Can't search forums?

Saliira · #1 (**permalink**) 04-28-2007, 03:58 PM

These forums have already been quite useful (I've returned to BG1 after many years), but I can't search them.

I type in a search string, hit Go, and it takes me to what looks like the Advanced Search screen. No matter what I type or choose, every time I hit Search from that screen, it returns to the screen with no evidence that it found or didn't find any matching posts. It does do some sort of processing (or maybe it's just page reloading), because a blue progress bar at the bottom of my browser increases briefly...

Any suggestions? The behavior is the same in Firefox and IE. I'm using Windows 2000.

fable · #2 (**permalink**) 04-28-2007, 04:25 PM

Moving to GameBanshee Discussions--where you'd expect to discuss problems like this.

Fiberfar · #3 (**permalink**) 04-28-2007, 04:46 PM

Hmmm... I used the search function just now, and it worked fine.

mr_sir · #4 (**permalink**) 04-28-2007, 05:09 PM

This seems to happen every now and then. Buck, the site owner, says it happens when the forum software is being updated so it should work again after a short period of time when it happens

BuckGB · #5 (**permalink**) 04-29-2007, 09:20 AM

The search index gets updated every couple of weeks and during that time you may experience some problems with searching. However, that isn't the case here, since the search index hasn't been updated for at least a week.

I'm not having any issues here, so I'm not sure what could be happening. Can you give me some example search strings that are sending you to the advanced search screen with no results?

Saliira · #6 (**permalink**) 04-30-2007, 06:10 PM

(Thanks, fable, for moving this to the appropriate forum)

Over the last couple of weeks, I've searched (on the Baldurs Gate 1 forums only) for "808", "assertion", "Dynaheir", "Dynah", and various other short strings. They invariably behaved the same way.

However, I just now searched for "Ulcaster" so I could take a screen shot of the advanced search page it takes me to, and wouldn't you know it, it worked. So did "Dynaheir" and "assertion". So, now that the mechanic's looking at it, the car runs fine

Thanks for the input, and I'll assume that I just hit a few unlucky times, all in a row. Or that the planets realigned properly. *shrug*

Krusader · #7 (**permalink**) 05-07-2007, 08:51 PM

I am having the same problem, both in IE 7 and FF. Only Opera doesn't have the issue. I was thinking that it's related to my aggressive blocking of ads via the hosts file. But I do not know for certain. Quite a pain in the head, since IE is my main browser.

There's another problem, even more annoying: hitting the back button does not bring me to the previous page. I have to hit it a number of times. Using the down arrow in the back button to check the page history brings up ads URLs. I have a picture of the problem right here. Once again, this does not happen in Opera, even though the ads are blocked in Opera too, with the difference that they appear just as white bands, without the "..cannot display the page" message.

TheAmazingOopah · #8 (**permalink**) 05-08-2007, 07:43 AM

I have also experienced this difficulty with the search function, and I figured that you have to be logged in, in order to get to the search results, because everytime that I try to search something unlogged, I only get to the 'Advanced Search' screen. However, when I am logged in, I only get to the 'Advanced Search' screen once, and when I click on 'search' there, I often (not always) get the results. I'm not 100% sure about this, but do you think that this is the case?
If so, it still would be great if that could be fixed, because it's really quite annoying to log in first everytime I want to search something in the forums...

dragon wench · #9 (**permalink**) 05-08-2007, 08:03 AM

Hmmm...
I have had the problem occur, on and off, whether logged in or not, so I'm not sure that is the issue..

Kipi · #10 (**permalink**) 05-08-2007, 08:09 AM

I think that it's at least the full issue, as I have had the same problem during last few days...

At times the search function works, at times doesn't. Dependless if I'm logged in or not (mostly I'm logged in, though...)

Saliira · #11 (**permalink**) 05-09-2007, 08:18 AM

It looks like that was what solved my original issue -- needing to be logged in to search. We'll see if I experience the randomness that others have seen.

dragon wench · #12 (**permalink**) 05-13-2007, 09:04 PM

Hmmm....
I haven't been able to use the search function all day. It is odd, if I do a search looking for threads or posts by a single user, they all come up. But, if I type in a keyword like "new" or "newbie" for example and click on ES3 in the scroll down menu, I just get taken back to the search screen.

fable · #13 (**permalink**) 05-13-2007, 09:18 PM

I don't think three-letter searches ever work, but I could be wrong about this.

dragon wench · #14 (**permalink**) 05-13-2007, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fable

I don't think three-letter searches ever work, but I could be wrong about this.

That might be it, but I'm not sure. I just tried after reading your post; "new" did not work, but "newbie" did. However, I tried both earlier in the day and ended up being returned to the search page.
Or maybe my weird weekend is just translating itself to my searches as well

Oh well, thanks anyway

BuckGB · #15 (**permalink**) 05-22-2007, 06:58 AM

Each key word has to be at least three characters. I think it used to be four or more, but has been changed over the years as the server was able to handle more resource-intensive searches.

I wiped out the search index last night and have been rebuilding it over the past 8 hours or so. It should be done in another hour or two, so hopefully that will resolve any other pending issues.