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FAQ - Troubleshooting

» Why don't my journal entries show the correct date or time? Can I use 12-hour time?

If the date or time of an entry is incorrect, your computer may be set to the wrong date or time. Other causes include disabling JavaScript, autocomplete in your browser, or incorrect time value errors.
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Last Updated:
November 2nd, 2009 (dalryaug)

» Why is my journal or Friends page displaying incorrectly?

Your journal or Friends page can display incorrectly when you or someone on your Friends list post an entry with incorrect HTML or with wide images or text. It can also happen with errors in your style customizations.
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Last Updated:
February 22nd, 2009 (dalryaug)

» Why don't journal entries show up where they should?

If your entries aren't appearing on your friends' Friends pages, the entries may have the "Do not add to friends page and RSS" option enabled; additionally, protected entries won't appear on other users' Friends pages. If your entries aren't appearing in the right place in your own journal, they may have incorrect dates or times. However, there are also other reasons why your entries are not displaying where they should.
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Last Updated:
March 6th, 2013 (maraun)

» Why can't I receive email from LiveJournal?

Several factors can prevent you from receiving LiveJournal email.

  • Correct Email Address: Verify that the email address on your account is correct at the Edit Profile page.

  • Notifications: If you are not receiving notification email,
    • Check that you have enabled the option for email notifications on the Notifications tab of the My Account Settings page.
    • Validate your email address.
    • Try disabling HTML email, if enabled.

  • Edit or Disable Spam Filters: Edit spam or junk mail filters on your email account.
    • Check your spam folder, and if you find any LiveJournal emails there, mark them as "Not Spam"
    • Add livejournal.com and/or 208.93.0.128 and 208.93.0.48 (the IP addresses used to send comment notifications and forward username@livejournal.com email) to your "allowed senders" list ("whitelist") and your address book.
    • If you cannot list an entire domain, add lj_notify@livejournal.com, webmaster@livejournal.com, and do-not-reply@livejournal.com, since most of LiveJournal's notifications come from these addresses.
    • If you cannot edit the spam or junk filters, you may need to disable them entirely.
    • There may also be filters implemented by your email provider which you may not be able to see or control. This is especially common in workplaces and schools. These filters may be triggered by words, phrases or images in the content of a message, or may block specific senders, servers, or return addresses. You will need to ask your email provider if they use this type of filter.

  • Check Account Space: Check the space available in your email account. Many email service providers limit the amount of email you can store in your mailbox and reject messages after you reached a certain quota.

  • Contact Email Provider: Tell your email service provider that you are not receiving legitimate emails from livejournal.com and ask about their filters. Since LiveJournal sends a high volume of automated messages, some providers mistakenly flag or delete them as spam.

  • Switch Providers: If you aren't receiving email from LiveJournal reliably after following all of the above suggestions, choose a different email address for receiving LiveJournal email. You may have to try several different email providers until you find one which works with LiveJournal reliably.

LiveJournal has no control over any email message once it has been sent. There is nothing further that LiveJournal can do to ensure that you receive the messages that are sent.

Last Updated:
January 5th, 2011 (marta)

» Why am I having problems accessing pages on LiveJournal?

LiveJournal's network architecture is designed to grow with its userbase, but large numbers of users actively using the site at any one time can still cause problems. At times, you may see database errors when attempting to post or view your journal, due to extreme load on LiveJournal's servers. Your Internet connection, network configuration, or Internet browser may also prevent you from accessing LiveJournal quickly or correctly.
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Last Updated:
December 10th, 2012 (livejournal)

» Why can't I reply to comments in email?

The ability to reply from HTML emails is highly dependent on small details such as what browser, email client, operating system, and Internet provider you are using. Because everyone's system configuration is different, LiveJournal does not guarantee this ability. Small changes to any one of a number of system configuration details, some of which users have no control over (such as settings at your Internet Service Provider) can cause this ability to stop working.

Here are two things that you can do that may possibly get it working again.
  1. Make sure that your web browser is defined as your default browser, both by your system and by your email client. Make sure the browser is running and you are logged into LiveJournal when you are attempting to reply. You do not need to be at the LiveJournal site when you type your reply in email.

  2. When replying to the comment email, don't type your reply in the "preview" pane of your email client. Click or double-click on the email to open it in a new window, and type your reply there.
Also, please note that many popular email providers such as AOL and Hotmail "mangle" portions of HTML email, which can cause HTML mail to display improperly and the ability to comment from HTML email to stop working. Some symptoms of this include improper links, buttons that fail to lead to pages on the LiveJournal site, error messages such as "invalid password" or "could not determine journal from arguments", etc. LiveJournal has no control over this, as it is a function of the HTML cleaner used by these email providers.

If none of this information helps to resolve the problem, you will need to reply to the comment using the LiveJournal Web Interface. Each comment email you receive includes a number of links, and clicking on the "Reply at the web page" link will take you directly to the Reply page for that comment.

