# Off Topic > Suggestions for Improvement >  >  Content of Reply Disappear when I Preview Post

## jaslake

This has been happening for the last several days. I'll compose a Reply, Preview the Reply and get a Message "Your response is too short..." and the Reply Screen has been emptied.  Yet, the Preview Screen has the content of what I'd composed as a Reply.

I'll then recompose the reply, copy it to Clip Board, Preview the Reply, Paste the Clip Board into the Reply Screen...which works...but...

This does not happen all the time. It did NOT happen in this Post.

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## joeu2004

I have had similar experiences occasionally.  I click on Reply With Quote, then Advanced, which does a preview automatically.  The preview shows the quoted content, but the editing pane is empty.  And when I click on Preview, it becomes empty as well.

I believe it has something to do with the content of the quoted message.  In a couple cases, I avoided the problem by retyping the quoted text in Notepad, then copy-and-pasting from Notepad into an empty Reply editing pane, surrounded by the appropriate QUOTE tags.  Not something I would do regularly; just trying to isolate the misbehavior.

I had sent a message via Contact Us.  Never got a response.

[EDIT] In my case, simply copying to the clipboard, pasting into Notepad, and copy-and-pasting into a Reply editing pane did not avoid the problem.

[EDIT] IIRC, I did try two different browsers:  Firefox and IE.  Same misbehavior.  But I should note that both of my browsers are very old versions.

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## mrl

I just had the same problem
I signed out and back it before I posted anything I then used MS Word to type up my question and then copy and past to here without clicking on the preview

Hmm  You sent this post on 11/29  today is 12/1  I would have thought you would have gotten a reply from a moderator by now

I'm using the most current version of Firefox
Mike   (mrl)

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## jaslake

@ Mike
@ joeu2004

I'm concerned this issue is being ignored...some Forum Mods and Admins are having the same issue. Forum Owners are ignoring the issue. Tis sad...feed back apparently has no effect.

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## FDibbins

I will make sure that Jerry has seen this

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## JBeaucaire

Yes, issue has been reported several times and has been put in front of the Tech Team.  No word yet on a fix.

Fortunately I can almost always copy the content from the Preview Pane above the empty content box when this happens as a workaround.  Sorry for the inconvenience.

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## jaslake

We're back to this again...

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## jaslake

It's BAAAAAAACK.  When Click on Preview Post the Message Box clears.  Get Forum Error Message "Message is too short..."

Thought this had gone away...

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## jaslake

It's BAAAAAChttp://www.excelforum.com/suggestion...ml#post4154062K..

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## FDibbins

OK, maybe stupid question, but where is teh Preview button?  (i never use it)

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## JBeaucaire

When composing a REPLY, GO ADVANCED, it will be next to the Submit button.

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## jaslake

Hi Ford

Use it ALL the time to make certain my Post makes sense and is Formatted in a manner that's readable and understandable.

Click on Advanced...Click on Preview Post.

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## FDibbins

testing with preview..............

edit:  OK that previewed  OK (I think)

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## jaslake

Hi Ford

I also use it to check for obvious Spelling Errors (although I do use a spell checker)





> but where is teh Preview button



Happened to work this time :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

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## Doc.AElstein

.  As other peole have said, the problem crops up time and time again...  some ideas to get over it here:
http://www.excelforum.com/excel-new-...-postings.html

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## jaslake

Hi Doc

I've followed with interest your Threads on this Forum (and others).

In this instance this is going a long way around the block to solve a basic Forum issue and is letting the Development Team off a bit too easy...fix the problem.




> . As other peole have said, the problem crops up time and time again... some ideas to get over it here:
> http://www.excelforum.com/excel-new-...-postings.html



What I do is simply copy my response to clipboard and paste...seems to work most of the time.

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## jaslake

Yet again today





> It's BAAAAAAACK. When Click on Preview Post the Message Box clears. Get Forum Error Message "Message is too short..."
> 
>  Thought this had gone away...

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## jaslake

And yet again tonight...getting old...

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## Doc.AElstein

Hi jaslake 



> And yet again tonight...getting old...



Aint we all, - my only reason for learning VBA is a personal project to help slow that down a bit, BUT anyways:




> It's BAAAAAAACK...
> Thought this had gone away...



_ 1) Are you sure it ever went away? I find it will sometimes be there and sometimes not, for the same post.. That is to say, often the problem is there in a particular post. Then later it will not be there. And vice versa. So you may have been coincidentally hitting on a few occasions and posts when it happened to work at that time. 

_2 ) I reported a similar problem ages back at MrExcel. There it does not always vanish completely, but the format gets screwed up on editing. So I think it may be a vBulletin Software problem associated with the editor. One thing i do notice is that it most often occurs the first few times. Only occasionally it still occurs when i try to edit after a few days.  Not hat that helps much! – Mostly you need the editor to work the first few times. 

But anyways if it is a vBulletin problem, then that is the probably the last thing the tech team here should screw around with just now!!

But good to keep this problem also in view..

