something went wrong, is driving me mad, after 2 searches it kicks in??
The new FS site is in my view abysmal against the old. You have to take a longer path to put data in. In my case after, maybe, 2 searches, the item shows " something went wrong "
why is appearing and how do i get rid of it? I have used ALL my search engines, Chrome/Firefox/Edge. With the old FS site nver a problem, now its the pits. Help needed.....
Something went wrong., !!!!
Answers
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@sidney barber Can you provide us with some search terms or a click path so that we can see what is causing the "something went wrong" message? If we have a bug in the system, we'd like to be able to reproduce it so we can report it.
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its not specific, I could search John Smith England 1800 to 1900 and still get " something went wrong "
I have used 3 different browsers, all same.
is it windows 10 ? Or maybe settings? my PC is good otherwise.
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Hi again
Have just logged in to FS via chrome.
search; John Fox- b 1794. in Derbyshire-I searched residence, Sheffield or England,1850
-1863. message came up, "something went wrong ". I had found him in 1861 @ Sheffield
when I started my family tree a few year back. probably used Find my Past.
So, if FS site something wrong, then were is it wrong ? I use Windows 10 with normaly no probs.
Only small problem I have with my PC is that some, (few) emails save as chinese characters, why I have not yet found.. Could that be part of same problem ??
Hope you can help
Sid.Barber UK
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Could you copy the Search URL here?
I could not duplicate the problem on Android phone (US).
7,218 results with parameters below
Filtering by Collection - England and Wales 1861 Census - results 3.
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@sidney barber We do not seem able to reproduce the problem you are having. When we encounter this sort of thing, the problem is most likely in your computer. You indicated that you had signed in before you searched, which is vital in order to be able to search successfully. So, that is one standard thing that we like to check.
Beyond that, sometimes something as simple as clearing cookies and temporary files will solve these kinds of issues. If you are not familiar with how to do that, a quick internet search should bring up instructions for your browser.
It is possible that you need to update your browser. To check for an update in Chrome, click the 3 dots icon in the upper right corner. Click Help and then About Google Chrome.
We've also sometimes found that a browser extension or add-on can mess things up. That can be frustrating to figure out--some trial and error with activating and inactivating extensions or add-ons or adding FamilySearch as an exception.
You might also try using a different browser. We support Windows Edge, Mozilla Firefox, and Google Chrome on Windows computers.
Wish we had a quicker fix for you!
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I, too, get the "something went wrong" page at least a couple of times a day. USUALLY refreshing the search page clears the error. Annoying, but doesn't stop my process. It does slow me down - and I have suspected that it is a symptom of an overloaded system.
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Yes. I too get "Something went wrong", sometimes even when trying to load a navigation page not get search results. Refreshing the page usually works.
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I have tried check updates for all browsers. they are all up to date.
I have tried refresh pages but same as.
What I can guess is that my problems started when family search changed changed the website search pages. ?
What else can I check ?
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@sidney barber It is likely nothing from your side that needs changing.
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Have you tried the Search URL above for specific example? I could not duplicate it with mobile Chrome. Maybe that indicates settings (browser/network) on your side? So you could try disabling add-ons/extensions/security/content filtering - or resetting browser to 'vanilla'. It could be some 3rd party security/application on your computer. It could be Familysearch COOKIES settings (found at bottom of most FamilySearch pages).
The interesting thing is that you indicate this is a 'recent' change in behavior (there have been a lot of Familysearch changes going on).
You indicate you are in UK -perhaps checking with others in UK group to see if they are having same experiences? Not being able to duplicate it from US doesn't mean much if it is a more local problem.
Unfortunately, it could be any number of things. I would start with clearing FamilySearch COOKIES:
Then cold reboot the computer (shutdown then restart after a few minutes - apparently this step resolves some inexplicable behaviors).
Double-check Familysearch COOKIES settings when login to the site - minimal functional at least should be selected. There are also lots of browser functional changes with how cookies/site settings/tracking are being handled these days - so I can't point to any specific settings - but would generally point at the browser/settings - since everyone is not having the exact same issues.
My opinion at this point - it may be more of a local/UK issue - but I also know the search message you are getting is common (but as indicated by others commonly resolved with a refresh).
I wish I had a better answer for you.
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My ears perked up with the 'something went wrong' in FS message.
Please try clearing your computer browsing cookies.
