GeoCities FAQ Page -- Information about error messages and system problems.

1. Why do I get an error when in GeoCities?
2. What should I do when I get an error?
3. Why is one error different than another?
4. How do I know if the error was something that I did, or if it was a problem with GeoCities?
5. What does the error "Member Name or Password Invalid" mean?
6. What does the error "Document Contains No Data" mean?
7. What does the error "404 - File Not Found" mean?
8. What does the error "500 Server Error" mean?
9. What does the error "User Access Denied" mean?

Why do I get an error when in GeoCities?

From time to time, you may get an error while accessing GeoCities. Errors can result from problems on your end, or, problems on our end. They may occur because of something being incorrectly entered by you, or because of our system not being able to process your request. If we are experiencing any systems problems, we will post a message on the Current Announcements Page. Most of the time, if you try your request again in a few moments, the problem will be gone.

What should I do when I get an error?

Whenever you get an error message, please read it carefully. The cause of the error is often spelled out in the message. Regardless of what the message says, please wait a few moments and try your request again. Most of the possible problems are related to heavy traffic on the site, and will be fixed automatically when the volume subsides. If you still get the same error message, please read the remainder of this page and try to determine the reason.

Why is one error different than another?

There are several types of possible errors you may encounter. Some may mean that something you input was incorrect, while others may result from our sytem not responding properly to your command. Whenever you are using any of the Member Utilities, they need to access the database for all of your profile information. With thousands of users on the system at once, this can create a "bottleneck" and lead to various error messages, such as "Document; Contains No Data". If you try to access a page on our site that doesn't exist, you may see a message saying, "404; - File Not Found". If you try to log on to the FTP server with your GeoCities Member Name instead of "anonymous", you'll likely get an error stating, "User; Access Denied". Please read the rest of this page to determine how to solve your particular problem.

How do I know if the error was something that I did, or if it was a problem with GeoCities?

Again, if we have any type of problem with our servers, we always know about it before anyone else. We will post a message to the Current Announcements Page explaining the problem and specifying a time that when we think we'll have it fixed. If you don't see a posting about system problems, then you can usually assume that it is on your end.

What does the error "Member Name or Password Invalid" mean?

You may see this message when you incorrectly input your account information while trying to use one of the utilities, or editing your home page. Please verify your information and try your request again.

What does the error "Document Contains No Data" mean?

This message generally relates to the system being crowded. If you're trying to access anything with "cgi-bin" in the URL, then it is referring to a script. Most of our scripts need to access the database to verify your account information, before they can build the page that you want to access. When the system is busy, this can be a cause of errors. If this happens, wait a few moments and try your request again.

What does the error "404 - File Not Found" mean?

This message means that the file you're trying to access doesn't exist. Check the URL to be sure you entered it correctly (pay attention to lower case versus upper case). If you're referring to a page that you FTP'd to us, use the File Manager Utility to verify that it's actually there. If not, then you'll need to re-send it.

What does the error "500 Server Error" mean?

This generally means that the system could not perform what you asked it to do. If this happens, wait a few moments and try your request again. If that doesn't work, then send us an E-mail and explain the problem. If you haven't heard back from us by the next time you get on the system, try to perform the same task and it may have resolved itself.

What does the error "User Access Denied" mean?

This error occurs when logging in to the FTP server to send us your files. You need to be sure that you logged in as "anonymous", and did not use your GeoCities member name. Please see the FTP Procedures Page for complete instructions for FTP.