I have been encountering errors since today (Jul 25
) morning while trying to log in to Stack Overflow.
Like I do everyday, I navigated to Stack Overflow log in page from my browser's (Chrome) bookmark manager. I use Google account to log in to Stack Overflow. Refer screenshot #1.
Since today (
Jul 25
) morning, I have to hit the Enter button twice or click the Sign in button to commence the log in process. Refer screenshot #2.After logging in, I am taken to the Confirm page. This happened even after I cleared my browser cache by pressing
Ctrl
+Shift
+Delete
and clearing every thing from the beginning of time, which I hoped would be sufficient enough! Refer screenshot #3 and #4.Every time I click the Log In button on the Confirm page, I get to see the most knowledgeable cat I have ever seen. Sometimes, the top level profile links appear correctly with my user name, refer screenshot #5. If I click on my profile, I am able to get to the web site. However, sometimes I don't see all the links at the top section. Refer screenshot #6.
EDIT 1:
Screenshot #7 shows same type of error occurs even while trying to log in through meta. Screenshot #8 shows the content settings on my browser and screenshot #9 shows the cookies currently saved on my machine. I have Windows XP SP3 installed on one laptop and Windows 7 on another laptop. The browser settings haven't changed and it has been the same for long time.EDIT 2:
I was finally able to fix the issue on the Windows XP machine by completely uninstalling Google Chrome and re-installing it. That worked. Now, I am trying the same on Windows 7 laptop.
I always use Chrome to access Stack Overflow. I do access the web site through either of my two laptops. Does that have anything to do with this error? I did try clearing the cache on both the machines but of no luck.
Is it just me or has any one else encountered this error?
I can get to the site eventually but this happens every time I log in.
EDIT 3:
I am able to reproduce the error with the following sequence of events. This is what I have found after struggling with the error. Until recently, I have been mainly logging in to SO using Windows XP machine and very ocassionally using Windows 7 machine. It seems that logging in to both the machines at the same time causes this problem. Probably, yesterday was the first time I logged in to both machines at the same time. That's why I am having this issue since yesterday.
Sequence of events:
- Windows XP and Windows 7 machine had Google Chrome installed to begin with.
- I faced the issue as described in this question.
- Uninstalled Chrome from Windows XP laptop.
- Cleared all temp files and registry entries on Windows XP laptop using CCleaner.
- Re-installed Chrome on Windows XP machine and no changes were made to browser settings.
- Only action carried out on the browser after re-install was to import my old bookmark manager settings.
- Tried to log in to SO.
No issues
and everything worked as I expected it to work. - Uninstalled Chrome from Windows 7 laptop.
- Cleared all temp files and registry entries on Windows 7 laptop using CCleaner.
- Re-installed Chrome on Windows 7 and no changes were made to browser settings.
- Only action carried out on the browser after re-install was to import my old bookmark manager settings.
- Tried to log in to SO.
Error occurs
again as explained earlier. Now, Windows XP machine also is not working. - Closed the browsers on both the machines.
- Re-opened the browsers on both the machines and pressed
Ctrl
+Shift
+Delete
to clear the browser cache. - On Windows 7 machine tried to log in to SO, same error.
- Ran CCleaner on both Windows XP and Windows 7 machines to clear all temporary files, caches and invalid registry entries. I have selected every option in CCleaner except Wipe Free Space.
- On Windows 7 machine tried to log in to SO again, same error.
- Now, I am back to square one.
Is this an expected behavior when accessing SO from two different machines at the same time?
Screenshots:
#1: SO log in page.
#2: Google accounts log in page
#3: Log in confirm
#4: Clear browsing data
#5: Something bad has happened with all the top level links
#6: Something bad has happened without all the top level links
#7: I miss Zoe, the Cat
#8: Browser settings
#9: Cookies on the local machine
chrome://settings/content
-> Cookies -> Block sites from setting any data, even after allowing both Google and Stack Overflow - can you try changing that setting back to Allow local data to be set and logging in?