Please, always, clear FamilySearch cookies....FS create a huge amount! Go to familysearch.org/cookies, and answer "yes." Leave FS and browser, and re-enter to try again. When a problem seems to primarily be in FS and nowhere else, it is often a glut of cookies causing the problem.
Good luck!
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did as you suggetsed, cleared FS cookies. Ran optimizer PC.
My thoughts at the moment are the new set up search does not like the way I enter data !!
Will persevere, thanks for all advice
Sid.Barber
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Hi @sidney56
I have followed this thread about your recent issue with getting errors messages after doing a couple of searches at the FamilySearch website.
I am wondering if you are working from the UK since you mentioned "findmypast" as an alternate site that you work in, and since you mentioned looking for ancestors from the United Kingdom.
If you are working in Europe, you may not have the same fast internet speed that exists in other parts of the World, and a slow internet speed can cause the type of error message you have experienced.
One thing that was not mentioned in the general chat thread was to have you check with your Internet provider to determine your internet speed and whether or not you are getting the speed that is promised through your account with them.
I believe you can also visit http://ping-test.net to do a speed test. Ping Test is a fast and accurate tool for quality measurements of the Internet connection. It checks delays in milliseconds between your computer and selected sites. Delays in transferring and returning information can cause error messages.
Thanks for "hanging-in-there"! We hope you will be able to continue working successfully at FamilySearch as you continue to work with the new search page.
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Thanks for that, I use Virgin internet which is as far as I know still the fastest in the UK andalways OK when I check speeds. I am coming to the conclusion that maybe after FS changed the web search page that ,just, maybe,I need change my search parameters. I would say I have been doing family history since 2001.
Just rechecked broadband speed, it is; download 87 mb/s and upload. 10 mb/s
thanks
Sid Brber
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The new search function is crap, there is no other way to describe it. I have no idea what committee sat together and thought this was a good idea, it isn't and I think all those involved should ask themselves some serious questions.... Like...... "Why didn't we beta test this before rolling it out to the public?" and "Why did we spend time and money on fixing something that wasn't broke?".
When I rang up to ask why it had been changed and were they aware that it didn't actually work properly, I was told that it was changed to make searching simpler because people were intimidated by the original search screen. I genuinely have never heard so much rubbish in my life. The original search screen was simple, as simple as could be, you entered as much or as little information into it and hit search.
So as an example. If you now search Margaret Davies, In Carmarthenshire, Wales, marriages, and her father is John. You get............................... zero results. Where as on the old screen there were hundreds.
It is pretty obvious that genealogists weren't involved in the implementation of this change, if they were, they should stick to gardening. Give me a shout when you're brave enough to admit the mistake and bring back the old search funtion.
Bye, Gareth
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There are plenty of adjectives to describe Search - great, frustrating ... Search is a moving target - it functions great sometimes - other times it can be frustrating... Overall, even with all the changes and moving pieces - I would call Search functionality 'good and improving'.
I plugged in your search parameters and got 541,910 results??
Filtering these results for Camarthenshire parish results in 3,758??
I hope this helps you with Search parameters and filters related to your needs. If you have other specific search difficulties please post again - perhaps on a separate thread. There are many here in Community that can help with Search difficulties.
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For Gareth
Could not have said it any better, why change it when it ain't broke !!
Sid.B.
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I had just added comments at https://community.familysearch.org/en/discussion/103621/familysearch-employee-responding-to-search-page-feedback#latest when I came across this thread.
See example at https://www.familysearch.org/search/record/results?count=20&exactSearching=true&q.anyDate.from=1830&q.anyDate.to=1840&q.anyPlace.exact=on&q.givenName=george&q.givenName.exact=on&q.surname=wrightson&q.surname.exact=on. Nothing like this happened when using the previous search engine (i.e. we could make searches of this nature without inputting a placename).
The "Something Went Wrong - Unfortunately, something went wrong, and we are unable to display the search results. Try refreshing the page, or come back later" message is totally inappropriate here.
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I can force the error. I tried the URL provided at the top. That worked. Then tried to do an Exact and that failed
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Thanks Joe,
I have been thinking some of the problem is trying to use exact. The search engine dos not seem to like that.
Will kep trying
Si.Barber
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I think it was Paul who first pointed out that the new interface chokes on "exact" applied without a text input. Instead of ignoring the checkbox if there's nothing for it to apply to, it gives the false error message about trying again later.