Last Updated:
March 20th, 2007 (wyntarvox)

» Why don't my images display? What is remote loading?

Images disappear if they are inaccessible to the viewer's web browser. For example, some web hosts prevent images from loading on other websites (such as LiveJournal). However, there are a number of other reasons why this can occur.
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Last Updated:
September 19th, 2012 (astronewt)

» Why are there invalid characters in my profile, interests, or entries? Why do I receive a "Bad Unicode Input" or "Invalid Text Encoding" error when I try to edit them?

If you receive "Bad Unicode Input" error messages when updating your journal, check your browser settings to verify that your entry uses the right encoding. If you receive "Invalid Text Encoding" error messages when editing your entries, you will need to set your default text encoding and mass-convert your information.
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Last Updated:
December 20th, 2007 (pauamma)

» Why can't I see the most recent version of a page? Why won't my journal or friends page update?

If you aren't seeing the most recent versions of LiveJournal pages, you are most likely viewing an old version of the page in your browser cache. Specific examples include recent updates not showing on your friends page or a message that your LiveJournal updates were successful before making any updates.

First, click your web browser's Refresh or Reload button. Next, perform a "hard" or "forced" refresh, if your browser supports this. Depending on browser and operating system, this may done by pressing Ctrl-F5 or Cmd-shift-R, or shift-clicking the Refresh button; consult your browser's documentation for the correct method. Then, clear your browser's cache; for instructions on clearing your browser's cache, read your browser's documentation or the list at the end of this FAQ.

If clearing your browser cache doesn't resolve the problem, your Internet Service Provider (ISP), or other organization providing your internet connection, may also cache data using a proxy server. You may need to contact your ISP for more information and assistance.

Otherwise, you will need to investigate other reasons why entries are not showing correctly. In particular, entries with "Do not add to friends page and RSS" option enabled will not appear on your friends page. Additionally, incorrectly formatted HTML can make your journal or friends page appear to stop updating.
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Last Updated:
March 6th, 2013 (maraun)

» Why am I being logged out of LiveJournal? How can I solve this problem?

You can be logged out of LiveJournal due to problems with your browser, computer, Internet connection, and/or security software. First, try logging in again, as this may have been a temporary problem. If you are often logged out of LiveJournal, try these troubleshooting steps.
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Last Updated:
April 7th, 2012 (trixieleitz)

» Why am I getting a Post Too Large error? What is the maximum entry size?

Entries are limited to 65,535 bytes in size. The exact number of characters this corresponds to will depend on the language you are typing your entries in. Text in languages written using the Latin alphabet, such as English, generally uses one byte per character, so the character limit will be approximately 65,000 characters. However, note that accented characters and special characters such as smart quotes use two bytes per character. Text written in languages such as Russian or Japanese can use two or three bytes per character, so the approximate character limit for an entry written in these languages can range from 21,000 to 33,000 characters. If you wish to post entries larger than the limit, you will need to post multiple entries instead.

If you have added formatting to your entry by using HTML tags, the Rich Text editor, a third party client or a text editing application, this will add additional characters that will count towards the limit. You may be able to reduce the size of your entry by switching to the HTML editor, removing unneeded formatting tags, and trying to post the entry again.

If you're able to post short entries or comments, but can't post larger entries that are smaller than the maximum allowed size, your computer's Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU, the maximum amount of data that can be sent in one packet over your network) may be too high. In this case, your computer is most likely sharing an Internet connection with another computer, or connecting to your Internet service provider with PPP over Ethernet (PPPoE, common on cable or ADSL connections). LiveJournal can't help you resolve a MTU problem; try searching for "find maximum MTU setting" on your favorite search engine, contacting your Internet service provider or network administrator, or consulting the documentation for your operating system.

Last Updated:
May 7th, 2012 (markf)

» Why do I receive an "irreparable invalid markup in entry" error?

LiveJournal checks for valid HTML before displaying your content. If you receive this error, your text will be displayed as HTML code until you correct the error in your entry, profile, or style. (If the error is in a comment, you may be able to edit it.

LiveJournal cannot offer detailed HTML assistance. You may wish to use your favorite search engine to search for an HTML tutorial. You can also try to find a LiveJournal community that helps people with HTML or journal customization.

Last Updated:
January 24th, 2013 (livejournal)

» Why do I receive an "incorrect time value" error when I try to update?

This error message indicates that you are trying to post an entry that is dated earlier than your most recent entry. That is, the date and time on your entries must be in chronological order. You can avoid this error by using the "Do not add to friends page and RSS" option on any entries that are deliberately mis-dated.
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Last Updated:
March 6th, 2013 (maraun)

» Why is my IP address detected as an open proxy? Why am I marked as a source of spam?

An open proxy is an unrestricted point of access to the Internet, frequently used by spammers. LiveJournal protects the site and users from spam by banning open proxies from submitting anonymous comments and payments. LiveJournal uses a public register, frequently updated and not managed by LiveJournal, to identify IP addresses as open proxies.

