# Off Topic > Suggestions for Improvement >  > [SOLVED] Unable to view attached Images

## jaslake

For the last several days I've been unable to view attached images. Typically they're of little value but still...

See this Link...I'm unable to view the Images...are you?

http://www.excelforum.com/excel-prog...orruption.html

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## FDibbins

I cannot open them either.  All I see is the "place-holder" and the description, with a red x in the top left corner

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## jaslake

@FDibbins

It's what I see...any idea what's going on?



> All I see is the "place-holder" and the description, with a red x in the top left corner

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## jaslake

Still unable to view images...

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## arlu1201

I just checked and am able to view them, using Mozilla Firefox.  Are you able to view them now, John?

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## jaslake

No, not in the Link provided in Post #1...I still see this



> All I see is the "place-holder" and the description, with a red x in the top left corner

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## jaslake

Still unable to view images...

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## TMS

Post #3 ... ooooohhhhh, pretty  :Wink:   Yep, I can see them.  Windows 7, Chrome Version 38.0.2125.111 m

IE 11 Version 11.0.9600.17358 ... just place holders.

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## jaslake

I can view them in Chrome...not IE10.

Furthermore, in IE10, the lack of view-ability is NOT universal, some I can view, some I can't.

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## Tony Valko

> Furthermore, in IE10, the lack of view-ability is NOT universal, some I can view, some I can't.



Same here.  :Frown:

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## FDibbins

I use IE at work, mostlly just see placefolders.  I ise chrome at home, doesnt seem to be a problem there

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## jaslake

@FDibbins

In Chrome I don't appear to have the issue.

I don't use Chrome because, to view attached Files, one must download the File and it's saved to one's platform; in IE I believe the Download is a temporary File and is not saved to one's platform. If you know a workaround for this behavior I'll take a look at it but this is why I use IE and not Chrome.

So, this is a rather recent issue with IE (last month or so).  Do you know if this has been escalated to Tech Team and is Tech Team looking at it?

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## FDibbins

> So, this is a rather recent issue with IE (last month or so). Do you know if this has been escalated to Tech Team and is Tech Team looking at it?



Agree it is a recent development, and we can only ho;pe is it being looked into.

I am at work now, but will take a look at my settings when I get home

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## jaslake

@FDibbins

How do I get Tech Team's attention?  Arlette was following this Thread (see Post #5)...I don't know her current status or if she's currently aware of or following the issue.

I don't usually pay attention to Images but, at times, Images do give one a bit of insight to the OP's issue...not often, I must admit.  But it's broken...

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## FDibbins

John, I will push this to Jerry (admin)

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## jaslake

Thanks Ford...these kind's of issues are frustrating.

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## JBeaucaire

Yeah, it's broken.  I haven't been able to view images in weeks.  I'll remind them this is still ongoing.    :Frown:

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## jaslake

> Yeah, it's broken.  I haven't been able to view images in weeks.  I'll remind them this is still ongoing.



Thanks......

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## Alf

I’ve also not able to view attached images but something is strange, having checked some threads I’ve attached images to I found one thread from February this year and the image is shown as a placeholder + X.

Another image uploaded in April also this year show the image as a “picture”.

The difference between these uploads are that the first one is a png file and the second one is a jpg file. Clicking on the paperclip and selecting properties it says png file. Clicking on the image and selecting properties it says jpg file???

Could part of the problem be what kind of image file one uploads?

http://www.excelforum.com/excel-gene...th-solver.html

post #7

http://www.excelforum.com/excel-prog...scenarios.html

post #13

Alf

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## TMS

I can see both images.  Windows 7 64 bit + Chrome

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## jaslake

@ Alf

I cannot view the first; the second appears to be an imbedded image and appears automatically (how does one do that).

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## TMS

Click on the Insert Image icon on the middle toolbar, next to Unlink, and choose to upload a file or include a URL.

From uploaded file (sorry, first thing I came across)
Somebody is out there - image.jpeg

From a URL
Excel-icon.png

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## Alf

@ Trevor

Lucky you seeing both, I also have Windows 7 professional 64 bit but uses Internet Explorer 10 so it seems Chrome is the way to go if one wish to see uploaded images in thr forum. Argggggggggh!!

@ jaslake 

You see what I see, how the second image apears to be imbedded I really don't know. As far as I remember I did what I alwas do when I upload an image select image and click upload.

Alf

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## jaslake

@TMS

Thanks, I'll try that...I've used that icon before but the Image was not embedded, only attached.

