ALL my macros freeze after first URL GOTO=... command

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Hemingway
Posts: 22
Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2012 12:40 pm

ALL my macros freeze after first URL GOTO=... command

Post by Hemingway » Sun Jul 16, 2017 11:29 pm

Good morning,
to begin with, I have been using imacros for a couple of years, I love them, and I'm most grateful for your work.
But obviously each and every update of Firefox (and its add-ons) creates new little incompatibilities with the current setup. I have the impression that sometimes just certain code bits become obsolete by whatever updates in the PC's setup, so that, for example, my macros kind of decay more and more (hanging here and there, forgetting to do this or that, and such), until they no longer do at all what they should do.
And then, of course, webmasters also modify their websites all the time, changing the TAGs which the macros have been addressing - and good-bye, macro ...
As a consequence, all the *.iims must be adapted, tested, modified, etc., which often takes several hours and is tedious work.
Actually all this brings the advantage of automation to zero, makes me angry, and then I consider giving all such personalisation up, since, in the end, it may be quicker to click my way through the websites "manually" than to write macros that must be rewritten every couple of months.
Of course this is neither your fault nor imacros-specific - other add-ons are of course just as affected.
Well, so far for the prologue. :(

I have no clue whether there has been any FF update recently or what else might be the reason, but the latest problem is that ALL my macros now suddenly show the following misbehaviour:
- the URL GOTO=... command correctly loads the page, immediately and completely
- nonetheless the macro does NOT continue to the next line/command but counts the seconds up to TIMEOUT (30 secs)
- then quits yielding the error message "Page loading timeout, URL: http://whatever.it.is, line: 12 (Error code: -802)"

As an example, here's the shortest of my macros, which simply logs in to a website.

Code: Select all

VERSION BUILD=9030808 RECORDER=FX
TAB T=1
TAB OPEN
TAB T=2
URL GOTO=https://portal.epost.de/login?company=0
TAG POS=1 TYPE=INPUT:TEXT FORM=NAME:loginIndex ATTR=ID:username CONTENT=MyUsername
SET !ENCRYPTION NO
TAG POS=1 TYPE=INPUT:PASSWORD FORM=NAME:loginIndex ATTR=ID:password CONTENT=MyPassword
TAG POS=1 TYPE=INPUT:IMAGE FORM=ID:loginIndex ATTR=ID:LoginButton
Can anybody please post a guess what I can do to get my macros running properly again? Thanks for any advice.
Downgraded from VERSION BUILD=9030808 to VERSION BUILD=8970419
Windows 10 (64-Bit) German latest build
Firefox Portable 55.0 (32-Bit)
chivracq
Posts: 10301
Joined: Sat Apr 13, 2013 1:07 pm
Location: Amsterdam (NL)

Re: ALL my macros freeze after first URL GOTO=... command

Post by chivracq » Mon Jul 17, 2017 12:15 am

Hemingway wrote:

Code: Select all

VERSION BUILD=9030808
Windows 10 (64-Bit) German latest build
Firefox Portable 54.0.1 (32-Bit)
Good morning,
to begin with, I have been using imacros for a couple of years, I love them, and I'm most grateful for your work.
But obviously each and every update of Firefox (and its add-ons) creates new little incompatibilities with the current setup. I have the impression that sometimes just certain code bits become obsolete by whatever updates in the PC's setup, so that, for example, my macros kind of decay more and more (hanging here and there, forgetting to do this or that, and such), until they no longer do at all what they should do.
And then, of course, webmasters also modify their websites all the time, changing the TAGs which the macros have been addressing - and good-bye, macro ...
As a consequence, all the *.iims must be adapted, tested, modified, etc., which often takes several hours and is tedious work.
Actually all this brings the advantage of automation to zero, makes me angry, and then I consider giving all such personalisation up, since, in the end, it may be quicker to click my way through the websites "manually" than to write macros that must be rewritten every couple of months.
Of course this is neither your fault nor imacros-specific - other add-ons are of course just as affected.
Well, so far for the prologue. :(

I have no clue whether there has been any FF update recently or what else might be the reason, but the latest problem is that ALL my macros now suddenly show the following misbehaviour:
- the URL GOTO=... command correctly loads the page, immediately and completely
- nonetheless the macro does NOT continue to the next line/command but counts the seconds up to TIMEOUT (30 secs)
- then quits yielding the error message "Page loading timeout, URL: http://whatever.it.is, line: 12 (Error code: -802)"

As an example, here's the shortest of my macros, which simply logs in to a website.

