I'm getting blank pages instead of error messages using classic ASP, IIS6 and WinServer 2003 R2

Question

We have an old system running on a WinServer2003 R2 - IIS6 and it was written using classic ASP.

We need to trap all errors and for that, I configured IIS to redirect 404s and 500s to a custom page (custom errors config) that writes the info to a log file (this page creates and manages the logs).

Here is the weird thing: The first time the error occurs, the page is redirected and I get my log file entry. But, if this page is loaded again (I hit F5, or other user goes there, etc), the browser receives a blank page: no error message and my custom page is ever called.

If I restart IIS6 I get the same behavior, first time it works, next not.

-> Send ASP errors to browser is turned on

-> Show friendly http errors is turned off in my explorer

Any thoughts?

Perihelion

Answer 1

You need to ensure Server Side Debugging is not enabled in the ASP module.

Classic ASP server 500 errors are returned as 200's. An attempt is made at opening the Server Side Debug Application, that then can't be found and IIS subsequently returns a 200 response.

Vitalize

Answer 2

Try doing this while running Fiddler ( http://www.fiddlertool.com/Fiddler2/version.asp ) or some other tool that makes it possible to see what's being sent here and there.

Also; if you set IIS to log in the IIS log format, errors will show up in the log file at the very end of the line for the request that ended in error.

Needless

Answer 3

maybe its this issue

http://www.webdevbros.net/2006/11/26/ie7-bug-blank-page-white-screen-after-some-refreshs/

Numskull