Alan

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## Doc.AElstein

I was doing a lot of post testing recently, and it appears now that this  problem is mostly only happening by the first edit, if at all. Maybe something got better as a by prodct of recent changes and things done to solve other problems ?

Anyone else noticed an improvement?

Alan.

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## jaslake

Happened again last evening...seems ok this AM.

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## Doc.AElstein

Hi 

This is a partial solution to this problem ( that is still here BTW..) Actually it concerns the contents of a Window disappearing when trying to Editing.  But that is generally the same problem..

It is not directly addressing the issue, I admit. ( Possibly the TT / EF Management may catch this old unsolved thread.. )

_. A characteristic of this problem which I find annoying is the following: ( **And I admit also probably effects me more than many because of my Posting style which often has Formatting, Tables etc.. )

So consider this situation

I wish to edit a post some time after I have posted. 

I try to edit thus
Hit *Edit Post*

and ... I am unlucky that the problem pops up this time and the Editor Window is empty. (** As I do not have normal text usually, then I cannot simply cancel the edit, copy the post to the Clipboard, then try again,   pasting my Clipboard copy to the empty Window should that occur again when I retry * Edit Post* )

However, this problem does not seem to come up ( at least not by me yet ) when I hit 
*Reply With Quote.* 
Within the shown Quote I have my complete post including all Formatting, Tables etc in BB Code Tags just as it was before my very original first time posting.

So If i am experiencing the problem when I try to *Edit Post.*. 

I simply *Cancel* the Edit.
Hit *Reply with Quote*.  
Copy all that is between the BB Quote Code tags. This is my complete original Post with all Formatting, Tables etc. in BB Code Tags ..

Then Hit *Cancel*
Then Hit *Edit Post* 
If i get the Empty Window problem again then I just paste from the clipboard back in and do the editing as I wish.

_........................

The above is obvious with Hindsight. But maybe i am not the only one that did not think of it..
*
Alan*

P.s. I noticed something else....

If i am having the problem then it is sufficient to do the following usually

If on hitting *Edit Post* you get the problem, the problem will usually remain if you *Hit Cancel* then hit *Edit Post* again, and the problem will usually remain if you *Hit Cancel* then hit *Edit Post* again, and the problem will usually remain if you* Hit Cancel* then hit *Edit Post* again, and the problem will usually remain if you *Hit Cancel* then hit *Edit Post* again, and   etc.......  etc....

However.  If on hitting *Edit Post* you get the problem, then Hit *Reply with Quote* ( Or just *Reply*)  then Hit *Cancel* then hit *Edit Post* again, the Problem is gone!!

So at the end of the day, an initial Hit of ( * Reply* ) or  ( *Reply with Quote* and copy between the Quote Tags to Clipboard ) will normally get you by.

( P.P.s. I guess it is known that this problem will never lose your information.. If on *Going Advanced* gives you an empty window,, then you just hit the* back* on your browser, or close the browser window..)



I guess this post might be relavent to this Thread..
http://www.excelforum.com/excel-new-...-postings.html
_.. so i will go off now and referrence it there

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## EFmanagement

> Hi ..
> ......I wish to edit a post some time after I have posted. 
> 
> I try to edit thus
> Hit *Edit Post*
> 
> and ... I am unlucky that the problem pops up this time and the Editor Window is empty. (** As I do not have normal text usually, then I cannot simply cancel the edit, copy the post to the Clipboard, then try again,   pasting my Clipboard copy to the empty Window should that occur again when I retry * Edit Post* )......



Hi Alan,

Thanks for bringing this in our knowledge again. We have forwarded this to our technical team and will get back to you as soon as we hear from them. 

Thank you for your patience and understanding. 

Thanks,
Team Excel Forum

P.S. We have tried on different systems but didn't find any such problem at the time of editing. Could you please confirm, which browser are you using while working on EF.

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## FDibbins

I have seen this before as well, but have not paid too much attention to which threads it happened with - will be more attentive for it now

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## EFmanagement

> I have seen this before as well, but have not paid too much attention to which threads it happened with - will be more attentive for it now



Hi Ford,

Kindly let us know in case you also experience the same. However, for now TT is already looking into this.

Thanks,
Team Excel Forum

EDIT - P.S. Whosoever is experiencing this, please take the snapshot of the editor window post clicking on Edit Post and share it with us.

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## Doc.AElstein

Duplicate Post. Please Ignore ( or delete! )

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## Doc.AElstein

*Good Day Mr EF Management , Sir*




> Hi Alan,.......
> P.S. We have tried on different systems but didn't find any such problem at the time of editing. Could you please confirm, which browser are you using while working on EF.



I usually use Google Chrome. But I and my Wife have just had another go on IE 9, IE 11 for you. Results are the same.

It does not happen all the time. On average about every 3-4 times.  And it is not always on the same Post.

