OK this is coming off the HP with Linux & XP which has decided to work faster. It is posting (if this arrives) So I think (as suspected, I have been, like many, Microsofted & the bug relates to Win 8.1 & they need to do some work on the OS

At 12:00 today the site will go offline so some urgent work can be carried out on the database. this work will hopefully resolve the recent problems the site has had. This work is likely to take a couple of hours. Whilst the site is not available a message will be displayed on the front page.

The work on the database is now complete.

Please continue to report any access problems you have. If all is well for the next few days I will shift the site back to the normal server at the weekend.

Tonight at midnight I am going to shift the site back to its normal server.

I am fairly confident that I have found and cured the issue and if that is the case we can finally get back to normal which is good news for a few reasons. Christmas is coming and that is traditionally a busier time for the site. The other thing is that we will see the arrival of the four millionth visitor in the next few weeks and having the site teetering on the precipice isn't exactly how I wanted to celebrate these occasions.

One thing that has been in my mind for the last week or so is that bigger sites have been killed off by less significant events and the time taken to find the fault that has caused all this grief just compounded the stress.

In advance of our move back to normality, I want to thank all members for their patience over the last week or two. Few things are more irritating than a website that doesn't behave, especially a site that one visits regularly - something that I am always conscious of as the humble webmaster.

I am fairly confident that I have found and cured the issue

Good news!

Out of interest, what did you find?

I had to rebuild the database. There must have been some 'gunk' in it somewhere though only enough to cause the site to clag when lots of people were here. The narrow version of the site (which only gets a few visitors a day) was fed by the same database yet wasn't affected - that is what turned my attention to other things.

The good news is that no data was lost.

One thing I will have to do when shifting the site tonight is reset the postcounts again. Good thing I wrote a script for that about three months ago when I fixed the postcount bug.

We are officially back home!

The post counts look a bit random, I think there's still a problem there. Well done on the successful outcome, a lot of work in the end.

Now! I did send some negative feedback to the purveyors of the OS and I note today that both IE and the Fox now bring up a complete Forum front page, without having to enter the password.

Neither would save bookmarks, at this point I have not checked to see if that has been sorted, but it looks a lot like the OS needs some pesticide to get rid of the bugs.

One often wonders why there is a need to take a stable OS discontinue it & introduce a dog, with features many do not want, or will ever use, waste space, often de-stabilise & should be options to add on, all of this probably in the name of commercialism.

Postcounts were reset this morning as promised.

Marc: Looking back through history, Microsoft have produced several duds.

Domestic and basic business use:

Windows 95A - Their first 32 bit desktop version of Windows. Not bad but the FAT32 file system wasn't much chop and a flaw in Dial-up Networking allowed just about anyone who knew your IP address to nuke you, causing a loss of connectivity. This got sorted out in later versions, 95B, C and D.

Windows 95D - Introduction of support for USB sockets.

Windows 98 - Probably the best version of the non-NT stream. Fewer blue screens of death and silkier interface.

Windows 98SE - Same as 98 but better stability and probably more secure.

Windows ME - Ten train-wrecks all in one. Any computer with it installed, show mercy and just throw it on the tip.

Workstation use:

Windows NT3.1 - First major attempt at a 'workstation' operating system. Not bad, in fact very good stability-wise but lacking support for printing, amongst other things, which could be added on after installation.

Windows NT3.5 - Second major attempt at a 'workstation' operating system. Not much improvement for 'plug and play'.

Windows NT4 - Much better in terms of stability. Numerous service packs provided support for printing and other functionality, and of course, better security.

Windows 2000 (NT5) - Better interface, better security and much better stability.

Windows XP (NT5.1) - New interface, either loved or hated but either way, one most people grew on to. XP ended up being the most appreciated version of any Windows product to date and was installed on more computers. Shortly after XP was released the domestic stream of Windows was abolished. First version of Windows to require activation to help prevent piracy (which it didn't). First version of this stream of Windows to be offered to those with 64 bit computers.

Windows Vista (NT6) - First new OS in eight years. Not a bad effort but Vista did have some serious bones of contention. One was it nagging users who were installing programmes with numerous "are you sure?" and "are you really sure?" messages. Another was stability and several bugs just seemed to linger longer than needed and this poisoned Vista's reputation almost beyond repair. Security was much better than all previous versions though and Vista introduced support for touch screens.

Windows 7 (NT6.1) - Basically Windows Vista that works. Security very good. Stability very good. Interface very good. To become even more appreciated than XP or any other previous version.

Windows 8 (NT6.2) - Trying to force the mainstream userbase who have spend something like 15 years getting accustomed to the navigation of Windows to adopt a tablet interface on their desktops was a SERIOUS error of judgement. Microsoft has paid dearly for this mistake and is not likely to repeat it in the future - or so they say. The lack of the Start Button was the single most aggravating issue, followed by the default to the 'Metro' desktop more suitable for tablets and phones. If you have a tablet or mobile phone then Windows 8 was a godsend. For the desktop though, stick with Windows 7 and wait for Windows 10.

Windows 8.1 (NT6.3) - Basically Windows 8 with some subtle improvements. The Start Button returned (sort of) but was nothing like the proper one. Microsoft surrendered on the Metro desktop and gave users the option of setting which desktop Windows would bring up after booting the computer.

Windows 9 - It won't happen. Microsoft is skipping this for an unknown reason but it's no biggie. Version numbers aren't what sell computers or software.

Windows 10 (NT6.4) - The Start Button is back! The proper desktop interface is also back! Not available for sale but a pre-release version for testing and product evaluation is available from Microsoft. Personally, I am not a fan of the 'chromeless' windows - the frameless look that exists on Apple's OSX interface - but in time it'll probably grow on me. At the end of the day personal views on how something looks doesn't really affect the more important issue of how something performs. After working through Windows 10 I am convinced that Microsoft has learned some lessons after getting its fingers burnt with Windows 8. Microsoft's rumoured plans include making Windows free and changing the structure of future releases to fall in line with Apple's OSX (the X standing for Version 10). I'm not fussed either way with what system of version numbers are used though making Windows available for free would solve a big problem - software piracy and the compromised security that comes with it. It is not common to acquire a cracked version of Windows (or any other software for that matter) without also acquiring some sort of vulnerability or 'back door' for hackers to exploit. Creating an incentive for people to download and install genuine software will bring a marked improvement in security. How Microsoft plans to make up for the loss of their second largest revenue stream will be their biggest challenge. Perhaps Windows may become a free download for mums and dads but still carry a cost for the corporate sector...

Server use:

No noteworthy failures here but each version has certainly been better than the last in terms of security - an operator's most important consideration.

Windows NT3.1, NT3.5, NT4, 2000, 2003, 2008 and 2012 have brought improvements to security, stability, plug and play and native server features over time. Stability is on par with any other server operating system and it is only necessary to interrupt uptime for the Windows Update routine.

The user interface on all these versions is the familiar Windows 95 look and feel, although it is still improved with each version. It is not necessary for a server operating system to look like Windows 7.

To anyone that has bumped into a 500 Error today, no need to panic - I am just doing some experimenting and everything is still fine with the site.

This may briefly reoccur tomorrow around the middle of the day too.

I will be doing some Windows updates this morning and taking care of a few other small jobs that have had to be left aside during our recent crisis. If you cannot reach the site this morning at any time this work will be the likely cause and no need for alarm. I hope to have everything done by lunch time.