Trouble accessing AAW Forum with Vista

[Chuck Jones]

I recently install a brand shiny new computer with Windows Vista and really like it except I can't access the AAW Forums. Everything else works fine. I can get the home page; click on "AAW Forums" and the "Community" page comes up; but when I click the "Link to Forum and Online Gallery" or the "Dial in here" I get a message that says the connection was reset, try again.

I turn to my trusty old laptop with XP and everything is fine.

Has anyone else encountered this? An needless to say if you have, I appreciate a clue as to how you got around it.

I've check every security setting I can find and compared them with my laptop and other XP computer and have gotten nowhere.

The bad part of this is I started programming computers in the 1950's and I've been in touch with computer technology all my adult life. Simply put, this is embarrassing! I've got to find a solution before one of my grandchildren shows up.

 

[Ed Davidson]

Chuck,

We disabled the old forum (woodturner.org/vbforum) late last month and set up a new domain...the one you're viewing now (aawforum.org/vbforum), so that explains part of the problem you are encountering.

I suspect you have a cookie set on your new Vista PC’s browser that is set to that old domain address. If you're using M/S Internet Explorer on your new machine, click on the "Tools" pull-down menu item and then "Delete Browser History". A pop-up box should appear at that point, where you want to click on the "Delete Cookies" button. Once that's done, you may have to close your browser and open a new session to enable the changes. Let me know if that fixes the problem.

 

[Steve Worcester]

Even as a Microsoft zealot and someone who makes a living (partially) with thier OS', I can't attest to Vista as I don't use it. I do use IE7 on some of the computers.

Try this, go in and set the privacy to low and see if you can access us.

But I also suspect that some of Vista security features are what are truely getting in the way.

 

[Chuck Jones]

Ed: Clearing the cookies didn't do it... even though I was sure you were right and I hadn't tried that before.

Steve: I'm using Firefox, but I've tried setting all security settings at lowest possible setting on both FF and IE7 and it didn't change a thing.

 

[Ed Davidson]

Well Chuck...I just tried accessing the forum using Firefox via the main site's Community/Forums/Dial in here link and it worked just fine on my Vista machine. Sorry, no help here...time to call in the heavy guns (grandkids) .

 

[Joe Greiner]

Chuck, I didn't start programming until the 1960s, but I can appreciate your frustration with what are now called "computers."

Have you tried typing the forum's address directly in the address line? I.e., instead of relying on links? If accessible that way, you might then be able to save the site as a Favorite or Bookmark.

Just my 2 cents' worth.

Joe

 

[Jim Stoppleworth]

I have a new Vista driven computer. Until this morning I had no problems accessing the AAW forums. After some additional navigation (back to AAW home page, etc.) I was able to get back to the forum. Interesting as to why it all of a sudden appeared after a week of no problems with the new Vista system.

Jim

 

[John Martin Jr.]

Chuck,

I am using IE with Vista and I have no problems. Are you using Vista's firewall or another program? What anti-virus/ anti-spam software are you using. I had several problems getting to some site when I first got my new system but the problem was not with IE but with settings in McAfee.

 

[Ed_McDonnell]

I use Vista with IE and have no problems now, but it was not always the case. The machine worked great the day I got it. I then performed all the microsoft recommended updates for Vista and my other Microsoft Software. I did all the updates at once as recommended by the Microsoft Update utility. The machine started having all kinds of intermittent problems after that.

One or more of the updates had corrupted parts of the registry and the system was effectively hosed. Had to reload the operating system and all software. Use the event viewer that's part of administrative services to check for error messages about services that can't be started. I hope this isn't your problem.

Another possible problem is driver / firmware issues with your router (if you use one) or network card. Check with your vendors for updates / vista compatibility.

Ed

 

[Chuck Jones]

This is a fairly straightforward Vista install. I like my lathe more than I like computers now-a-days so I don't tweak anything I don't have to.

I'm using Microsoft Firewall and I've tried it with the firewall turned off (as I think someone suggested here).

I kill McAfee and Norton at every opportunity; too many technical, service, and emotional issue with them in the past. I have the free version of AVG. It has worked fine for me on all my XP computers for a long time. I guess it works fine. How does one every know that a virus checker is working fine? I have tried it with AVG disabled.

Next step is to follow Ed's suggestion and see if there are any updates for the LinkSys WRT54G router. It's really new. My other one died a few weeks ago. I have been assuming it and everything with my ISP is okay because I am able to see the site with my XP computers on the same LAN. Vista compatibility issue is a good thought though and I'll follow up on that.

 

[Chuck Jones]

I've checked out the LinkSys information and there does not appear to be any compatibility problems between Vista and the WRT54G router/firewall. They recommend completely turning off the Vista software firewall, so I did. It made no difference.

I'm going to my shop and turn something. To h#%& with that computer.

Thanks for all your attempts at helping.

 

[Ken Grunke]

Chuck,
I had exactly the same problem with my computer hooked up to that same Linksys router while visiting my sister for the last 2 1/2 weeks and I never found a solution. My suspicion was the router's firewall which you access by a browser with it's IP number. I never tried that, since I was able to access the forums on my sister's computer no problem.

The problem truly baffled me especially since the forums were also blocked while I was booted into Linux on my computer, so it wasn't a problem with the OS (I run XP and Linux each on their own partitions). Now I'm back home on dialup, and everything's OK. Try bypassing the router to pin it down or eliminate it as the problem. Also try logging in to your router's settings via a browser to look for a blocked IP.
I can't help any more than that, except to empathize with you having almost the same exact problem.

 

[Chuck Jones]

Eureka!
My ISP is a WildBlue satellite antenna. As a last resort I downloaded and ran their "Optimizer" program. That fixed it. I had not run it previously because it changes a lot of things I don't like and have to change back.

The only relevant change I can find that it made to my previous settings is it set up an "Automatic Proxy Configuration URL" with a link to a data file on their site. I'm not clear on why, but I don't have a lot of incentive to check into it much further. Interestingly enough, it's set that way on my XP desktop, but not on my XP laptop and both are able to access the forum site fine. Must be some weird combination of settings, or something unique to Vista.

Thanks again for the help and I hope this shortens someone else's troubleshooting process later on.

 

[Eric]

Internet Options - Manage Sites

Chuck, All,
Try going to internet options, manage sites and inter the URL to the AAW home page, the select allow. This will allow cookies from AAW regardless of other settings.

 

[Ken Grunke]

Another coincidence! My sister has Wildblue satellite service also. Glad I'm back home and don't have to mess with that situation 🙂 Congrats on solving your problem!