For your URL example, I see only the placeholder, click does nothing.

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## jaslake

Here's a Thread that has a png and a jpg attachment...I'm unable to view either of them.

http://www.excelforum.com/excel-prog...ml#post3903484

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## shg

> I haven't been able to view images in weeks. I'll remind them this is still ongoing.



Thank goodness we now have an active, communicative, responsive tech team, huh?

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## jaslake

> Thank goodness we now have an active, communicative, responsive tech team, huh?



We are truly blest...

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## shg

Can ya say hallelujah, Brother! AMEN!

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## TMS

Now I think I'm detecting a touch of sarcasm here ...

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## shg

_Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose._

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## TMS

Sarcasme en français?

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## shg

We we            ...

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## TMS

Fifth little piggy ...?

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## shg

All the way home.

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## jaslake

Tis true





> Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.



In my 73 years, however, I've learned that sometimes change for change sake becomes necessary.  It's time.

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## Alf

For those nostalgia buffs Netscape Navigator is still alive and kicking and yes using it you can view attached images in the forum.

Alf

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## Kyle123

The server isn't configured properly for PNG images. They return a content type of Unknown/Unknown instead of image/png. IE therefore doesn't know what to do with the image because it doesn't know what it is - Firefox and Chrome can apparently deduce that it is an image regardless of the incorrect type

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## EFmanagement

Tech team is working on it and we will inform you once it is solved.

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## Pete_UK

Wow, first thread on 19th October, and we get a promise on 20th November - that seems quite fast !!

I've not been able to see .PNG files since about August.

Pete

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## Kyle123

How is this still not fixed yet?

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## TMS

@Kyle: 



> How is this still not fixed yet?



Is that a rhetorical question?  Tongue in cheek?  Whatever?

What is it that's not clear about**: 



> Tech team is working on it and we will inform you once it is solved.



That says, the guy ("The Tech Team") has filed it somewhere (the round filing bin over there on the floor) and don't hold your breath waiting for an answer  :Smilie:

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## Kyle123

haha maybe...

Honestly though, I'd have fixed this issue first, it's a 2 second job with high impact - gets some breathing space. Like when my girlfriend works away, I do the washing up before the dusting  :Wink:

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## TMS

Ah, but it has to be prioritized!  Big job, little job?  Impact?  Perception?  Wash the dishes!?  Oh my, too many decisions!  :Smilie:

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## romperstomper

I think you're overlooking the time and effort that has to go into the continual random tinkering with the forum and creating the EFmanagement Turing machine. There's not much resource left for _this_ trivial stuff.

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## Kyle123

Seems we've subject to some more of this tinkering this morning. Judging by the test posts they've been trying to fix the images and have failed miserably

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## TMS

Ah, does that explain why the forum was unresponsive/broken (for me) this morning?

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## TMS

And still is ... slow update, updates not reflected, etc ... the last post to this thread being an example (for me at 10:48)

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## EFmanagement

Hello Everyone,

We understand that there was bit delay in solving this, however this is the first time that we have faced such concerns over upload of images. Initially the image upload size was 1MB and now we have upgraded it to 10MBs.

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## Kyle123

Eh? Are you serious? Have you even read the posts in this thread? No-one wants bigger uploads, they want to see png images in IE which still don't work despite me telling you why on 3 occasions.

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## jaslake

I'm also still unable to view .png images.

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## Kyle123

Everyone else is too on IE  :Wink:  they haven't fixed the problem  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

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## shg

Are we unwittingly acting bit parts in a Monty Python movie? I want the SAG rate!

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## romperstomper

Turing test: failed.

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## :) Sixthsense :)

If the revised image attachment size increased to 10 MB, if suppose OP attach an high resolution image with 8 MB then loading that webpage consumes the same size?  If so, I believe it consumes the internet usage unnecessarily  :Frown:

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## Tony Valko

I have a solution that is guaranteed to work.

Do not allow images to be attached.

Problem solved!  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

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## jaslake

> I have a solution that is guaranteed to work.
> 
> Do not allow images to be attached.
> 
> Problem solved!



Bah!!! Simply fix it!

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## Alf

I see that the forum has got a ”Santa” congratulate to FDibbins who as a forum administrator / forum member has been very helpful and well worthy of the “label” “Excel Forum Santa”

Checking the specks for selecting the “Santa” I see that the main criteria is “Here at Excel Forum, everyone is always helping each other with big problems and small. But there are always some people who help more than others. It is time to thank those wonderful minds who keep giving without any expectations. It is time to find our Santa Claus and say THANK YOU!”

