 410-Gone error message. A 404 error is telling you that the server, which communicates the information to the page, has been successful located, but the page has changed moved or been deleted from the location that you once found it.

A 404 error does not necessarily mean that the page is gone forever. It may just be temporarily unavailable. It does not help to keep clicking to hope that it will reappear any second because that’s probably not the case. The best thing to do if you are met with a 404 -Not Found message is to try once or twice and then revisit it at another time to see if something has changed. You can also try visiting a different page on from the website you are on. This way, you can see if the site is up. Also, from there, you could attempt a different link to the page you want.

The page may or may not return. If it doesn’t, you will know that nothing is wrong with your Internet connection or your computer, but rather the message is just simply informing you that the page you are looking for is no longer in the same location.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Too Many Recipients?

For those who regularly use distribution lists for managing and sending e-mails, receiving an error message can be a nightmare. One of the most common errors that is received is the “452 4.5.3 Too many recipients" notice. This error is returned to the sender to indicate that a distribution list is too big, but where is the message coming from and what does 452 4.5.3 mean? Also, how many is too many recipients?

A common misconception of Outlook users is that this error message is sent by Outlook when a distribution list is too large. In actual fact, the message is sent by the Internet Service Provider (ISP) you are using, or if you are within an office, the error message is usually sent by the corporate mail administrator. Outlook itself does not have a limit on the number of contacts you send an e-mail to, it is the limits place by the ISP or mail administrator that generate the error message.

The reason these limits are set is to protect against users sending spam e-mails. If you have too many names on a list, your e-mail may be marked as spam and treated as such. Since distribution lists are sending the exact same message to a large number of recipients, the spam filter will likely pick up on that message and mistake it for junk mail.

As most of us are all too painfully aware, “spam” can be categorized as any message distributed to users in mass quantities – in other words, the online version of junk mail that many of us receive in our home or work mailboxes. Even the most inexperienced web surfer has seen some version of spam, and most of us are savvy enough to ignore these messages completely, delete them or install a spam filter that will help to separate the spam from the legitimate messages.

The easiest way to prevent this message from popping up is to create distribution lists with a reasonable amount of e-mail addresses –less than 25 recipients if possible, although your server may allow between 50 - 75 recipients on each list. You can find out the limits for sending e-mails by contacting the mail administrator or your ISP. By saving a number of distribution lists with less than this number of contacts, you should avoid receiving this error message the next time you send mass emails.

By the way, the 452 4.5.3 code is just a signifier of the type of error. Some people may receive just a 452 error or a 4.5.3 error, but both mean the same thing, your e-mail was bounced back because those recipients were over the limit allowed by your account.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Welcome to the What's My Error Message Blog

Isn’t technology great? It’s become such a part of our lives, most of us wonder how we ever lived without it. Most gadgets are meant to make our lives simpler, our time more effective, our productivity more efficient, and for the most part, they do. Many of us would readily admit that we’d be at a loss without our Blackberry, iPhone, Bluetooth headset or laptop. We’ve become as dependent on these little handheld gadgets as our parents and grandparents were on the washing machine, dishwasher and other household appliances that served the same purpose – to make our lives easier, our hours and minutes better spent.

But like everything, technology is not foolproof or fail safe. Things happen. Even our most “user-friendly” systems break down from time to time, and this is when error messages appear. There are literally hundreds of thousands of different error messages that can pop up on a system. Deciding on the best way to tackle the problem can be a challenge for even the most experienced IT professional, let alone the average consumer with no computer networking background. These kinds of issues keep our IT technicians in business, without a doubt, but it’s frustrating for the rest of us. What do these error messages mean? What’s causing them? Is there some way we can keep them from popping up? What can we do to fix them? In today’s cost-conscious world, we may not have the means to call in a professional technician, so taking care of the problem may fall to us.

That’s where this blog comes in – our purpose is to interpret these error messages and (hopefully) be able to troubleshoot the problem without having to call on a professional. And we’re not just talking about error messages on PCs, we’ll be looking at messages that are commonly seen on cell phones, Blackberrys, and even video game systems, and giving you the information you need to tackle the problem yourself. Of course, there is a time and a place when a professional will need to be called in, so we’ll be posting interviews and “Ask the Expert” information, as well.

This is your blog, meant to help you help yourself.

Welcome.