Yahoo Mail -- Drop Downs Not Responding

[Jim]

I apologize if this isn't the right forum, but not sure where else to post.

I've been using Yahoo! Mail for YEARS, never seen this problem before.
Since yesterday, any drop-down menu items (Reply, Forward, Move, Search
Mail, etc., don't work). I hit the button, and nothing happens. I thought
perhaps this was an HTML/Javascript error on Yahoo's side, and would be
corrected soon. But it's now been two days, same problem. I haven't
installed/updated anything on my PC in the last ten days, so no clue there.
I do have a Google toolbar, I suspose that could be updated unbeknownst to
me, but messing with that didn't help either.

Anyone else seeing this problem?

TIA

Jim

 

[Jim]

Now this is truly weird, I'm having this problem w/ IE, the only client I
normally use for web mail. So I go over to Opera, sign in, and it has the
SAME problem! Leads me to believe this a problem on the Yahoo side. But I
don't hear others complaining. Hmm.

Jim

 

[GregRo]

Do you need to update to the new flash from macromedia?

Greg Ro

 

[Jim]

I didn't think these features were Macromedia related. Anyway, I checked
the Flash Player version, shows as v8 in Add/Remove Programs. I visited
Macromedia, installed latest 8,0,22,0, problem persists. Even tried
rebooting, no dice. I then removed Macromedia completely, then reinstalled,
same problem. I then tried exiting/disabling virtually every system tray
app I have, didn't help.

I'm stumped at this point.

Jim

 

[Jim]

The plot thickens. So I go over to my wife's PC, sign into Yahoo! Mail, and
everything works fine! So apparently something has changed on my PC, but
I'm stumped as to what. And whatever it is, it's affecting IE and Opera
identically.

Jim

 

[HeeroYuy]

The plot thickens. So I go over to my wife's PC, sign into Yahoo! Mail,
and
everything works fine! So apparently something has changed on my PC, but
I'm stumped as to what. And whatever it is, it's affecting IE and Opera
identically.

Jim

Try finding Java or Microsoft Virtual Machine. That may fix the problem.

 

[Jim]

This gets stranger by the minute. If you're familar w/ Yahoo Mail, you'll
note that when you visit the Mail home page, they have four tabs, each w/
drop downs ( Mail / Addresses / Calendar / Notepad ). Check this out. If
I'm on the Mail tab, none of the other drop downs work. But if I select any
of the others (Addresses, Calendar, or Notepad), they DO! Including Mail!
As soon as go back to the Mail tab, none of the drop downs work. Identical
behavior on IE and Opera. This is truly weird, plus it all works correctly
on my wife's PC.

Jim

 

[Jim]

Boy oh boythis gets weirder by the minute. In desperation, I restored an
image copy of my system from 9/28/05, and decided I'll just reapply the
changes since then (I keep them logged for just such an emergency). Damn
it, now the *old* 9/28/05 version of my XP installation is having the exact
same problem! How can this be? The problem w/ Yahoo Mail only popped up a
couple days ago, before that everything was fine, I use Yahoo Mail every
day. And now I can't even Reply to any of my emails (because the Reply
button is one of those that has a drop-down list)!

How could this be a client side problem when a nearly two-month old backup
exhibits the same problem, and when that problem only started a couple days
ago?! If this is a server side problem, and I can't believe it isn't given
this latest finding, I can't believe others are not having the same problem.

HELP! (any suggestions where to post this problem, perhaps something more
directed at Yahoo Mail? didn't see any Yahoo specific NGs, and Yahoo Help
is no help at all).

Jim

 

[Jim]

Well gooooooolly, I finally made some progress, I installed Firefox 1.0.7
and it works ok. But IE and Opera continue to cause me problems. Now what
could be different between Firefox and IE/Opera that could account for these
problems, EVEN on an old installation from two months ago, for a problem
that only started a couple days ago.

One thing that I've just noticed under IE, at the bottom of the page, it
shows Done (sometimes Error on page, it varies) in the status line, BUT w/ a
yellow caution/warning indicator. When I double click it, I get the follow
message:

"Problems with this page might prevent it from being displayed properly or
functioning properly."

Line: 324
Char: 4
Error: Object expected
Code: 0
URL: http://us.f365.mail.yahoo.com/ym/ShowLetter?MssId=9136_10926754...

So I view source, go to that line #, and low and behold, I see this
javascript function:

function init()
{
if(document.getElementById)
{
Tabs_Init(); <------ this is line 324!
LeftNav('popaccounts');
LeftNav('mailaccounts');
LeftNav('folderlist');
LeftNav('searchnav');
LeftNav('optionsnav');
LeftNav('savedsearches');

document.onkeydown = function(evt) { oKey.keyevent(evt); }
if(typeof OnLoad != 'undefined') OnLoad();
}
}

Interesting that it's related to the tabs. Not sure what to make of it. I
thought perhaps Norton Internet Security was perhaps blocking the URL, but I
have it disabled.

Something's going on here, just can't piece it together. At the very least,
I'd like to determine if this is a client or server side issue. It's just
not clear.