What I do wonder is what is the criteria for a member of the Tech team? Do they have the same guiding lines?

I’m still unable to view images uploaded in this forum a problem I share with a number of other members in this forum.  I don’t think my browser is unusual as I use Internet Explorer 10.

Is this some kind of religious problem? As I’m aware that Exodus 20:4 says that “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:” but I’m don’t think that Excel problems / spreadsheets are included in this.

I would love to get some feed back with a time schedule when I can expect this problem to be solved, perhaps before 31 of December 2015?

Alf

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## jaslake

I'm with you Alf.

Let's get these "PAIN IN THE TUSH" issues resolved BEFORE we do major upgrades (Suggestions For Improvements) to the Forum.

FIX WHAT'S BROKE!!!

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## Alf

Well, well well! All of sudden I can see some images now! Glory to be!!

http://www.excelforum.com/excel-prog...ml#post3998463

See post #5 and checking the properties of the image it is a png file!! But why I can't see all png images I don't know perhaps I'm not worthy such a grace?

Or to "steal" a quote from "Animal Farm" and misuse it i.e. "All pngs are equal but some pngs are more equal than others!!!"

Alf

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## FDibbins

At work, I work on 1 of 4 identically set-up W7/office 2007 pc's (or so the IT dept says - us mere mortals are not permitted into the settings) - and on some of the PC's I will see SOME pics, and on others I wont.

(it's not possible to test 1 against the other, they are in different buildings)

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## Alf

> and on some of the PC's I will see SOME pics, and on others I wont.



Strange, could it be something religious after all?? Like "For many are called, but few are chosen"

Alf

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## Kyle123

> Well, well well! All of sudden I can see some images now! Glory to be!!
> 
> http://www.excelforum.com/excel-prog...ml#post3998463
> 
> See post #5 and checking the properties of the image it is a png file!! But why I can't see all png images I don't know perhaps I'm not worthy such a grace?
> 
> Or to "steal" a quote from "Animal Farm" and misuse it i.e. "All pngs are equal but some pngs are more equal than others!!!"
> 
> Alf



It's a jpeg.....

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## Alf

Oh well a short moment of bliss and then back to reality.

Alf

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## jaslake

That's interesting...I can see the .png file in post #3 of this Thread.

http://www.excelforum.com/excel-prog...ard-forum.html

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## Alf

Yes so can I but he as uploaded his png file to another site i.e. not the Excel forum so it seems that this is an excelforum problem, not an png problem.

Alf

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## jaslake

@Alf

I think you might be right...didn't notice this



> he as uploaded his png file to another site

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## Kyle123

It's definately an EF problem, the server is not configured properly - they don't seem interested in fixing it though

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## Alf

@Kyle

In post #62 you say the image is a jpeg. Are you really sure because when I right click in the image and selcet properties  I get a http address linking to the excel forum and the image is named "paperclip.pgn"

Alf

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## FDibbins

> @Kyle
> 
> In post #62 you say the image is a jpeg. Are you really sure because when I right click in the image and selcet properties  I get a http address linking to the excel forum and the image is named "paperclip.pgn"
> 
> Alf



Yes, it is a .jpg.  When I edit the post and go into Advanced (mods can do that lol), it shows up as...
 Format_Checker_Main Sheet.jpg (106.5 KB)

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## Kyle123

Yes, that's the icon for the paperclip that you're looking at rather than the uploaded image

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## Alf

Ok, mystery explained. Thanks Ford & Kyle.

Alf

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## Tony Valko

Here's how I am seeing the homepage right now...

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## FDibbins

Sorry Tony, I disagree with the amount of posts in Excel General.  I get 936,356, are you sure you dont have calcs set to manual?   :Wink:

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## Tony Valko

:Smilie:  ----------

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## Tony Valko

Am I the only one that sees the homepage like that (still) ?

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## TMS

Looks OK to me.  Windows 7, 64bit, Chrome (latest, I think)

Ah, but not OK in Internet Explorer (IE11).  And Kaspersky intercepted something nasty when I went to the forum in IE11; not seen that in Chrome.  Wondering now ...

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## Tony Valko

> ...not OK in Internet Explorer (IE11).  ...



I'm using IE10.

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## TMS

Looks like it's not being rendered properly in IE. Or maybe just the images?

