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Safari 5.1.3 can't open Apple Support articles

I upgraded to Mac OS X 10.7.3, which includes Safari 5.1.3. Safari is working fine -- except it can't open any Apple Support articles. When I open the RSS feed for recent articles and click on a link to an article, the URL that shows up in the address field is, for example, http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5098?viewlocale=null&locale=null, when it should be http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5098?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US. Notice the incorrect null where the viewlocale and locale should be.


The URL shows up correctly in Firefox 10.0 and works.


Anything I can do to make it work right in Safari?

Mac Pro (Early 2009), Mac OS X (10.7.3)

Posted on Feb 4, 2012 3:24 AM

Reply
24 replies

Feb 4, 2012 3:29 AM in response to cheeseb

Hi...



Quit Safari.


Go to ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.Safari/Cache.db


Move the Cache.db file from the com.apple.Safari folder to the Trash.


Relaunch Safari to test.


If that doesn't help, go to Safari > Preferences then select the Privacy tab.


Click Details.


Type apple in the search field then click Remove All > Done.


Quit then relaunch Safari to test.


If that didn't help, go back to the Privacy pane and click: Remove All Website Data


Try an Apple support page.

Feb 4, 2012 4:44 AM in response to Bill Cheeseman

Well, I tried a different URL for the Apple Support articles -- I apparently had been using an older URL. On one of my computers, the support articles now show up correctly in Safari. But on the other computer using the same new URL, they still don't show up. I had trashed the cache.db file and relaunched Safari on both computers.


The error I still get on one computer says: "Safari can't open the page. Too many redirects occurred trying to open http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5098?viewlocale=null&locale=null. This might occur if you open a page that is redirected open another page which then is redirected to open the original page."


But I don't think that's the problem -- it's the null localeview and locale. On the machine where it is working correctly now, the ? and everything after does not show up at all.

Feb 4, 2012 7:03 AM in response to cheeseb

Please read this whole message before doing anything.


This procedure is a diagnostic test. It won’t solve your problem. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.


The purpose of this exercise is to determine whether the problem is localized to your user account. Enable guest logins and log in as Guest. For instructions, launch the System Preferences application, select “Help” from the menu bar, and enter “Set up a guest account” (without the quotes) in the search box.


While logged in as Guest, you won’t have access to any of your personal files or settings. Applications will behave as if you were running them for the first time. Don’t be alarmed by this; it’s normal. If you need any passwords or other personal data in order to complete the test, memorize, print, or write them down before you begin.


As Guest, launch the application(s) and test. Same problem(s)?


After testing, log out of the guest account and, in your own account, disable it if you wish. Any files you created in the guest account will be deleted automatically when you log out of it.

Feb 4, 2012 7:17 AM in response to Linc Davis

I logged out and logged back in as a Safari-only guest user, as Link Davis suggested suggested. I went to the Apple Support site and then clicked the link to go to the RSS feeds site. I immediately got an error message saying that Safari could not open that page due to an epub bug that I should immediately report to Apple.


So that was a step backwards.


I've logged back in as myself, and Safari will open the RSS feeds page, but it still won't open the individual links. This is on my MacBook Pro.

Feb 4, 2012 8:27 AM in response to Bill Cheeseman

It sounds like you tested in the "Find My Mac" honeypot account. I'm not sure what to make of that test result, because I don't know what that restricted account is allowed to do.


You mentioned in your original post that the RSS feed is working in Firefox on the same Mac. One of the differences between Firefox and Safari is that the former ignores the system-wide web proxy settings. Is a proxy selected in Network preferences?

Feb 4, 2012 8:37 AM in response to Linc Davis

It sounds like you tested in the "Find My Mac" honeypot account. I'm not sure what to make of that test result, because I don't know what that restricted account is allowed to do.


You mentioned in your original post that the RSS feed is working in Firefox on the same Mac. One of the differences between Firefox and Safari is that the former ignores the system-wide web proxy settings. Is a proxy selected in Network preferences?


I used the Guest User button that shows up in the login screen on Lion.


And no, I do not have a proxy selected.

Feb 4, 2012 9:12 AM in response to Bill Cheeseman

Please read this whole message before doing anything.