FamilySearch, please fix your abysmal failure of a search interface.
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I don't think abysmal applies. This is a Search pattern that 'forces' the error. Needs instruction on use (for this particular pattern), or possibly change to algorithm - yes - but abysmal entire Search interface - really? I think that's a broad generalization to make for a specific issue... The message itself while not informative and perhaps misleading (suggesting to try again later?) - does get the point across - something isn't allowing this search to continue...
That refreshing the page 'might work' seems to indicate some threshold is generating the message. Are there too many users Searching? Why does the engine throw out this message without 'attempting' to complete a search? It must just 'overwhelm' the Search to not have a Location (interesting...) ... See AI at work ... A computer having 'human' emotions ...
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I had not thought of overload on system, but would not expect that a problem.
Refresh does nothing.
Sid.Barber
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I've had this same problem come up on other occasions. The search system is badly written; it's time to admit it and do something about it. Too many people are having problems in all kinds of ways. It's the most convoluted and annoying search engine I've ever used. It's not worth the time or trouble searching here anymore.
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I'm sure there are probably a number of reasons users are being presented with the "Something Went Wrong" page. However, in my case it always relates to an "Exact" search. Previously, it did not matter if one checked "Exact" against a field. Now, that field must have text added. So, whether a place name is omitted alongside a date range or, say, a First Name field is checked with "Exact" and no first name is inputted, the "Something Went Wrong" page will appear after clicking on "Search".
Okay, maybe there's nothing "wrong" in that behaviour, it's just that it was something that we didn't have to worry about before the new interface was introduced. As expressed previously, this is a most misleading message and the true reason - "You must add a name when checking the Exact box" should be shown. If it is possible to produce an error message when invalid characters are inputted, it should be possible to get a specific error message in this and other cases - not a completely unhelpful "Something Went Wrong".
If a place name ( or other field) is left blank in an "Exact" search, instead of a "Something Went Wrong" message, why can't an appropriate message be displayed (like "Input required"), as in the "invalid character" case illustrated below?
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@sidney barber Next time you get a "Something went wrong", try this as a test: Click anywhere in the URL bar and then hit return or enter whatever you choose to call it. If that produces results, then the issue lies within the code of the search function failing to submit a properly formatted query. If it fails, then something within the query is at fault and you might be able to work out which by copying the entire URL and then progressively changing or removing search criteria one at a time and then pasting it into a new tab in your browser to see if it works.
Don't alter : &m.defaultFacets=on&m.queryRequireDefault=on&m.facetNestCollectionInCategory=on
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If I click anywhere in URL and return - isn't that going to possibly truncate the parameters? Or did you mean go to the end of URL, click and return?
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In the old interface, the exact box was simply ignored if the text field was empty. This is actually decent user-interface design: if the query is malformed, skip the parts that can't apply and perform the search with the remaining parts. The user is not required to learn the nitty-gritty of the algorithm in order to use it.
The drawback to this approach is that it can mislead users about how the algorithm works. In this case, I believe the problem was that it lead people to believe that the exact boxes could apply to numeric fields (dates) as well as text.
The obvious solution to this problem is labeling, but of course FamilySearch can't possibly use such a simple and effective solution when they can instead hide functions under multiple layers of clicks and scrolling, and then return a misleading error message when people don't understand the vague hints.
Post-query error messages for malformed queries is horrible user interface design. Generic post-query error messages are an order of magnitude worse.
At bare minimum, the new interface needs to return a specific error message if the problem is lack of text input for an exact box. The current one, which falsely asserts that trying again (without any changes) may succeed, is not acceptable. Ideally, however, error messages should be prevented whenever possible, in this case either by going back to ignoring the checkbox if there's nothing for it to apply to, or by alerting the user to the problem at the input stage (as Paul W suggests).
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@genthusiast When I click anywhere in the URL, the entire URL becomes highlighted. Then just pressing Enter or Return causes it to be posted. I can't know if this is the same for all systems, I just presumed that it was normal behaviour.
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@LDS Search Test Yes that is what I am seeing too. But if double-click then that would move the cursor to a point in the URL - and a return at that point might truncate the URL. So essentially you are doing an F5 or Ctrl + F5 (Windows OS) to refresh the URL.
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