Attachments not displaying when attached from "Quick Reply"

[exploringnh]

I deleted everything on my server, re-installed vbulletin 4.2, and imported the old vbulletin database about a month ago and have been having problems ever since. Currently running 4.2.2 PL1.

When a user posts an attachment in a new thread, the image displays inline as it should but also as an attachment. The same happens when replying using advanced reply. This is a small annoyance but not the main problem.

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/external/2014/04/41.jpg

When posting from quick reply, the attachment shows as a link. The link, if followed, states "vBulletin Message
Invalid Attachment specified. If you followed a valid link, please notify the administrator". This is the main problem.

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/external/2014/04/42.jpg

In the attachment table of the database, there is either no record of the problematic attachment or the contentid is 0.

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/external/2014/04/43.jpg

If the post is edited, images deleted and re-added, the images will show, presumably because the problem only exists with Quick Reply.

The original poster and some users (but not all) can see the attachment, even if cache is cleared and even if logged in from another computer as long as the attachmentid is in the database. If the attachment is not in the database at all the original poster can not see it either.

Admin CP -> Import & Maintenance -> Diagnostics -> Upload shows no problems. Plugins and hooks are disabled. Files are stored in the file system. Forum Component URL is used and set to: http://forums.mywebsite.com

I have had issues with the forum component stuff before and I am wondering if this is a permissions issue based around that. This feature seems a little glitchy. I have also had problems with PayPal IPN submitting to the wrong URL, regardless of forum settings that I believe is caused by the forum component settings.

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I just disabled the forum component URL and the problem still exists, so it is not related to that.

[rharbison]

Vbulletin doesn't allow you to do attachments in Quickreply (much to my dismay)

I'm certain of that since I've been trying to figure out how to allow that. I had some kind of hack/mod installed, can't recall exactly what, but in any case, it broke with v4.2. I posted a question in the official Vbulletin support forum and Zach replied that it is not supported and the only option would be a third party mod.

So how is it that you're even getting the option to do attachments in quickreply?

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OK, found a solution for my issue, may help yours. Turn off "asset manager", it's what broke the image attachments in quickreply, apparently some sort of conflict.

[exploringnh]

It used to allow this functionality and I can't imagine it would have changed.

Asset Manager has been disabled during testing with no change in results.

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In the past, I have had Standard Editor and WYSIWYG controls enabled for quick reply in the Message Interface Posting Options.

If I set that to Standard Editor only, it will attach the images as a link 19419 but will still not save them to the database. This is essentially the same problem, but I am providing as much information as possible to try and help trigger a solution.

[rharbison]

Yep, seeing the same issue now.

It appears that VB 4.2 PL 1 broke this. With the modified version of uploader.swf, the images SEEM to work. While editing they show up in the post just fine. However... When you save the message, you only get a link to the attachment, not the image.

Anyone else seeing this? Anyone got a solution?

In my case they ARE being saved to the database, but it only shows them as an attachment, not the image.

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I'm currently trying to get the folks at the VB forum to work with me on this. I'm convinced it's a problem in VB4.2.2 PL1, as even when I use the 0 byte version of the uploader (which is included in the release) it still won't work.

http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/forum/vbulletin-4/vbulletin-4-questions-problems-and-troubleshooting/4029478-vb-4-2-2-pl1-attachments-not-working-in-quickreply

[exploringnh]

I have disabled quick reply for now until I have time to go back to it. I have still found no solution and in my searching have found a number of other forums with the same issue with no solution. I also see plenty of forums that this is working fine on so it CAN work, one way or another.

[DemOnstar]

I am sure that I had a similar problem some time ago and found out I was using the wrong PHP version on the server..
I am using vb 4.2.1, and changed the PHP version to 5.2.17 and all worked for me..

Except I get errors rebuilding attachment thumbnails but I can live with that.. All the attachments are displayed as I would expect them to be..

[tpearl5]

I have this problem at random times as well. I cannot easily reproduce it though.

[exploringnh]

I am running PHP 5.3.27

[tpearl5]

I'm curious if anyone has seen a pattern by browser? It seems like sometimes the file just never makes it there. It could very well be a bug in the flash uploader.

[Zachery]

Try upgrading to 4.2.2

[rharbison]

Try upgrading to 4.2.2

VB 4.2.2 is what _caused_ the problem in my gardening forum! I was using the modified uploader and it worked fine. Did the upgrade, and it broke.

Now here's the odd thing... I run multiple forums (I own 8 licenses). They're all running VB 4.2.2 PL1. They're all, as far as I can tell, identical. They're all on the same server.

Two of them exhibit this issue. The others do not. It's reproducible, but not 100% consistent. Every once in a while it will work. Usually it does not.

Why it works in one and not another, all running on the same server and with the same version of VB is a total mystery.

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I'm curious if anyone has seen a pattern by browser? It seems like sometimes the file just never makes it there. It could very well be a bug in the flash uploader.

I don't think it's the flash uploader. In fact, I'm 99.9% sure it's not. The reason I say that is that I did some extensive testing, including "falling back" to the 0 byte swf file which makes it use the old and single file uploader. It exhibits the same problem.

Another reason. The file DOES upload. When you go to the edit the message, it's there. It shows up as a thumbnail and you can move it around etc. For a short time after you upload it, the "attachment xxxx" link actually works. Then, some time later, you get a file not found.

It's as if the file is uploading and being stored in some temp area, but not being written correctly. But the fact it works the same with both the uploader.swf and the basic uploader seem to indicate it's not the uploader.