Jim

 

[GregRo]

This gets stranger by the minute. If you're familar w/ Yahoo Mail, you'll
note that when you visit the Mail home page, they have four tabs, each w/
drop downs ( Mail / Addresses / Calendar / Notepad ). Check this out. If
I'm on the Mail tab, none of the other drop downs work. But if I select any
of the others (Addresses, Calendar, or Notepad), they DO! Including Mail!
As soon as go back to the Mail tab, none of the drop downs work. Identical
behavior on IE and Opera. This is truly weird, plus it all works correctly
on my wife's PC.

Jim

Mine works
I just left click on the arrow by the word mail.

Make sure java and javascript are enabled in IE and Opera.

In IE you might try having it use Sun Java instead of MS Java

Greg Ro

 

[Jim]

Now I'm just noticing that there a BUNCH of errors (four in fact) on the
page:

Line: 335
Char: 5
Error: 'ylib_keyevt' is undefined
Code: 0
URL: ...

Line: 1375
Char: 6
Error: Object expected
Code: 0
URL: ...

Line: 1470
Char: 3
Error: Object expected
URL: ...

Line: 360
Char: 4
Error: Object expected
URL: ...

I think I'm on to something here, this line #'s all refer to various
objects, like SearchMenu, etc. Not sure what the problem is, but apparently
something is happening to the HTML/Javascript that remains unexplained.

Jim

 

[Jim]

I checked that scripting is enabled, it is. I've changed nothing. Now get
this. I installed Firefox 1.0.7 and it worked fine, for about 60 minutes or
so. I used it to catch up on some mail I have not been able to Reply to
since this problem started. Got a few replies out, and now, some 60 mins or
so later, FIREFOX IS NOT WORKING!!! What the hell is going on, I'm goin'
nuts over here. I didn't do damn thing since installing Firefox other than
use it for a while. Then WHACK, it's suddenly starts acting exactly like IE
and Opera.

I ran Spybot and Norton AV just to be sure there wasn't some sort of
virus/spyware issue, neither reported any problems.

Jim

 

[Guest]

I know very little about computers...though I do plenty of emailing..I have
been using yahoo for years. I have the exact same problem to a tee. I
searched for help on yahoo and I did find something that had to do with
AOL...something about a proxy with yahoo. They did mention it would effect
emails. My next step is to bug my proivider..AOl and ask what is up. Other
than that....have no idea where to go.

This all started within this past week. I have talked two other people
that use yahoo and AOl. Have the same problem. Good luck...sarah

 

[ravenshroud]

Still like to see a resolution to this one. One of my customers now
has this problem.

 

[Jim]

At least I'm not alone It's really strange, I've managed to get Firefox
and Opera to work *occasionally*, but IE never works. Firefox will work for
a while, then not, it will start behaving badly for a long time (and it's
not as if a reboot helps), then suddenly it's ok for a while, then back to
not working, same w/ Opera. Then yesteday, I was using Opera or Firefox,
can'r remember which, and the Move drop-down would work, but not the Reply!

I believe it has something to do w/ the Javascript that's coming back w/
each webpage. For some unexplainable reason, it's changing and failing
sporadically. The fact it's affecting ALL brands of browser, and then
working for a while (except IE), then not, for no apparent reason, not like
I'm changing the environment in some obvious way, leads me to believe it's
not something *I'm* doing.

I remain stumped. Just hoping more ppl experience the same problem and
perhaps we can find a common cause.

Jim

 

[Guest]

Hello. I've experienced the same exact problem...and have no idea what
changed 3 days ago all Yahoo was working fine. Then, just like you, the
"reply" "move" and forward" buttons did not move. Also, when I went to the
General Preferences on the Yahoo help page, any changes I made to that page
would not "save." (got that idea from one of Yahoo's weak help pages.)

I also noticed the "error" message on the bottom of the pages.

I've emailed Yahoo 4 times, over the last 3 days and received no response.
Finally today I signed up for their upgrade version of email hoping to
receive additional customer service...but did not. If I don't hear from them
in the next day or so, will subsequently cancel that.

Please let me know if you find out anything...I, too, am desperate to
correct this.

Thanks, Jan

 

[Jim]

Ok folks, I finally have something to work with now.

Btw, I *know* there are others having similar problems, I'm just surprised
how little has been mentioned here. I did some scouring of the Internet
tonite w/ Google, and found a lot of ppl complaining of a similar problem.
There are lots of other Yahoo Mail problems too, apparently the service has
taken a general turn for the worst.

Anyway, I found this one reference in particular:

http://yahoo.weblogsinc.com/entry/5449124033511092/

If you scroll down to the bottom, post 167, someone named Kevin suggests
deleting Temporary Internet Files. So I gave it try, Yahoo!!!, suddenly all
my form buttons (Reply, Forward, etc.) started working again!

Following on that theme, I decided to clear the Mozilla Firefox cache too,
whalla, now it works too. Same thing w/ Opera.

Now frankly, I have no idea why this helped, or how long the "repair" will
last, but I assume there's some conflict between old and new content that's
causing the problem. I've noted elsewhere in that weblog that someone
mentions the exact same error I was seeing in the Javascript (post 165):

Line: 303
CHAR: 4
Error: Object Expected
Code: 0

So at least I have a workaround, just not sure how long it will last, or
prove so annoying to reapply I'll have to abandon Yahoo Mail for Google or
similar. But it's clear this is NOT related to something I did on the PC.
It also explains why I didn't see this same problem on my wife's PC
(obviously she has her own temp cache, and uses Yahoo Mail infrequently).

If I find out more, I'll be sure to post it.

Jim