Due to server problems (my host's fault) navigation through my board sporadically brings up a '500 server error' page. It's no problem; all the user has to do is refresh or hit F5 and the intended page will come up normally.

What i would like to do is modify the server error page to include a message such as, "Don't panic--Just hit refresh or F5 to bring up the page you wanted" or something to that effect, just so any newcomer won't be driven away.

Problem is, I don't know where this page comes from. Is it created by the UBB's CGI scripts, or by the server itself?

Thanks,

Slacker

Those error pages are generated by the server. To change the text of the page requires some access to the general server itself. Unless you're on a dedicated server I would guess your host doesn't allow you to modify their error message configuration. Either way, just send an email to your host and see if they allow custom error pages, if not you're stuck with what you're getting now.

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Doug
darksaber.hispeed.com
I am altering the deal. Pray I don't alter it any further.
--Darth Vader, The Empire Strikes Back

I will agree with the SWFan, but I will also say that if you are allow to have your own error page you can do that...
Desing the way you want your error page look like as an html page on your html program (Dreamweaver, PageMill, etc.) and save as badurl.html
Then you just have to upload it with your FTP program into your server folder where you have your index.html and that is it.
I am not 100% if it is going to work for you as it did for me but you might want to try. Also it might not be able your server read the badurl.html and it might be able to read it as error.html
My suggestion is to ask your server provider first as SWFan said and ask them if any of the above I said it will work for you.
Good Luck!

Sincerely,
Yannis
webmaster/creator of KnocKnocK.com

This is really server-dependent.

You can theoretically have a 500 error page called oogabooga.html and have the server read that instead.

Of course, it makes no logical sense, but since when did computers do that!

For the record, the following line in an Apache server's .htaccess file should do it, assuming the server admin has enabled this particular set of overrides:
ErrorDocument 500 /path/to/oogabooga.html


Graeme