Where's Kyle when you need him?  :Wink:

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## Kyle123

It doesn't render properly in any browser if you clear the cache. The server is taking too long to return the images, you can see them if they're cached in your browser though.

If you press Ctrl+F5 it clears the cache just for that page

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## romperstomper

> Kaspersky intercepted something nasty when I went to the forum in IE11;



Perhaps that explains the Websense problem...

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## Doc.AElstein

> *Am I the only one that sees the homepage like that* (still) ?



Tony, and TMS
FWIW 
.  Using Google Chrome ( 40 ) I cannot see your attached Image from Post #72 at all. 
.  In IE9 it looks similar (But not exactly the same) to how that Rogue site “used to” appear to me in Google Chrome and IE 9. ..See discussion here: Post #5 
http://www.excelforum.com/the-water-...orum-copy.html
and various screen shots of it here:
http://www.excelforum.com/the-water-...ly-needed.html 

…  I say “used to” as I just tried the link to that (using IE 9 and Google Chrome)
http://www.officeelectronicscomputersaccessories.com/
.. but it just give a time out error now

.  Not sure if that is any indication of nasties, Websense problems,

Alan 
……………………….

And. Just noticed for the first time.
*. I see the home page now in IE 9 just as you do Tony.*
. I think it used to look “normal” using IE 9 as it still does by me using Google Chrome.
. Maybe we are second guessing what the ““IT TT TTT Tech Development Management Team or similar people” are doing again…
Post #10
http://www.excelforum.com/the-water-...orum-copy.html
….or it is the usual thing of some other “higher power” somewhere trying to discourage use of Internet Explorer.?

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## Tony Valko

Oh well!

I guess it's just a matter of time as to when this site becomes totally unusable (for various reasons) and I'll have to find another Excel forum to participate in.

I can't even login normally.  :Frown:

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## FDibbins

Im sorry to hear that Tony, how are you managing to log in?

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## Tony Valko

Using IE10 in compatibility mode (I have to use compatibility mode so that other "features" of the site work)...

When I goto the site main page this is how it's presented:

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## Tony Valko

As you can see, there are no fields to enter my login credentials (user name, password).

So, I have to click the Login button which takes me to the "invalid login screen" where the login fields are present. It's not overly burdensome but it's not "professional" either! The totality of the site performance leaves a lot to be desired as most everyone here knows.  :Frown:

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## TMS

> The totality of the site performance leaves a lot to be desired as most everyone here knows.



You saying it's not good?  Can't say I'd noticed  :Wink:   Well, I did once, but I've been worn down over time and now I just don't give a ...

Is the BB software just rubbish?  Or is it just this site?  And, if it's just this site, is it because of the volume of users, threads and attachments (and therefore the size of the database), or is it because it's badly managed, maintained and supported?

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## Pete_UK

People like Kyle and Simon Lloyd (though I've not seen him posting for a while) seem to know about the problems and how to fix them - why can't the site owners engage them as consultants and pay them to fix the problems once and for all (if they are willing to)?

Pete

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## FDibbins

Pete, that has been suggested, I believe.  As well as both of them have suggested what needs to be done to fix it.

I have (again), pushed this to admin

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## Alf

As far as I remember there was a forum upgrade




> forum software has been upgraded to vBulletin 4.1.8.



late November early December 2011.

Well things has certainly improved since those first 3 – 4 chaotic months but I still think we do have more problems now than we had before that forum upgrade. Or am I just a victim of the “everything was better before” syndrome?

Alf

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## TMS

You may be right.  But the version is unimportant, whether or not it is the latest.  Be nice to think to was fairly current but that's not always the best.  My point is that, as far as I'm aware, most forums use the same BB software ... at least it often looks much the same.  But other forums don't seem to have the performance and reliability issues that EF does.

And the problems just seem to go on ... and on ... and on ...

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## Tony Valko

> Is the BB software just rubbish?  Or is it just this site?  And, if it's just this site, is it because of the volume of users, threads and attachments (and therefore the size of the database), or is it because it's badly managed, maintained and supported?



Yes  :Wink: 

I have no idea how to setup up a website but I'm sure it's somewhat complicated due to the different browsers and programming languages that need to be accounted for.

So, why are some sites "better" than others?

The only other Excel forum that uses the vBulliten software that I have experience with is MrExcel.

A big difference between here and there is they don't allow attachments. I can't even use compatibility mode there (it's dimmed out as in not available). One of the disadvantages of that is that I can't resize the reply window. It opens about 1 inch tall and it sucks (one of the reasons I don't post there like I used to).