If your IP address has been blocked, contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP); they can investigate why it's blocked and have your IP address removed from the list. If you cannot avoid using an open proxy when connecting to the Internet, you may wish to create an account to comment on LiveJournal.

Last Updated:
April 7th, 2007 (burr86)

» Why does LiveJournal display incorrectly in my browser?

LiveJournal pages use both JavaScript and CSS stylesheets. If the site is displaying or working incorrectly, verify that your browser is one of the browsers officially supported by LiveJournal. If your browser isn't listed, try upgrading or reconfiguring your browser, or switching browsers while using LiveJournal. If your browser is listed, try reconfiguring any filtering software, reconfiguring system configuration files, scanning your computer for malware (such as spyware or adware), or contacting your ISP for assistance.
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Last Updated:
September 29th, 2010 (danceinacircle)

» Why do I receive errors when logging into LiveJournal?

There are a number of problems that may prevent you from logging into LiveJournal. Your browser may have JavaScript partially or entirely disabled, or its autocomplete function may have filled in the form using the wrong information, or it may be storing an old (cached) version of the Log In page. An incorrect username, mistyped passwords, and browser security settings may also be responsible for login errors. The following steps may help you troubleshoot the login problems you are experiencing:
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Last Updated:
July 23rd, 2010 (aveleh)

» What browsers are officially supported by LiveJournal?

LiveJournal officially supports the following browsers:

  • Internet Explorer, versions 8 and higher
  • Mozilla Firefox, versions 17 and higher
  • Apple Safari, versions 5 and higher
  • Opera, versions 11 and higher
  • Google Chrome, versions 22 and higher
If you are having trouble using LiveJournal and you are not using one of these browsers, are using an older version than listed above, or have your settings set significantly different than the browser's default, you may wish to try using an alternate browser when using LiveJournal. Additionally, please note that any beta versions of browsers are not officially supported by LiveJournal.
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Last Updated:
February 28th, 2013 (arteman)

» Why my journal/community/entry do not participate in LiveJournal Ratings?

Needs to be translated from Russian

Last Updated:
June 28th, 2012 (fiddlingfrog)

» What are cookies? How do I delete LiveJournal cookies from my browser?

Cookies are small files stored by your browser which are used to identify you to the website you are visiting. Generally, this is to provide you with faster, easier access to the website. Cookies may be used to store your login information, site preferences, and other related information. Please note that deleting the login cookie for a web site will log you out of that site, so you should ensure that you can retrieve your login credentials for sites you access regularly before you delete any cookies from that site.

How to delete LiveJournal cookies varies depending on which browser you are using. Below are instructions on how to delete cookies in the most recent version of the browsers LiveJournal supports:

Firefox (Windows):

1. In the "Tools" menu, select "Options".
2. Click on the "Privacy" tab, then click the "remove individual cookies" link.
3. In the search box, type livejournal, select all cookies found, and click the "Remove Cookie" button.

Firefox (Mac):

1. In the "Firefox" menu, select "Preferences...".
2. Click on the "Privacy" tab, then click the "remove individual cookies" link.
3. In the search box, type livejournal, select all cookies found, and click the "Remove Cookie" button.

Chrome:

1. In the Chrome/wrench menu, select "Options" (Windows) or "Preferences..." (Mac & Linux)
2. Click on "Under the Hood", then click on "Content Settings".
3. In the "Cookies" section, click the "All cookies and site data..." button.
4. In the search box, type livejournal, and click the "Remove All" button.

Internet Explorer:

1. Open Internet Explorer and go to http://www.livejournal.com/.
2. Press F12 on your keyboard. A box should open up at the bottom of the screen.
3. In this toolbar, open the "Cache" dropdown, and select "Clear cookies for domain".
4. Select "Yes".

Safari:

1. In the "Safari" menu, open "Preferences..."
2. Click the "Security tab", then click the "Show Cookies" button.
3. In the search box, type livejournal, select each cookie found, and click the "Remove Cookie" button.

Opera (Windows):

1. In the Opera menu, select Settings, then Preferences.
2. Click the "Advanced" tab, select "Cookies", then click the "Manage Cookies" button.
3. In the search box, type livejournal, select each cookie found, and click the "Delete" button.

Opera (Mac):

1. In the "Tools" menu, click "Private Data..." A dialog box will appear.
2. Click the small triangle to the right of the words "Detailed Options".
3. Click the "Manage Cookies" button.
4. In the search box, type livejournal, and select each cookie found and click the "Delete" button.

Note: How to delete cookies may vary slightly depending on the version of your operating system and browser.

Last Updated:
March 21st, 2012 (trixieleitz)

» What is the Error Console? How do I open the Error Console in my browser?

Most web browsers have an Error Console which will show any errors on the page you are attempting to load. The errors this tool lists can help provide useful information for the Support Team to help troubleshoot the cause of problems you are having.
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Last Updated:
December 10th, 2012 (markf)

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