Facebook - Blank Pages

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hlewton
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Facebook - Blank Pages

Post by hlewton »

Not exactly sure how to even ask this question because I am not that familiar with Facebook. I have had an account there for over a year but rarely use it. However, I just noticed that when I sign into it from my main computer the pages are all blank. I guess they are called the Timeline page or my Home page. I thought perhaps there was a problem with Facebook because it used to work from this machine so I checked it by logging on from my laptop computer and all is well using that computer. I have no idea how to make the pages reappear as they should. Any ideas how I can correct this problem?

Thanks
Regards,
hlewton

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HansV
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Re: Facebook - Blank Pages

Post by HansV »

Which browser are you using?
Have you enabled JavaScript?
Best wishes,
Hans

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stuck
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Re: Facebook - Blank Pages

Post by stuck »

Try the old, "Log out of FB, clear your browser's cache and any FB cookies on the PC that's misbehaving and then log back in again" routine.

Ken

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Bigaldoc
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Re: Facebook - Blank Pages

Post by Bigaldoc »

I agree with Ken. It has to be a function of the machine and not your FB account if it works OK on a different machine.

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hlewton
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Re: Facebook - Blank Pages

Post by hlewton »

OH I agree too Al, I just don't know what to do about it. I had thought I had posted this earlier but must have made a draft of it and I can't remember how to find the drafts so luckily it was still on my clipboard so I didn't have to recreate it.

I have paid for support a while back and have 3 incidents left. I tried using them to help solve this problem. So now I will try to reply to the 2 posts above. The support guy had me try logging into Facebook using something other that IE 8 which is what I have always used. Facebook works as it should using Google Chrome. He then took control of my computer and restored the advanced settings and reset everything. Even after a reboot IE 8 still did not make Facebook work as it should. He then wanted to run a "restore" to a month ago which I was against doing. He said we could use the "add/remove" to make IE go back to IE 7 and then let it update itself again but would not guarantee this would help either. So I still have the problem.

Hans I have looked but do not see where to enable that Java Script you mentioned. I looked under Tools, Internet Options, Advanced and do not see that option. Am I looking in the wrong place?

Stuck on the machine in question I cannot get to the Log Out option while in Facebook but have deleted all cookies under Tools, Internet Options and that did not help either.

If all else fails I do have a shortcut to Facebook on my desktop and since Facebook works using Google Chrome is there a way to make that shortcut use Google Chrome when opening Facebook?
Regards,
hlewton

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HansV
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Re: Facebook - Blank Pages

Post by HansV »

In Internet Explorer, go to Facebook.
Select Tools | Internet Options...
Activate the Security tab, then click Custom Level...
Scroll down to the Scripting section.
"Active Scripting" should be set to Enable:
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Best wishes,
Hans

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stuck
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Re: Facebook - Blank Pages

Post by stuck »

It must be fluff in IE's cogs if it works OK in Chrome. Close all your browsers and then use Ccleaner to give the PC a good hose down. NB if you don't explicitly tell Ccleaner to retain certain cookies, e.g. those for Eileen's Lounge and other sites where you are auto-logged in then when you next visit then you will have to tick remember me boxes re-enter passwords.

Alternatively ditch IE and use Firefox like all sensible people (except Hans who is very sensible but for some reason has never seen the light and switched to Firefox :grin:

Seriously, if you can access FB via Chrome then you should be able to simply drag the FB URL from Chrome's address bar on to your desktop to create a shortcut that opens Chrome and takes you to FB.

Ken
PS my FB account looks OK in IE 8 on XP MCE

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hlewton
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Re: Facebook - Blank Pages

Post by hlewton »

Thanks Hans and it appears it was already set that way.

Stuck, I use CCleaner all the time but I will try it again. I tried the method you suggested to create a Google Chrome shortcut before posting the question but it did not work. But this did work after first opening FB in Google Chrome:
Create shortcuts for other apps

You can also create desktop shortcuts for other websites and apps you regularly use, even if they're not installed from the
Chrome Web Store. Follow these steps:

1.Click the Chrome menu on the browser toolbar.
2.Select Tools.
3.Select Create application shortcuts.
4.In the dialog that appears, choose where you'd like the shortcuts to be placed on your computer.
5.Click Create.
When you double-click a shortcut icon, the app opens in a special streamlined window that doesn't display tabs, buttons, the address bar, or menus. To access common page options, click the page logo in the top left corner of the window.
Regards,
hlewton

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hlewton
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Re: Facebook - Blank Pages

Post by hlewton »

Nope CCleaner did not make it any better either. Just to be clearer about my problem, when I get to the login or sign up page all is well. It is only after logging into FB that I get the blank pages. Does that make any sense?
Regards,
hlewton

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stuck
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Re: Facebook - Blank Pages

Post by stuck »

hlewton wrote:... Does that make any sense?
No but then again I've never seen any sense in FB :laugh:

Google searching this problem implies it happens to others as well and it will fix itself eventually, comments lie, "It's just FB being FB" but I'm not so hopeful in your case as we've already established that it works fine in Chrome on your PC and it works fine on another PC using IE so it must be something to do with the FB/IE cache/cookies combination on the problem machine. Yet clearing all cookies, and Ccleaning IE doesn't help.

:nope: no sense there at all.

Ken

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hlewton
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Re: Facebook - Blank Pages

Post by hlewton »

Thanks Ken but it is even worse than what you mentioned because I also have a little utility that I run and did so when I reported this problem. It is called TFC for Temporary File Cleaner and as far as I know it does a good job but even after running that, deleting all cookies, and deleting all history I still cannot get FB to work using IE. The strange thing is it had been working fine. The only things I know that I did recently was update Kodak All In One printer drivers then uninstall then to go back to a previous version because the updated version was taken off Kodak's WEB site since it was causing problems. Also I updated all the programs within Nero 12 Platinum. That tech support I mentioned also updated the Flash Player but I actually had done that last week as well. I don't see how any of these actions could have affected FB but I guess stranger things have happened.
Regards,
hlewton

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hlewton
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Re: Facebook - Blank Pages

Post by hlewton »

Well as Ken mentioned it did seem to fix itself. I did absolutely nothing since the last time I tried to log in but today it worked fine. Also I forgot to mention I too see little since in FB and rarely use it. I think it will be even less now that they seem to have messed it up even more.
Regards,
hlewton

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Bigaldoc
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Re: Facebook - Blank Pages

Post by Bigaldoc »

As usual, to each his own. But I love Facebook for my daily contacts with friends and family around the country and the world. I have always thought there's a bit too much paranoia on the part of many people about privacy. But that's the way the cookie crumbles.