So you have to experiment a bit. If you have some recent posts, try hitting* Edit* on them all, one after the other. Usually at some point you will get the empty Reply window

It is not a major problem, since as I noted it has not happened yet ever when I hit the *Reply with Quote* . Therefore you always have a way of getting to copy as a back up to the Clipboard of your original Post with any formatting BB Code Tags etc 
( you simply copy all between the Quote BB Code Tags ). Then, having done that ,  you hit *Cancel*. 
You can then  paste  back in from the Clipboard should you be faced with the Empty reply window after hitting* Edit.* , ( or *Go Advanced*, or *Preview*, whatever causes you the irritating  blank screen
_........................




> .....
> EDIT - P.S. Whosoever is experiencing this, please take the snapshot of the editor window post clicking on Edit Post and share it with us.



I am puzzled as to what you will learn from that as it is just an empty Window...

But here you go 

I went through hitting the *Edit* button on the last few Posts in this Thread: 
http://www.excelforum.com/showthread.php?t=1101544
( We repeated the experiment  in Google Chrome, IE 9 and IE 11 . The Results were consistent that is to say the same for all those browsers)


These were the results I got Today:

The first two times I had no problem ( that is to say hitting the *Edit* on Posts # 130 and # 129 ) – I got the Reply window with my original Post in it complete.
On the Third from last post ( Post #128 )
http://www.excelforum.com/showthread...=9#post4372884

I got the empty reply window
Attachment 458646


Hope that helps. 
Alan and Jacky

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## FDibbins

I just did some testing on post 8 and the post was not there on edit - others before that were OK

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## FDibbins

Forgot to post the thread...
http://www.excelforum.com/showthread.php?t=1101544

Also just happened on post 10, but I copied the text 1st this time.




> . So here we go again:
> 
> . 1) Open a copy of the before sheet you provided me with
> 
> . 2) copy all of the following codes in one go to the Clipboard. They are the Functions called by the Main Code as necessary
> Posts #4 and posts # 5 and post #6
> http://www.excelforum.com/developmen...ml#post4178850
> 
> . 3) These 7 above codes can go into any macro module. I would usually make a separate module for them called something like PubicFuktions, but that is how I am. Remember if you are copying into an existing module, then the Option Explicit bit must be written just once at the start of the module 
> ...

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## Doc.AElstein

*Hi Ford*
Re  
*_ 1 ) Post #8 ( gone ! )*
http://www.excelforum.com/showthread...44#post4178864




> I just did some testing on post 8 and the post was not there on edit –
> .... In fact, the original post is now gone, sorry...
> others before that were OK



_.......................

*and Post #10* ( That is Not too healthy now either!!   Lol      :Smilie:   ***) 
http://www.excelforum.com/showthread...44#post4178899
_Last edited by FDibbins; Today at 10:36 AM._




> original post also missing on this 1, but this time I copied it 1st...



_............................
*
_1)* From my Post # 22 in this thread ( the one we are  in now )
http://www.excelforum.com/showthread...08#post4376444

If you are facing an Empty Reply Screen as a result of the Problem being discussed in this Thread , and you do not have a back up copied , then *“Abort”*. Lots of ways to do that
Hit* Cancel*
Or
Hit the Back Button ( on your browser )
Or
Close your browser tab
Or
Pull the plug out at the mains socket ( having taken your battery out ) .. Lol ... 
Or
*Smash your computer up with a big hammer, Lol .. Lol *   :Smilie: 
Or do anything *except*
Hit *Post Reply
*As long as you *“abort”* somehow, Then the original contents are still there when you re visit the Post

*_2)* Also from my post #22
When you make a back up copy from the what you get  when you hit the *Reply with Quote*, *just copy* what is between the BB Quote Tags.

[QUOTE=Doc.AElstein;4178864]Only copy all here in Red
...Do not copy start and stop BB Quote Code Tags (Here in Black)[/QUOTE]


This is because things like Links, Tables, occasionally do not come out correct in the Quote: 
***In the case of that Full quote you pasted back into post 10,  the Links are no longer working...
_............

*Also Re  
3 )*




> ....
> Wonder if it has to do with starting the post with a . ?



_.. I doubt it. I gave up using the . at the start to help Kyle with his constipation some time ago.. Lol   :Smilie: 
http://www.excelforum.com/the-water-...ml#post4192657
But the problem of disappearing stuff is still there ( I am not sure how Kyle’s constipation is Lol      :Smilie:   )

_....

The post in that “appendix” thread you messed up are no great loss- in the Thread concerned it developed a lot further / better, so the early bits were not too important.   :Smilie: 

But rather than using that Thread, which is frequently referenced from others, a good couple of threads to mess about in would be the  ones me and my wife use to test anything..
http://www.excelforum.com/showthread.php?t=1057943
http://www.excelforum.com/showthread.php?t=1136083
there is a lot of old rubbish there,, so does no harm to lose anything there!!

Alan

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## Doc.AElstein

Yesterday I did 12 Posts. I tried editing and got the blank screen problem in all but two cases.

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## Doc.AElstein

Just noting in passing that this problem is still here.

Not a big problem. You get used to the workaround!   :Smilie: 

But it can make it hard / messy trying to encourage a new OP to change the Thread title
http://www.excelforum.com/showthread...t=#post4420829
_.. probably puts them off taking the trouble


Alan

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