Code: Select all

VERSION BUILD=9030808 RECORDER=FX
TAB T=1
TAB OPEN
TAB T=2
URL GOTO=https://portal.epost.de/login?company=0
TAG POS=1 TYPE=INPUT:TEXT FORM=NAME:loginIndex ATTR=ID:username CONTENT=MyUsername
SET !ENCRYPTION NO
TAG POS=1 TYPE=INPUT:PASSWORD FORM=NAME:loginIndex ATTR=ID:password CONTENT=MyPassword
TAG POS=1 TYPE=INPUT:IMAGE FORM=ID:loginIndex ATTR=ID:LoginButton
Can anybody please post a guess what I can do to get my macros running properly again? Thanks for any advice.
I completely agree with your "Prologue", ah-ah...! I think FF is the one to blame, because of all Changes mostly supposed to add some "Security" they introduce in each new Release at a high "Tempo" to try to fight some stupid Version Battle with Chrome...

About Web-Sites changing, I have a few of my Macros that are able to dynamically adapt themselves to those Changes, up to a certain Extend of course, or which alert me if there is "stg" they cannot handle by themselves, together with some "good" Logging for me to check from time to time or in case of any Pb that they still work correctly.
I had started to demonstrate a little bit how I implemented it in some Thread a few months ago, I'll see if I can locate it...
=> Yep, found it, here it is, about the "Auto-Detect" Feature that can even be toggled ON/OFF, cool, ah-ah...! 8)

But concerning your current Thread, my Advice would be to revert iMacros from v9.0.3 to v8.9.7 which still works perfectly on FF54, except for some little Bug with 'FILTER' that I guess I must be the only one to experience as nobody has confirmed it, ah-ah...
And make sure to disable Automatic Updates for iMacros, of course...!
v9.0.3 was completely buggy from the beginning (I never even bothered to install it, ah-ah...!), and is limited compared to v8.9.7 which is still "the" stable Version for FF.
- (F)CI(M) = (Full) Config Info (Missing): iMacros + Browser + OS (+ all 3 Versions + 'Free'/'PE'/'Trial').
- FCI not mentioned: I don't even read the Qt...! (or only to catch Spam!)
- Script & URL help a lot for more "educated" Help...
Hemingway
Posts: 22
Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2012 12:40 pm

Re: ALL my macros freeze after first URL GOTO=... command

Post by Hemingway » Mon Jul 17, 2017 5:36 pm

Thanks, chivracq, for your explicit answer and comments. Wow, that "Auto-Detect" script in the other thread is hard to digest. I'll work my way through and see what it does one of these days (need some quiet hours for that).

As to the current problem: I've reverted to v8.9.7 and blocked future updates, but this has not improved the macro performance. Still the same picture: everything fine including the first URL call, then always an error message like "RuntimeError: element INPUT specified by NAME:loginName was not found, line 14 (Error code: -921)" [mutatis mutandis] - although this very element has always been found before (I wish I knew before what event ...).

