Forum broken after update (500 Error)

[Mikeiw3001]

I've just run the update to the latest version, and on exit from the installer, when I selected "Visit Community", just just showed the bog-standard error message:

An error occurred (500 Error)
We're sorry, but a temporary technical error has occurred which means we cannot display this site right now.

You can try again by clicking the button below, or try again later.

I can't get into the admin panel either, even after rebooting the server, so I'm effectively locked out of the site.  I need help as a matter of urgency.

 

Mike.

[Marc Stridgen]

In the first instance, please try recovery mode, which you can find instructions on how to use here. We find that generally these issues are caused by 3rd party items, and this will allow you to recover from this

https://invisioncommunity.com/4guides/client-services/getting-support-r292/#recoverymode

[Mikeiw3001]

It seems like this happens a lot, judging by the number of posts in the "similar content" side pane.  I used the Recovery Mode, and it got the software working again, but it was very slow and prone to issues for a while there.  There was a Cache error coming up when it returned, so I went to the relevant page, where both the cache options were un-ticked.  I ticked the No Cache option, and saved it.  It told me to download a new constants.php file, so I did and re-uploaded it to the server.  The error persisted despite this, and happened 3-4 times, so I ended up leaving my desk in frustration to do something else after a while.  When I came back and logged back into the ACP, the warning had gone and the forum seemed OK.

Seems a bit rustic for such a prominent piece of software, and a more simplified method of reaching the Recovery option would be useful for less savvy users.

I'm still not sure what was causing the issue, but the restore switched off three plug-ins, so I'll go back and look at those to see if they were the cause of the problem.

Mike.

[Jim M]

1 hour ago, Mikeiw3001 said:

It seems like this happens a lot, judging by the number of posts in the "similar content" side pane.  I used the Recovery Mode, and it got the software working again, but it was very slow and prone to issues for a while there.  There was a Cache error coming up when it returned, so I went to the relevant page, where both the cache options were un-ticked.  I ticked the No Cache option, and saved it.  It told me to download a new constants.php file, so I did and re-uploaded it to the server.  The error persisted despite this, and happened 3-4 times, so I ended up leaving my desk in frustration to do something else after a while.  When I came back and logged back into the ACP, the warning had gone and the forum seemed OK.

Seems a bit rustic for such a prominent piece of software, and a more simplified method of reaching the Recovery option would be useful for less savvy users.

I'm still not sure what was causing the issue, but the restore switched off three plug-ins, so I'll go back and look at those to see if they were the cause of the problem.

Mike.

Unfortunately, there are some issues with third party applications/plugins with PHP 8 and upgrades in general where they may not be compatible. Recovery mode disables them to allow you access to your site. Our November release will disable any third party applications/plugins which are not compatible with PHP 8.

Sorry for the frustration but the cache warning message can be delayed in updating itself so you can dismiss it and see if it comes back in the future.

[Mikeiw3001]

Hi Jim,

I've a feeling it's fixed now, and I've taken the precaution of buying a new "back to top" button plug-in from the Marketplace, as the old free button was one of the disabled plug-ins, and was no longer being updated by the author.  I still find it odd that it's not a standard feature of the software, as everyone hates scrolling back to the top 😴

Mike.

[Gary]

Hi @Mikeiw3001,

I'm glad the issue has been resolved. Feel free to let us know if this is not the case though.

If it's as simple as going back to the top of any page in your community, I simply use the 'Home' and 'End' buttons on my keyboard. It might cost an extra click depending on what you're doing but can prevent issues like plugins not being updated and/or risk being disabled in the future.