Weird caching problem...?

[meanfox]

When I upload a file using the CPanel File Manager and then I Show File, it is correct.

But when I view the corresponding URL in IE, the file is old for some time. Hitting refresh makes no difference.

For example:

http://www.fundictive.com:2082/frontend/x/files/showfile.html?dir=/home/fun/public_html/gamepatch&file=manifest_full.txt

and

http://www.fundictive.com/gamepatch/manifest_full.txt

differ for some period after I update the file.

This is a problem for me. What is wrong?

When I run firefox the file is also out-of-date, but corrects when I refresh. Then going back to IE, refresh now works.

WinInet also has the same problem as IE.

Need help!

Tom

[bburchfield]

Try holding down the shift key when you hit the refresh button. This forces both IE and FF to bypass their cache.

[AndrewT]

You can also configure your browser to fetch new pages every time you visit them.

[meanfox]

But it is a caching error isn't it? The cache should be used when the filedates match, surely. That can't be the case here. Caching is of no use if it isn't reliable...

My code using WinInet suffers the same problem, so how to fix it?

Tom

[AndrewT]

The server does not cache pages to serve. This would be a caching problem on your end. Browsers do not play well with caching if you are any kind of developer trying to look at consistent changes over a short period of time. It is remotely possible that your ISP may be causing this or if you are using a proxy that could be to blame as well.

[meanfox]

I tried both suggestions (shift key, change settings) and neither results in the correct page loading.

I also tried a different LAN config (took out my router) and still get the same problem.

Any other ideas?

Tom

[AndrewT]

That URL displays:

launcher_p.exe,126976,573300386FC7D64B6941B5968105D678
client_r.exe,655360,724A47A4A7A26A5D1B8C12AB738C491B
server_r.exe,258048,B771E6443D259DEFBA61526448A3E1E9
bass.dll,92728,0BE4A226874ECCB9F8BFE3D8DCED0C09
dbghelp.dll,719360,9CCBFA69AC67AED98E1C8A11FFA2A630
zlib1.dll,59904,80E41408F6D641DC1C0F5353A0CC8125
image.dat,731569,58252F3FB264C47EB18122C69FAB36B7
sound.dat,278858,8FB30AE4C5ED5BD2CD692D63A12E162F
theme.mp3,4937856,9176FF3194A616319326DFB7BCBC5FF8

Is that not what you see?

[meanfox]

Hmmm this time it is correct in IE.

I changed my WinInet code to disable cacheing (INTERNET_FLAG_PRAGMA_NOCACHE) and that seemed to help. In which case I can live with any IE weirdness.

I'll test more thoroughly tomorrow. Late night here in Singapore.

Cheers,

Tom

[Grunfeld]

it might also be related to your ISP provider if it is a wireless provider, as they some time cache web sites to speed up pageloads etc....

[Buddha]

it might also be related to your ISP provider if it is a wireless provider, as they some time cache web sites to speed up pageloads etc....

Many dailup ISP use caching too. AOL has been a problem more than once for me.

[meanfox]

Same problem is happening today, although it corrects after only a few refreshes.

Specifying INTERNET_FLAG_PRAGMA_NOCACHE in my WinInet code seems to fix the problem.

I had assumed that caching was based on filedates. I guess there are "more aggressive" caching algorithms that introduce error? That is my only explanation.

Tom

[AndrewT]

I do know that IE's caching algorithms in particular have always been fairly poor. You can find quite a bit of reading on it if you search around. I personally set my IE to get the new page on every visit to avoid these problems completely.