AGH! widget problem solved
-
Artist:
-
Track:
Predicament: Unable to edit / add to / delete from MOG homepage widgets. *This post may also be useful for red button problems since they concern swf (Shockwave Flash) files.
Solution that worked for me (yay!): Upgrade to Firefox 3. Refresh widgets. Enjoy a glass of water. *Jump to "Backstory" below for what led me to upgrade.
Suggestions here: Update your browser. Update your browser plugins. Check that your plugins are compatible with one another and with the browser itself. *Jump to "Try these" if the browser update didn't work for you.
The lowdown: After updating to FF3, try to edit any of your widgets to test that it is the solution you're looking for. Refresh your widgets before giving up. I'd waited this long so it did not hurt to do an ultra-clean restore once I knew my widgets were editable once more. I deleted all widgets and then restored them two at a time, working on one side first (right-hand), bottom to top. I opened a second browser (Safari) to view my page (without logging in) after every two widgets restored, to make sure all the drop-n-dragging stuck before moving on to more widgets.
Caution: A) Backup your FF bookmarks - I lost mine after the upgrade but had them backed up, thankfully. B) Check that your add-ons are compatible with FF3 before updating.
Backstory: After reading Mogger dermahrk's post on how updating his Flash Player solved his widget problem (it may be what you need: http://mog.com/dermahrk/blog/232150), I became convinced it is an incompatibility issue. I prowled the internet last night and gathered that non-new versions of the QuickTime and Flash browser plugins are incompatible - i.e. if QT is set to handle swf files instead of Flash, those files are unlikely to work. I had the plugins sorted out but suspected the incompatibility was between my new Flash (10.x) and old Firefox (2.x). In other words, the culprit may be two incompatible plugins; or a plugin incompatible with a browser.
Other than the FF3 upgrade, try these:
(For good measure, if you're obsessive like me)
1- Test your Flash and Shockwave Players here - http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/welcome/
2- Detect your Flash player version here - http://kb.adobe.com/selfservice/viewContent.do?externalId=tn_15507 - or just right-click any Flash movie and you'll see it on the drop-down
3- Test your QT plugin here - http://www.apple.com/quicktime/troubleshooting/
(Important)
4- Open your QT Player. Under QT Preferences } Advanced } MIME Settings } Miscellaneous, uncheck swf (the newest QT has removed the option to handle swf files altogether)
5- In your FF's address bar, type about:plugin and press return to have FF load your list of plugins. Make sure swf is enabled under Shockwave Flash, and that there are no swf entries under the QT Plug-in. This list will also tell you your FF plugin versions: the latest should be Shockwave Flash 10.0 r12 and QuickTime Plug-in 7.5.5.
6- As another lead, I also picked up that the Divx plugin is possibly messing up browsers.
Good luck. By the way, after all my hesitation, FF3 is awesome.
Locating MOG account...
Comments (20)
Wow, we have a female internet demon in our midsts!
Cheers, poe. My widget problems (I use Safari) got solved recently with me nagging at T. Jay and T. Jay lending a sympathetic ear and a helpful hand :)
I wish I understood eveny a teeny bit of this.
MOG should pay you for both technical support and PR.. ! Srsly!
Cheers :)
Good for you! Perserverance pays off, and what details! Myself, I stick with clunky old IE, and hardly touch the widgets. Have fun.
That "Mad Professir" is some dubby magic, love those distant, verbed up vocs.
I was so hesitant to ditch IE in favor of FF but since I made the jump I'm wondering what took me so long. Congrats, poe, on the solving!
Any one tried out Google Chrome? I am such a google junkie.
i have these very problems, thanks for posting, i just need to figure out exactly what it all means
Wow, I feel lucky that I haven't had to deal with any of the widgety-widget problems. And even luckier that we have Computer Queen Poe here to figure this out for us. She gets extra presents in her MOG Stocking this year! :-)
Well, you prove once again that you've definitely earned your title of 'illustrious ilay'. You are now among the technical illuminati on this site for your widget prowess. I've had problems as well w/those damn widgets so this will be quite handy. Thank you illustrious illuminati ilay!
Widgets, Wadgets, Arcane gadgets. just play more Mad Professor...
I wish I understood eveny a teeny bit of this.
”Harder Than Babylon” is one of the best of its kind I've ever heard.
eek! sorry to go be anal-retentive on you guys ... what was i thinking? mainly i posted this because the widget problem had caused me year-long grief so extreme emotion came out when i finally got to edit the widgets again.
Anna - doh! i knew there had to be a simpler solution (i.e. T. Jay). i use Firefox and Safari both, my selves can't seem to agree on just one thing.
Jeff - i only really understood the "enjoy a glass of water" part myself. it does more wonders than the internet.
Indy - hahah. it isn't perfect and instead of payment i can still use help on why my widget updates aren't automatic / happening real-time.
Scott - it was just a few hours' work, i swear. reconnecting with the Mad Prof, haven't listened to him for a while.
Chuck - i am a huge fan of Firefox and version 3 has awesome new search and bookmarking features.
randomactsofsound - not me, sorry, although i much love Google.
Rob - start with updating your browser, Flash, QuickTime. it might work, i promise.
LMI - no widgety-widget problems ever? aw lucky duck. i'm not refusing those extra presents from Santa!
Aug - LOL, technical illuminati, i am beaming with pride over here. hope your widget problems disappear by '09.
Mike - yes, "arcane" really comes to mind when i ponder these 21st century glitches.
Spike - i love Harder Than Babylon and that album, and also his earlier Dub Me Crazy series.
Triple I pride!!!!
Yet again I am forced to respond to a post of yours with a resounding Neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerd!
But I am going to try to follow your instructions because I'm suffering from the same problem. Thanks v much for this post.
August, Colin, everyone else, this would be a good time to mention that Unplug does not work on Firefox 3. as in the little green fishy on the top-right that's served us well. i made my choice though to do the update. (i did find a workaround to make Unplug work but it's a lousy patch i don't recommend.)
Fluxy - ...and proud! ;p
So does Download Helper work w/FF3?
Aug, yup, Download Helper works, DownThemAll works. i am hoping Unplug will soon have an update for FF3 as well.
Cool, I think I'm gonna take the plunge & upgrade to FF3. I had actually done it earlier this year but didn't like it due to the plugin issues. Btw, I loaded the live Fiery Furnaces 1st disc for you over on the dark side.