I guess it takes some very skilled programmers to setup a site that works (all features) in all the different browsers.

Seems like this would be a good candidate for some industry standardization.

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## TMS

@Tony: agreed, all round.

However, that's what professional web developers do.  While it is not really practical to be backwards compatible forever, you would expect that a web based application could be made to behave for the most recent couple of (or three, maybe) versions of the most popular browsers.  I know that they change and improve (or not) but the core functionality can't be that different, can it?  Surely it could be compatible with IE, Chrome, FireFox and Safari.  If people are using less well known and/or popular browsers, it would not be unreasonable to ask them to choose one of the big four (or five ... Opera, maybe?)

I'd welcome input/comment from Kyle and/or Simon ... and any other browser experts.

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## romperstomper

To be fair, the biggest difference between here and Mrexcel is that the software has very few changes made from the default at MrE. So you do get more features here but they don't always seem to be terribly well thought out or implemented. Or even necessary in some cases.  :Wink:

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## Kyle123

The core functionality is identical on all browsers since it lives on the backend (server), the issues with browser compatibility are usually client side - the bit that you actually see and interact with (except the images in this case).

As I understand it, vBulletin is widely acknowledged to be the best Forum software for large forums. I suspect that most of the issues that are experienced are as a result of the Forum owners faffing about with additional functionality, forum plugins of questionable quality (like apps that add additional functionality written by members of the community) and adding customizations.

I suspect that vBulletin in its vanilla state has very few issues with browser compatibility and that for the main this is introduced by the forum owners. As Rory says, the reason that MrE is more stable is likely down to the reduced amount of faffing (adding features) that the owner has done compared to here.

It is surprisingly difficult to make a site that behaves consistently in the major browsers. As TMS quite rightly says, the newer the browser the fewer issues you'll probably have since websites typically target a subset of browser versions, those that are lacking required features must have that functionality poly-filled. This gets exponentially more time intensive (and expensive) with older versions. IE is particularly particularly bad before IE9 in comparison to other browsers of the time. This is why you increasingly see sites that have dropped support for IE8, the work involved is simply not worth it from a cost/benefit viewpoint. However this can sometimes be an issue for commercial sites where users may still be running windows XP (IE8 is the latest that can be installed in XP, IE9 on Vista), we had to invest a load of time making our site work in IE8 since we are in an industry that typically are slow to adopt technology.

As with all things, the amount of time the owners of this site will invest in making it work properly will depend on the amount of revenue generated. Will fixing the images really have any noticeable impact on profitability - probably not, since the people helping tend to stick around anyway, so long as the traffic remains, it's unlikely anything will get done unless it generates more revenue (like commercial services).

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## Doc.AElstein

> .........As TMS quite rightly says, the newer the browser the fewer issues you'll probably have since websites typically target a subset of browser versions, those that are lacking required features must have that functionality poly-filled. This gets exponentially more time intensive (and expensive) with older versions. IE is particularly particularly bad before IE9 in comparison to other browsers of the time. This is why you increasingly see sites that have dropped support for IE8, the work involved is simply not worth ..........




Hmm.  My Main Vista IE 9 (and Google Chrome) Computer is dead at the Repair shop since a few days... Working now for a week on an Old XP IE 8 (and Google Chrome) Notebook.
.  Your comments I will note when I tell them Today whether to Repair it....or I wait for beter things, and finally invest in a new main Computer... As always hard when one is so set in one's old and well known and "trusted" system....
.. (Writing this now in IE 8  XP   Straining my eyes a bit  on reading the screen -- not much bigger that a Phone!!!,  and it can be a bit slow...   otherwise - No Problems  .....YET!  )

Alan

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## Kyle123

FWIW they're not even visible in the sparkly new Windows 10 Edge Browser

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## Doc.AElstein

.   I just got a pretty good reconditioned 4GHz 64bit machine... Has Win 7, have installed IE 11





> FWIW they're not even visible in the sparkly new Windows 10 Edge Browser



........Maybe another small reason to resist the temptation to click the “update to Win 10 button” just yet
http://www.excelforum.com/microsoft-...0-upgrade.html

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## Kyle123

Nah, not really - don't work on any versions of IE. Must admit, I'm liking windows 10, especially the multiple desktops thing, about time windows got in on that

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## Doc.AElstein

I expect this Thread is finally solved now? ‘_- check out here: I think you can see Jerry’s Grapes:
http://www.excelforum.com/the-water-...ml#post4580707

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