I keep thinking, in the back of mind, that this problem showed up sometime in the past too. Can't recall if it was an issue with the graphics program, GD or Mogrify or what, but it seems vaguely familiar.

[alexm]

Another reason. The file DOES upload. When you go to the edit the message, it's there. It shows up as a thumbnail and you can move it around etc. For a short time after you upload it, the "attachment xxxx" link actually works. Then, some time later, you get a file not found.

It's as if the file is uploading and being stored in some temp area, but not being written correctly.

Maybe the process of associating that attachment with the post isn't completing correctly and then when the scheduled attachment cleanup task runs it thinks the 'asset' isn't being used in any posts and deletes it?

Does it show up in the asset manager after it's been uploaded?

[rharbison]

Maybe the process of associating that attachment with the post isn't completing correctly and then when the scheduled attachment cleanup task runs it thinks the 'asset' isn't being used in any posts and deletes it?

Does it show up in the asset manager after it's been uploaded?

That sounds like exactly what happened. I didn't think to check the attachment manager.

I'll check my other forums and see if I have one that's exhibiting the problem. I was sick of all the spammers signing up for that particular forum and since I didn't get any further replies to my question over at VB.com I decided to solve both problems at once and converted it over to Xenforo. And, well, I hate to say it, but it has far surpassed my expectations.

[alexm]

I decided to solve both problems at once and converted it over to Xenforo. And, well, I hate to say it, but it has far surpassed my expectations.

Good plan! That's where we are headed too just as soon as I can put together a XF solution which meets all our functionality requirements.

It's becoming a struggle just to maintain vB4 and the fact that it is basically shelved in terms of development does little for long term confidence.

[rharbison]

It was a very hard choice. I really like VB. I'm strongly invested in it, I own 8 licenses for crying out loud, plus another 6 or 8 for my various Photopost and Reviewpost installations. I know it like the back of my hand.

This was a small and fairly inactive forum. I had a Chinese spammer that was signing up 3 or 4 times a day, doing 4 to 8 new registrations each time. Different IPs, but they'd all show up in the same minute, so easy to tell. I tried everything, even going so far as using Cloudflare. No luck, he still got through, though typically StopForumSpam would grabs his posts. But I still had to clean up his crap.

So I bought Xenforo and simply installed the default antispam. It's been online for a week. Every time I'd check, anywhere from 4 to 10 guests were shown as "registering" in the last 15 minutes that it shows online guests. But... Exactly two have even been able to complete the signup. They were both trapped in the stopforum spam approval queue. It's really cool, as you can set what does based on what factors. So I have it tripping on the user name, which I didn't like in VB since it gave false positives on practically every simple name like "Bob" Works great, no spam at all. Compare that to VB which honestly acted like he had a hack to sign up and bypass all the antispam stuff.

Now I do expect that to change once the fact it's a Xenforo forum gets out there via Google and those guys show up. But there's an antispam add on that looks to be very effective when that time comes.

The more I use it, the more I like it. My members love it, clean, functional, easy to use. You can log in with Facebook. It has a built in "Like" button. Installing a photo gallery was so dang simple that I had it done in under an hour including buying and downloading the silly thing. Would have been 1/2 hour if I'd known that you have to set permissions for it to show up. Basically it's exactly like a VB plugin, upload some stuff and install the app. Compare that to the hassle of setting up Photopost. Oh, and when you're done, the gallery is truly and completely integrated, no separate cookies, no log in problems, it just frigging works.

Yep, this is the beginning of the end for me. The only thing I'm asking myself is "Why in the hell did you wait so long?!?!"

http://www.gardenforums.com/forum/index.php

[ForceHSS]

My attachments work in quick reply so whatever problem you seem to be having could be a setting or plugin or some fix you never added to 4.2.2 pl1

[rharbison]

My attachments work in quick reply so whatever problem you seem to be having could be a setting or plugin or some fix you never added to 4.2.2 pl1

Yep, of course, it's something that I did wrong. After all, I've only been using VB for 12 years now, have 8 forums, and I don't know what I'm doing. Even if it was something I did wrong (which it certainly could be) the total lack of any response or help over at VB.com was the final straw and I've started migrating. VB 4 is approaching it's life end and I'm not at all impressed with VB 5, so this was simply a matter of time.

That's OK, Xenforo fixed that problem and lots more. Thanks though...

[ForceHSS]

Yep, of course, it's something that I did wrong. After all, I've only been using VB for 12 years now, have 8 forums, and I don't know what I'm doing. Even if it was something I did wrong (which it certainly could be) the total lack of any response or help over at VB.com was the final straw and I've started migrating. VB 4 is approaching it's life end and I'm not at all impressed with VB 5, so this was simply a matter of time.

That's OK, Xenforo fixed that problem and lots more. Thanks though...

If it does not work it might or might not be something you did but you seem to be giving up on the problem and it could be just a simple fix. Yes it might take time to track it down but that is part of being a admin/coder and part of the fun for me finding and fixing problems i do enjoy it. But if you want to go to other software thats up to you.

[rharbison]

If it does not work it might or might not be something you did but you seem to be giving up on the problem and it could be just a simple fix. Yes it might take time to track it down but that is part of being a admin/coder and part of the fun for me finding and fixing problems i do enjoy it. But if you want to go to other software thats up to you.

You're right, I gave up. Vbulletin 4 is no longer being developed. VB 5 appears to be a buggy resource hog. There's not much reason to spend a lot of time (I've already wasted about 8 hours on it) tracking this down. I need to migrate soon anyway, so I may as well be now.