I fear that not even you can really help in the end, since I cannot provide any more details as to what exactly might be incompatible in my system. I will try to also revert to an older FF version on one of the other PCs and see if that revives the macros again, and then post my experiences.
Downgraded from VERSION BUILD=9030808 to VERSION BUILD=8970419
Windows 10 (64-Bit) German latest build
Firefox Portable 55.0 (32-Bit)
chivracq
Posts: 10301
Joined: Sat Apr 13, 2013 1:07 pm
Location: Amsterdam (NL)

Re: ALL my macros freeze after first URL GOTO=... command

Post by chivracq » Mon Jul 17, 2017 6:48 pm

Hemingway wrote:Thanks, chivracq, for your explicit answer and comments. Wow, that "Auto-Detect" script in the other thread is hard to digest. I'll work my way through and see what it does one of these days (need some quiet hours for that).
Euh..., yep, the 'Auto-Detect' Feature is indeed a bit of an "Advanced Technique", ah-ah...! In that Case, I used it to dynamically detect the Nb of Elements, but the same Technique can be used to detect the 'TYPE' of HTML Elements like I use in a few of my own Macros to easily switch for example between "SPAN" and "DIV" if the HTML Structure of the Page changes...

I've left all my Debug Info in the Script, it shouldn't be very difficult to follow if you (re)enable several 'PROMPT's in the Script...
Hemingway wrote:As to the current problem: I've reverted to v8.9.7 and blocked future updates, but this has not improved the macro performance. Still the same picture: everything fine including the first URL call, then always an error message like

Code: Select all

"RuntimeError: element INPUT specified by NAME:loginName was not found, line 14 (Error code: -921)"
[mutatis mutandis] - although this very element has always been found before (I wish I knew before what event ...).

I fear that not even you can really help in the end, since I cannot provide any more details as to what exactly might be incompatible in my system. I will try to also revert to an older FF version on one of the other PCs and see if that revives the macros again, and then post my experiences.
But hum, concerning your RuntimeError, the Script you posted doesn't contain any 'TAG' with a "loginName" ID, and there are not even 14 Lines in your Script, only 9...! :?
iMacros doesn't make Mistakes about "TAG not found", that means that your Element/Field is not on the Page, try recording again, stg has probably changed on the Page itself...
- (F)CI(M) = (Full) Config Info (Missing): iMacros + Browser + OS (+ all 3 Versions + 'Free'/'PE'/'Trial').
- FCI not mentioned: I don't even read the Qt...! (or only to catch Spam!)
- Script & URL help a lot for more "educated" Help...
Hemingway
Posts: 22
Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2012 12:40 pm

Re: ALL my macros freeze after first URL GOTO=... command

Post by Hemingway » Mon Jul 17, 2017 10:33 pm

concerning your RuntimeError, the Script you posted doesn't contain any 'TAG' with a "loginName" ID, and there are not even 14 Lines in your Script, only 9...! :?
Sorry - the error message was from a different macro than the one I had posted. I just wanted to give an example (not a good idea for a serious analysis, I know ...).

As to the problem itself: Oh boy, I'm actually too stupid ... Before I submitted the last post I had indeed installed v8.9.7 and tested around a bit but not carefully enough. In the meantime I've found out that when deleting v9.0.3, installing v8.9.7, and re-launching FF, FF automatically updated to v9.0.3 ... That's why the same errors came up again. :oops:

Now that I managed the downdate (?) correctly, v8.9.7 is active and updates are really blocked, all the macros run (almost) as perfectly as they should again. :D

But one thing is still strange: The "ONLOGIN USER=xxx PASSWORD=yyy" steps do not work. The usual grey two-line box ("Authentication required") pops up, but the macro never fills in the data (and quits after TIMEOUT (30 secs)). When I do that manually, the macro continues perfectly. Here's an example (access to IP-cam - if you want to try out, how can I send you the access data?):

Code: Select all

VERSION BUILD=8970419 RECORDER=FX
TAB T=1
TAB OPEN
TAB T=2
ONLOGIN USER=myusername PASSWORD=mypassword ' (this line entered by hand - the macro recorder does not record this step)
URL GOTO=http://cam-dyndns-url/
FRAME NAME="main"
TAG POS=1 TYPE=FONT ATTR=TXT:document.write(top.str_mode_serverpush);Server<SP>Push<SP>Mo*
FRAME NAME="camera_zone"
TAG POS=1 TYPE=IMG ATTR=ID:switchoff
Again, this is a general problem that occurs with ALL my macros that have to deal with such a popup.
Downgraded from VERSION BUILD=9030808 to VERSION BUILD=8970419
Windows 10 (64-Bit) German latest build
Firefox Portable 55.0 (32-Bit)
chivracq
Posts: 10301
Joined: Sat Apr 13, 2013 1:07 pm
Location: Amsterdam (NL)

