Drafts misbehaving

[mgm36]

After several months of functioning very well for us, Contribute has just
started having some strange errors. Nothing has changed in the administration
or site setup.

Basically, drafts in the review process will show up in the user's draft
console, but when they go to the draft it will not show any of the editable
buttons - instead they see the temporary contribute draft url in the address
bar, as if they were just browsing to the page. Alternatively, sometimes the
buttons will be correct, but clicking any of them (for example, the edit
button) results in the dreaded - "This draft is no longer available for you to
review. To see the status of the draft, select Edit > blah blah" error.

When I look on the server, at the lock files, and in the manage drafts tool,
everything appears correct in that the draft appears to be owned by the correct
person, etc. This is very frustrating as the draft ends up stuck in the review
process or just never actually editable again.

I have found some similar threads, but nothing that has made any difference in
this situation - any ideas!?

Thanks in advance!

[Saraphim]

This is EXACTLY what has been happening to me! I'm so glad to find out that it
isn't because I'm a new, relatively inexperienced user. What we've been having
to do it force it to delete the pages and starting over. NOT ACCEPTABLE!!!!!

So, what's the fix?

Thanks!!

[Connie2]

I am also having this problem. I have Dreamweaver 8 installed as well as
Contritbute 3.1.1. My assistant uses Contribute to update our clients'
websites. I've often had use all kinds of contortions, including going into
the site outside of Dreamweaver and deleting the lock and then redoing the
pages myself. This bug has caused may hours of anguish and frustration as
well as unhappy clients and missed deadlines not inlcuded lost revenue. I
course, I still have to pay my assistant for all the hard work she has
correctly done. Please advise.

Connie Cox

[maphead]

:disgust;
This error has recently started on our formerly functioning Contribute 3
install. We have removed the connections, replaced connections with all fresh
information. We have removed the LCK files from both the server and the local
user files. There are NO other users - yet Contribute is rendering the pages
UNEDITABLE.

Running on XP and wondering WTF?
Any help from the pros?

[Connie2]

I used one the two 'free' technical queries that came with Studio 8 to ask the
Adobe experts. (What has happened to the Macromedia guys?) Their unhelpful
answer is below:

Hi Connie,

Thank you for writing to Technical Support.

You reported that you have been experiencing some inconsistencies with regards
to editing, sending pages for review, and publishing drafts in Contribute.

Several factors may cause the trouble in sending drafts for review and
publishing them. To eliminate these inconsistencies in the program, I suggest
that you remove the following files in your web server that are related to the
drafts:

1. filename.html.lck (lock files for the files you are editing) 2. 'MMWIP'
folder (same directory as filename.html) 3. All files in
'_mm\ct3beta\WIPMetaData' folder 4. user folders in
'_mm\ct3beta\messaging\users'

NOTE: You will need to use another application to remove the files above.

I recommend that you do this from time to time. The best would be during those
times that you are not sending drafts for review or publishing any drafts. Try
to observe if this improves the workflow. Let me know if this works.

I hope this has helped you. Please contact us again should you need additional
assistance.

Regards,

Alvin
Technical Support Specialist
Macromedia, now part of Adobe Systems


---
What an awkward work-around. And what about my rollback reversions that get
wiped? I found an obscure mention that if you set up an administrator account
in Dreamweaver, you must use a different username in Contribute. I found it in
the bowels of the Adobe site and now can't get back to it. The page listed all
the bugs in Studio 8. I have changed my admin name in Contribute but haven't
played with it since, so I can't tell you if this works or not.

[maphead]

How handy and lame.
So AdobeMedia has decided that its customers need to employ "another
application to remove the files" that its mega-ware created?

THANK YOU, Connie2 for blowing a suppport incident on this issue. Sorry the
response was so ridiculous.

Any company folk monitoring these fora? Care to submit an official bug
report? You'd be our hero and make the company look good to boot.

Gotta go look around for "another application" to keep tabs on my MacroDobe
creations.
Later,
maphead

[maphead]

Seems this problem may be related to this topic:


[url]http://www.macromedia.com/cfusion/webforums/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=401&thre[/url]
adid=1081499&enterthread=y

Anyone from the mothership care to get a definitive answer for us?

[kararenee]

Hi all,
Connie, did they say that the removal of those files is something that has to
be done on an ongoing basis?
I just tried this using "Cute FTP" a FTP client program for the PC. (I rather
like using basic programs to upload, rather than DW, since DW seems kind of
slow -and likes to ask questions about what i'm uploading-when all I want to do
is upload one little file.) I've heard that "Transmit" is a nice little FTP
program for the Mac, I have Fetch on the Mac. (yes, i use both platforms!)

I just posted a similar problem:

[url]http://www.macromedia.com/cfusion/webforums/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=302&thre[/url]
adid=1129973&forumid=55&loc=en_us

I just have this feeling that there is something I'm not doing correctly in
order for Contribute to be happy. I'm just not sure what. I haven't used the
check-in/check-out feature in DW, because I'm the only one making updates using
DW.

Has anyone found any other info in the Knowledge Base?
I found this, but I think Connie's Tech post sounds more complete. This just
mentions the LCK file.

[url]http://www.macromedia.com/cfusion/knowledgebase/index.cfm?event=view&id=KC.tn_18[/url]
571&extid=tn_18571&dialogID=26843650&iterationID=1 &sessionID=963083b1783a7b36454
5&stateID=0+0+26847789&mode=advanced

I used the updater link to update to 3.11 but it sounds like that isn't the
answer either.
I think now I'm going to read their check in/check out link and see if that
helps?

I am glad to hear I'm not the only one who has to deal with frustrated
clients. Until they get these bugs figured out or better documented, I won't be
suggesting this software to clients, or fellow designers.
KM