Some browser links not working - any browser, but just on my mac

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Level 1

9 points

Some browser links not working - any browser, but just on my mac

I have a strange issue. Over the last while certain page links on browser pages (which seem to be Java script links) won't work in any of my 5 browsers. If I put the same page in to any of my laptop's or my wife's browsers, the links work fine.

For example, I just tried to order some stuff via Staples, and whenever I tried to go to the next screen via a button, nothing happened. Even if I switched User Agents in Safari or Firefox, the "next" button didn't work. Same in Chrome, Camino, Flock and Opera on the same pages. I have noticed lots of drop down menus are not working properly either on many sites.

I figure some bit of OS code must be either blocking or misreading the instruction, but what?

Any ideas? Any input would be greatly appreciated!!

iMac 27 i7, Mac OS X (10.6)

Posted on Dec 9, 2010 2:50 PM

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Answer 1

aimpromo Author

Level 1

9 points

Dec 12, 2010 1:36 PM in response to aimpromo

Thanks for your input Thomas.

Here is some extra info....
It happens on about 30% of the sites I visit, regardless of browser.
Every one of these sites works perfect on my laptop.
I stripped my system as clean of Java as I could yesterday (went through all libraries item by item), emptied trash and reinstalled the system and updated Java via Software Update - no change.

It only is effecting my mac- no others. I used a new OS install and migration assistant when I updated to this iMac. I was having this problem on the old mac, and now I am still having the problem so I suspect it migrated over.

I guess what I need to know is how do I go about isolating the issue. Up to OS 9, you could turn extensions off one by one. It seems in OSX, it's all or nothing, so safe boot shuts off all extensions including net access. Am I right? Is there any way to just load some extensions to test this out?

Would archiving all my library preferences and creating new ones maybe help?

Thx; Rick

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Answer 2

g_wolfman

Level 4

1,137 points

Dec 12, 2010 6:17 PM in response to aimpromo


For example, I just tried to order some stuff via Staples, and whenever I tried to go to the next screen
via a button, nothing happened.

Have you checked your security preferences for cookies? Sometimes if they're set too high (as in block all cookies, for example) then things like shopping carts will fail to function because there's no persistent session data being maintained.

Alternatively, do you have any other security or proxy-filtering software running that might be intercepting cookies?

If the common thread among all the different pages/menus/buttons that fail to work is that they involve changes to some kind of state of the pages you're viewing, then I'd definitely suspect a cookie issue.

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Answer 3

aimpromo Author

Level 1

9 points

Dec 12, 2010 8:24 PM in response to aimpromo

Most of the sites I am having trouble with do have links to other pages within a website. In the case of Staples, it was the button menu to take you to the next screen. Adorama camera was dropdown menus that should take you to the next screen. In every case, if I copy the link info, it is a Javascript function. I have checked my laptop cookie settings against my iMac and there doesn't seem to be any difference that I can see other than one works, the other doesn't. The only thing different in how the other computers link to the net is the router ip. No proxies - everything else identical. Firewall is set the same in both. All browsers work on the laptop, don't on the iMac and all are set to accept cookies from sites visited. Some sites with links do work fine.

Thomas, I will work on getting examples. It has primarily been shopping sites recently as that is where I have been on the approach to Christmas, and they always seem to have lots of linked pages. BTW, I have tried changing user agents without success.

One curious thing I tried was to open up Parallels and try a couple of links in a couple of Windows browsers on the iMac. Just like the mac side, the problem links didn't work.

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Answer 4

g_wolfman

Level 4

1,137 points

Dec 13, 2010 5:43 AM in response to aimpromo


The only thing different in how the other computers link to the net is the router ip. No proxies - everything else identical.

OK, then I think this is the next thing you need to look at.

You already know that it's not a "javascript issue", since javascript is enabled and the failure occurs in multiple browsers with different rendering engines. And you've eliminated cookies.

In your earlier exchange with Thomas Brierley, you gave an example of one of the failing functions:


javascript:__doPostBack('ctl00$ContentPlaceHolder1$deluxeBt','')

Now, I'm no Web Programming guru, but that certainly looks to me like a callback function that would be sending information back to the server, using AJAX, JSON, or some other similar method. So, if that's what failing, and everything is exactly identical between the working and not-working machines except the router ip...

It seems like the network configuration is the problem. Is the router doing NAT or IP masquerading, or something? It sounds like it only knows how to pass back data properly to one of the client hosts. Maybe it needs a reset.

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