Re: ALL my macros freeze after first URL GOTO=... command

Post by chivracq » Tue Jul 18, 2017 1:24 am

Hemingway wrote:
concerning your RuntimeError, the Script you posted doesn't contain any 'TAG' with a "loginName" ID, and there are not even 14 Lines in your Script, only 9...! :?
Sorry - the error message was from a different macro than the one I had posted. I just wanted to give an example (not a good idea for a serious analysis, I know ...).

As to the problem itself: Oh boy, I'm actually too stupid ... Before I submitted the last post I had indeed installed v8.9.7 and tested around a bit but not carefully enough. In the meantime I've found out that when deleting v9.0.3, installing v8.9.7, and re-launching FF, FF automatically updated to v9.0.3 ... That's why the same errors came up again. :oops:

Now that I managed the downdate (?) correctly, v8.9.7 is active and updates are really blocked, all the macros run (almost) as perfectly as they should again. :D
Tja...!, like I had mentioned in my first Reply, ah-ah...!: "And make sure to disable Automatic Updates for iMacros, of course...!"
But OK, good News if that part is solved with v8.9.7 anyway... :D
Hemingway wrote:But one thing is still strange: The "ONLOGIN USER=xxx PASSWORD=yyy" steps do not work. The usual grey two-line box ("Authentication required") pops up, but the macro never fills in the data (and quits after TIMEOUT (30 secs)). When I do that manually, the macro continues perfectly. Here's an example (access to IP-cam - if you want to try out, how can I send you the access data?):

Code: Select all

VERSION BUILD=8970419 RECORDER=FX
TAB T=1
TAB OPEN
TAB T=2
ONLOGIN USER=myusername PASSWORD=mypassword ' (this line entered by hand - the macro recorder does not record this step)
URL GOTO=http://cam-dyndns-url/
FRAME NAME="main"
TAG POS=1 TYPE=FONT ATTR=TXT:document.write(top.str_mode_serverpush);Server<SP>Push<SP>Mo*
FRAME NAME="camera_zone"
TAG POS=1 TYPE=IMG ATTR=ID:switchoff
Again, this is a general problem that occurs with ALL my macros that have to deal with such a popup.
Hum, concerning this 'ONLOGIN' Pb, strange indeed, iMacros should record it, together with an '!ENCRYPTION' Statement...

There was a "Bug" about 2 years ago introduced by FF38 which broke iMacros v8.9.2 for FF, but it was then solved in the next v8.9.3 Version and 'ONLOGIN' must be working fine in v8.9.7 or many Users would be impacted and would be screaming on the Forum like it was the case with FF38 + v8.9.2.

But yep, if you send me a Mail to "[My_Pseudo_on_the_Forum]@gmail.com" (+ a clear and descriptive Subject Title or I may not notice the Mail), I can have a look if I manage to log in to your IP-Cam and I can try on 2 different Versions of iMacros for FF:
v8.9.7 (+FF54) and v8.8.2 (+PM v26.3.3), both on Win10-x64.
- (F)CI(M) = (Full) Config Info (Missing): iMacros + Browser + OS (+ all 3 Versions + 'Free'/'PE'/'Trial').
- FCI not mentioned: I don't even read the Qt...! (or only to catch Spam!)
- Script & URL help a lot for more "educated" Help...
MPMCDONALD
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Apr 09, 2011 4:16 pm

Re: ALL my macros freeze after first URL GOTO=... command

Post by MPMCDONALD » Thu Aug 10, 2017 3:57 pm

I'm running iMacros for Firefox 9.0.3, VERSION BUILD=9030808, over Windows 55.0 (64-bit version), English (U.S.).

I have the exact same problem. It started yesterday, after I upgraded to Windows 55. The demo macros don't work either. My Add-ons Manager now lists iMacros as "Legacy", but it does the same to almost all my Add-ons, and the others I have tried all still work.