This procedure is a diagnostic test. It’s unlikely to solve your problem. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.


The purpose of this exercise is to determine whether the problem is caused by third-party system modifications that load automatically at startup or login. Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Boot in safe mode and log in to the account with the problem. The instructions provided by Apple are as follows:


  • Be sure your Mac is shut down.
  • Press the power button.
  • Immediately after you hear the startup tone, hold the Shift key. The Shift key should be held as soon as possible after the startup tone, but not before the tone.
  • Release the Shift key when you see the gray Apple icon and the progress indicator (looks like a spinning gear).


The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.


Safe mode is much slower to boot and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, perhaps including wireless networking on certain Macs. If you usually connect to the Internet via WiFi, and it doesn’t work in safe mode, connect using an Ethernet cable. If you can’t do that, reboot as usual (i.e., not in safe mode) and perform a safe login, as follows: Enter your credentials at the login screen, then hold down the shift key and click the “Log in” button. Keep holding the key until the menu bar appears. In this mode, your login items, among other things, won’t load.


In safe mode, test again. Same problem(s) now?


After testing, reboot (if you booted in safe mode) or log out/log in (if you performed a safe login) as usual.

Feb 4, 2012 10:36 AM in response to Linc Davis

Linc Davis wrote:


The purpose of this exercise is to determine whether the problem is caused by third-party system modifications that load automatically at startup or login. Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Boot in safe mode and log in to the account with the problem.

I performed this test and, as before, the problem persists during the test and afterwards.

Feb 4, 2012 10:51 AM in response to Bill Cheeseman

Back up all data if you haven’t already done so. Before proceeding, you must be sure you can restore your system to the state it’s in now.


Quit Safari if it’s running.


Step 1


Select /Applications/Safari in the Finder and open the Info window. There’s a checkbox in that window labeled Open in 32-bit mode. If that box is checked, uncheck it. Close the window.


Hold down the option key and select Go ▹ Library from the Finder menu bar (Lion) or open the Library subfolder of your home folder (pre-Lion). Delete the following items from the Library folder (some may not exist):


Caches/com.apple.Safari

Caches/Metadata/Safari

Saved Application State/com.apple.Safari.savedState


Leave the Finder window open. Try Safari again.


Step 2


If it still doesn’t work right, quit, go back to the Finder, and move the following file from the open Library folder to the Desktop:


Safari/Bookmarks.plist


Then delete the following items (some may not exist):


Cookies/Cookies.binarycookies

Cookies/Cookies.plist

Preferences/com.apple.Safari.LSSharedFileList.plist

Preferences/com.apple.Safari.plist

Preferences/com.apple.Safari.RSS.plist

PubSub/Database

Safari


(Note: you are not deleting the Safari application. You’re deleting a folder named “Safari.”)


Try again. This time Safari should perform normally, but your settings will be lost. Select File ▹ Import Bookmarks from the Safari menu bar. Import from the bookmarks file you moved to the Desktop. Recreate the rest of your Safari settings. You can then delete the old bookmarks file.


Note: This step will remove your Safari Extensions, if any, and their settings. If you choose to restore them, do so one at a time, testing after each to make sure you haven’t restored the problem.


If you don’t like the results of step 2, you can undo it completely by quitting Safari and restoring the items you deleted in that step from your backup, overwriting any that were created in their place. You don’t need to restore the files you deleted in step 1.

Feb 4, 2012 11:26 AM in response to Linc Davis

Linc Davis wrote:



....

Step 2


If it still doesn’t work right, quit, go back to the Finder, and move the following file from the open Library folder to the Desktop:


Safari/Bookmarks.plist


Then delete the following items (some may not exist):


Cookies/Cookies.binarycookies

Cookies/Cookies.plist

Preferences/com.apple.Safari.LSSharedFileList.plist

Preferences/com.apple.Safari.plist

Preferences/com.apple.Safari.RSS.plist

PubSub/Database

Safari


(Note: you are not deleting the Safari application. You’re deleting a folder named “Safari.”)


Try again. This time Safari should perform normally, but your settings will be lost....


Step 2 worked, and restoring preferences and my EverNote extension was easy. Thanks so much.

Safari 5.1.3 can't open Apple Support articles

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