Netscape 4.79 Upgrade (Netscape 4.79)

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I just upgraded Netscape 4.76 to 4.79 (hoping for a little more stability). What I got was a browser that is ‘unable to locate the server…’ – ANY server. I’ve uninstalled, reinstalled 4.76, etc. NS is dead. Mozilla 9.6 and IE have no problems at all.
I’m running off a networked ISDN connection. Everyone else is fine. Any suggestions???

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From what you say, you would appear to still be in the right Profile path. Has your “prefs.js” file been mangled? Sometimes Netscape 4x attempts to default back to the old Users folder (the default for Netscape 4x) and not to the Users50 folder (which is what Mozilla uses). Have you tried checking that?

HTH

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I tried renaming the old prefs.js file. Netscape happily created a new one, but the problem remained. I’ve tried restoring a previous registry, also. The problem’s not there either. Guess I’m out of ideas for now. Thanks anyway.
Keith

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Hi

Both Mozilla and Netscape 4x get most of their information – including web server details – from the “prefs.js” file. For most practical purposes, they are interchangeable. It may be the case, however, that they are using different copies in different places on your machine. If Mozilla is still working okay, then testing with the prefs.js Mozilla is using should help identify your problem more clearly.

Try to locate the prefs.js file that Mozilla is using, back it up, and then try to log on with Netscape using the profile that is being used by Mozilla. This will require you using the Profile Manager. You may not be familiar with this. You need to enter the full “C:Program FilesCommunicatorProgramnetscape.exe” name (or whatever the path on your computer happens to be) in the Run command on your Windows Start Menu using the following format:

“C:Program FilesCommunicatorProgramnetscape.exe” -profile manager

Press Enter and this should bring up the Profile Manager wizard. Ask to set up a profile with exactly the same name as you Mozilla profile. When asked where do you want to put this profile, navigate the wizard to where your Mozilla profile actually is. It should then ask you whether you want to use the existing information there. Say “yes”.

HTH

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Thanks, Unk – no cigar. It was worth a shot. I got an error message telling me that the prefs.js file was a Mozilla file with an illegal #, then NS just created its own new prefs file again. My guess is that it’s not the prefs file since a clean new one should have let me at least connect. I’ve restored an old registry, so it’s apparently not there. What’s that leave? Winsock? – TCP/IP? Aliens?

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FWIW I have run Netscape 4.7 and Mozilla (now 9.7) from exactly the same prefs.js file for quite some time. OTOH, Mozilla is installed from the zip file and not the Installer.exe. Both programs write VERY little to the Registry in any event. I must admit that the only time I ever got the error message you mentioned was when my dial-up went down – clearly not your situation.

Your opening comment about stability surprised me a little. Other than one of the earlier NT4 SPs (which was a “known issue”), stability with Netscape 4x has never been a problem for me on various machines. The only issue has been page rendering.

Pity one can’t post to the Lounge from Mozilla, the tabbed browsing lets you open a whole range of threads from the same window and then close all the extra tabs up with a single click.

HTH

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