After reading these posts, I wanted to try backdating to iMacros for Firefox 8.9.7, but I can't find any way to do that - the Ipswitch website doesn't seem to offer the option of downloading previous versions of the free products.
Hemingway
Posts: 22
Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2012 12:40 pm

Re: ALL my macros freeze after first URL GOTO=... command

Post by Hemingway » Thu Aug 10, 2017 5:02 pm

Hi MPMCDONALD,

it's easy to re-install former versions of iMacros for example from here:
https://addons.mozilla.org/de/firefox/a ... /versions/

But don't hope for too much. I'm still tinkering with my problem and am quite fed-up with all those updates everywhere and every day that ruin setups once running smoothly (see my "foreword" in my first post here). Please note that this is not iMacros' fault but probably no-one's and everyone's - all those software bits and pieces probably just drift apart and become more and more incompatible with other programs in more and more details.

If I find the time one of these days, I'll uninstal my FF (easy enough with Portable), re-install a "clean" version with all my add-ons, and pray that my macros will then run again. I'll post my findings here then.

BTW: Wow, you must be way ahead of the rest of the world where people are still bothering with all the bugs in Windows 10 ... What are your experiences with "Windows 55"? I hope that, after 45 versions, Microsoft has finally managed to turn Windows into a perfect system ... :wink:
Downgraded from VERSION BUILD=9030808 to VERSION BUILD=8970419
Windows 10 (64-Bit) German latest build
Firefox Portable 55.0 (32-Bit)
MPMCDONALD
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Apr 09, 2011 4:16 pm

Re: ALL my macros freeze after first URL GOTO=... command

Post by MPMCDONALD » Thu Aug 10, 2017 7:32 pm

Thanks, Hemingway. Needless to say, what I MEANT was WINDOWS 10 Pro and FireFox 55.0 [Duhhh - headslap]!

However, when I follow your link (the site is in German, which I don't read, but the format is fortunately pretty obvious) and hover over the link to iMacros v8.9.7, a message pops up that says "This add-on is not compatible with your version of Firefox". So now what?
Hemingway
Posts: 22
Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2012 12:40 pm

Re: ALL my macros freeze after first URL GOTO=... command

Post by Hemingway » Thu Aug 10, 2017 8:21 pm

Oh-oh ... I googled for "iMacros v8.9.7 ff 64 bit" and landed here:
https://addons.mozilla.org/nn-no/firefo ... /versions/

At least this is in English, but since my FF Portable is 32 bit (for sync reasons with my other machines), I'm getting your incompatibility message now. Let's hope you're being helped on that site ...
Downgraded from VERSION BUILD=9030808 to VERSION BUILD=8970419
Windows 10 (64-Bit) German latest build
Firefox Portable 55.0 (32-Bit)
MPMCDONALD
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Apr 09, 2011 4:16 pm

Re: ALL my macros freeze after first URL GOTO=... command

Post by MPMCDONALD » Thu Aug 10, 2017 9:32 pm

Well, as I was afraid would be the case, the results are the same in English: not compatible with Firefox 55 (which is interesting given that 9.0.3 appears to be incompatible also).
Just for grins, I tried hovering over all the other version links - they all give the same popup message! I interpret this to mean that iMacros itself is incompatible, not just any particular version.

Anybody else out there have any idea if Ipswitch has any immediate plans to address this???? (Thanks again for trying, Hemingway.)
chivracq
Posts: 10301
Joined: Sat Apr 13, 2013 1:07 pm
Location: Amsterdam (NL)

Re: ALL my macros freeze after first URL GOTO=... command

Post by chivracq » Thu Aug 10, 2017 9:51 pm

MPMCDONALD wrote:Well, as I was afraid would be the case, the results are the same in English: not compatible with Firefox 55 (which is interesting given that 9.0.3 appears to be incompatible also).
Just for grins, I tried hovering over all the other version links - they all give the same popup message! I interpret this to mean that iMacros itself is incompatible, not just any particular version.

