Can't compose/reply on Yahoo email 1/19/13
January 20, 2013 7:29 AM   Subscribe

All day starting 1/19, cannot compose or reply, just receive -- BUT, that's only on one laptop; on my other (older) lappy Yahoo works fine and I CAN compose/reply.

When I open Compose [takes 2 clicks and has Send and Cancel lit up(?)], it won't let me type anything in the To, CC, Subject, or Text fields -- the cursor doesn't even blink. And yes, both computers have the newer Yahoo mail upgrade. Is this the Java bug thing going around?? Thing is, the lappy where all's working has the newer Java that's supposedly under attack recently (7.update9). The lappy where I can't compose, etc., has an older Java version, v. 5, which I read was supposed to be safe from the bug. Confusing in any case... I've read many comments at this site --
http://www.isitdownrightnow.com/mail.yahoo.com.html
--about people this month having the very same trouble.
Any help? Thanks. This persists even today, Jan. 20.
posted by noelpratt2nd to Computers & Internet (10 answers total)
 
Yahoo! Mail doesn't use Java (it uses Javascript, which is totally different -- an analogy might be the difference between oz. and fl. oz. They're similarly named, but they're not the same units of measure), so we can probably rule out any issues with Java.

Question: What web browser are you using? If you're using Internet Explorer, have you tried using Yahoo! Mail in either Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome?
posted by retypepassword at 8:29 AM on January 20, 2013


I'm having the same problem and I am using Firefox. It works fine when I switch to Chrome though.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 8:32 AM on January 20, 2013


Best answer: My mom had the same issue with Firefox & yahoo mail. Some backend change at yahoo doesn't sit well with ff.
posted by moxiequz at 9:32 AM on January 20, 2013


Response by poster: I'm using Firefox, on both computers. Thanks for ruling out Java... Guess I could try IE.
posted by noelpratt2nd at 9:34 AM on January 20, 2013


My yahoo mail wasn't loading emails for replying, so I logged in using the k-meleon browser and it won't run the fancy-pants new version of yahoo mail so it asked if I wanted to switch back to the older version, so I did and now it works fine for receiving and sending emails. I like the older version anyway.
posted by glip at 9:48 AM on January 20, 2013 [1 favorite]


As others have mentioned, Yahoo mail does run a Java plugin.

An application like Yahoo mail works like this:

You connect your browser to Yahoo's website. JavaScript code runs which makes requests to the server to get back data (e.g., your email). The JavaScript code then displays the data on the web page. When you click on it, more requests are made, more data comes back and gets displayed, et cetera.

So the different places where this can break down are:
1. The requests that the JavaScript code is making never reach their target, or don't come back with data.
2. The JavaScript code itself does not run correctly, so the requests are never made.
3. The request is made and the data comes back, but the code does not display it correctly, probably because you are running an older browser that is no longer supported.

I'm willing to bet it's #3.
posted by deathpanels at 6:47 AM on January 21, 2013


Response by poster: Thanks. My Firefox version is the latest, 18. Still not working.
posted by noelpratt2nd at 8:56 AM on January 21, 2013


I haven't been able to compose email in the newest version of Yahoo Mail for four days now. So frustrating, especially since Yahoo has made it totally impossible to reach anyone there to ask what's going on. It doesn't work in Firefox 18 or Chrome (whichever version I have).

Here is a workaround that may help some -

I deleted all of my yahoo cookies in Firefox (and Google Chrome, just to be safe)

Closed and reopened Firefox

Logged into Yahoo Mail and got the "screen resolution isn't right" message which then gives you the option of logging into an older version of Yahoo Mail, which I did.

I can now send emails!

If you aren't getting the "screen resolution" message you can temporarily lower your screen resolution to 800 x 600 and repeat the process.
posted by LAinWLA at 9:49 AM on January 21, 2013


Response by poster: Somehow that solution left me the same. However, I discovered I'd left (long ago and not usually used) a bookmark for Inbox Yahoo in my Firefox bookmarks list, and when I clicked on it it brought me right to the older Yahoo version -- yayy!! Hope that situation lasts.
posted by noelpratt2nd at 11:42 AM on January 21, 2013


One of my computers wouldn't respond to my own workaround!

After some more searching I found a link that will take you directly to Yahoo classic mail:

http://us.mc598.mail.yahoo.com/mc/launch


This whole discussion could be helpful:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20130119155329AAjg1Va


I have yet to see anything official from Yahoo discussing this problem!!
posted by LAinWLA at 9:17 PM on January 23, 2013


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