Anybody else out there have any idea if Ipswitch has any immediate plans to address this???? (Thanks again for trying, Hemingway.)
Yep, v8.9.7 is available from the 'Version History Page for FF'... All Links from the 'VERSION' Command (at the bottom of the Page) in the Wiki...
You first download it locally and drag it onto the 'Add-on Manager' Page... It still works fine on FF v54.0.1, but you are the first one to be on FF55...
- (F)CI(M) = (Full) Config Info (Missing): iMacros + Browser + OS (+ all 3 Versions + 'Free'/'PE'/'Trial').
- FCI not mentioned: I don't even read the Qt...! (or only to catch Spam!)
- Script & URL help a lot for more "educated" Help...
Hemingway
Posts: 22
Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2012 12:40 pm

Re: ALL my macros freeze after first URL GOTO=... command

Post by Hemingway » Thu Aug 10, 2017 10:00 pm

Well, the point is that FF 55 has obviously brought major changes, among which the nice little fact that not only iMacros, but all add-ons are now marked as obsolete - check yourself in your FF add-on page, you won't believe your eyes how it's all yellow now (for further information, see here: https://www.ghacks.net/2017/08/07/firef ... at-is-new/). Whether all of their authors will modify them to meet the new standards - who knows? Whether the average user will ever be able to cope - who knows? At this point I'll have to quit - I've come to the limits of my possibilities ...
Oh - and by the way: My macros (v 8.9.7) work exactly as they did in FF 54 - including the problems they had then ...
Downgraded from VERSION BUILD=9030808 to VERSION BUILD=8970419
Windows 10 (64-Bit) German latest build
Firefox Portable 55.0 (32-Bit)
DDon
Posts: 20
Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2016 1:41 pm

Re: ALL my macros freeze after first URL GOTO=... command

Post by DDon » Fri Aug 18, 2017 1:35 am

Imacro has changed the limit supported version for iMacro 8.9.7 to version 49, so we can't install the 8.9.7 version just like normal anymore if the version is from 50 upon, but this is how you get around:

1st: Doing this
https://github.com/5digits/dactyl/wiki/ ... 9-or-later

2nd:
Install 8.9.7:
https://addons.cdn.mozilla.net/user-med ... 0407342318

Hope this help!

I'm using Firefox ESR version as the major Firefox 57 with web extension only will released very soon, good for non iMacro user but bad for us.
Hemingway
Posts: 22
Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2012 12:40 pm

Re: ALL my macros freeze after first URL GOTO=... command

Post by Hemingway » Fri Aug 18, 2017 1:07 pm

Thank you very much, DDon,

I studied the workaround solutions in your links and greatly appreciate your help (just like that of all the other contributors).

- 8.9.7 IS the imacro version I've installed, so this alternative is not necessary.
- As to the Github solution, this unfortunately goes beyond my understanding, and I don't dare to simply copy & paste something like this into my system without knowing what it does. It may work well, but on the other hand it has been checked only up to FF 52.0.2, and mine is FF 55, and after all, it still seems "only" an improvised workaround, not necessarily a stable solution for months or years.

Don't misunderstand me: I'm absolutely prepared to learn new things for hours and hours to understand problems better. But as I've explained at the beginning of my thread, I bet that, after days and weeks of installing and re-installing, some stupid update comes up and ruins everything one has built up so far. This is what I've experienced dozens of times, and I'm completely fed up. After all, this is just an add-on supposed to make life easier ...

It seems that imacro people don't bother too much about updating their product properly (chivracq says that the new version is worse than 8.9.7 ...), and there hasn't been any update for the latest FF-versions. Well then, I'll put up with the simplest imacro operations as long as they still work, and no longer bother to adjust them to my personal requirements. In fact, I find it more important to keep FF and Windows up-to-date (which is all problematic enough ...) than to keep old versions alive just for the sake of a faulty add-on.
Downgraded from VERSION BUILD=9030808 to VERSION BUILD=8970419
Windows 10 (64-Bit) German latest build
Firefox Portable 55.0 (32-Bit)
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