White Screen When Inserting Photos into Blog Posts

My husband can insert photos from his PC with no problem – and has always been able to do so.

Hard to say that is a wp problem and being random makes it even harder. Have you tried FF – version 5 is out – or any other browser?

I have posted this question before – but no one was able to help me.

I’m sorry but I don’t seem to be able to locate your previous post on the subject. Or indeed any previous posts under this username.

If this problem is intermittent on your computer but never occurs on your husband’s, then I’m afraid it clearly points to an issue on your computer. It’s not a generic Mac issue as many WordPress site owners use Macs to update their sites daily. In the short term, it would really be of great benefit for you to learn how to use FTP. It really isn’t that hard to do once you put your mind to it.

Longer term, all I can suggest is that you start logging what you are running on your computer to see if there is a connection between this problem and the applications you have running. I do appreciate how frustrating this must be for you and I’m surprised that you’ve put up with it for 2 years. But, from what you describe above, this doesn’t appear to be a WordPress issue.

kmessinger –

Thanks for your help. I use Safari. My husband uses Explorer. I’ve given my daughters admin status to help me with this. The same thing happens with my daughters, one of whom uses FF. (I don’t know the version.) I’ve also given my mom admin status to see if it worked from her computer but she experienced the same random issue. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. She was using a PC at the time too, so we concluded that it wasn’t a Mac issue. Oddly – and I don’t know if this was a coincidence – when my husband was working on his PC beside me, and opened the photo uploader in WP, I was then able to insert the photos into my posts. So odd. I know it’s not possible, but it was as if his computer opened some portal that allowed mine to insert photos. Hey, I’m no techie so, to me, anything is possible. This randomness is driving me crazy. At the moment, a client is waiting for me to post photos – and I can’t do it. I am tearing my hair out.

Esmi –

Thanks. You’ve written to me before in regard to this. (I may have been listed as EverBeautiful or Melody Lesser. When I tried to log in to the WP forums tonight I got a message that all passwords were changed and I had to reregister.)

In the two years since my blog, I’ve gotten a new computer, changed my theme, changed my theme again, hired a professional to trouble shoot my blog, posted on this forum twice or more, posted on other forums. Believe me, I have not sat around twiddling my thumbs in despair of this problem. I’ve been very proactive in dealing with it. And I do notice that there are posts dating back three years regarding this same issue – and many of them remain unresolved.

Here’s one of my posts from ten months ago:

Please help. I see that many have posted on this topic before and many of the questions are unresolved.

I cannot consistently upload pics to my blog. I have no trouble uploading to the gallery from my computer or a url but when I try to insert them into the post, nothing happens. I get a blank screen. I have tried with different browsers but the problem persists. I have tried on different computers – to no avail. On occasion, my husband’s pc is more successful at uploading pics than my mac, but other family members’ computers, both pc and mac, are sporadic, like mine. It seems as if my computer is not communicating with WP. I just don’ get it. It’s frustrating. I even bought a new computer with the hope that this issue would be resolved with a new mac. But no. The problem persists. I am frustrated and would appreciate any help. I’ve tried in both html and visual views. I’ve tried different browsers. I’ve tried downsizing the photos. Nothing works. This also happens, by the way, when I try to add links. Sometimes my program takes them and sometimes it doesn’t. Why is this happening? I’ve even tried to change templates, but that didn’t matter either. Help, please!

When I tried to log in to the WP forums tonight I got a message that all passwords were changed and I had to reregister

Sorry about that. See https://www.ads-software.com/news/2011/06/passwords-reset/
for the reasons.

And I do notice that there are posts dating back three years regarding this same issue – and many of them remain unresolved.

That’s probably because the vast majority of them are actually about problems outside of WordPress, so there’s very little we can offer in the way of help.

Oddly – and I don’t know if this was a coincidence – when my husband was working on his PC beside me, and opened the photo uploader in WP, I was then able to insert the photos into my posts.

Another suggestion: log the times that this happens and note whether any other computer in your local (home) network is online at the same time. It could be something like a networking/router issue.

it was as if his computer opened some portal that allowed mine to insert photos.

There’s nothing in WP like that and I doubt any web server would have something like that either. But a local router or firewall just might…

Esmi,

I thought that the router might be the problem also. Changed it. Made no difference. Changed it again when we changed to a different cable company. Still no difference. I have done everything I can think of – and that you suggested 10 months ago – to no avail. I was hoping that someone, by now, would have come up with a solution. And as I mentioned in my post of 10 months ago, there are times when the software (or something) does not allow me to insert hyperlinks, boldface type, or italics – besides not allowing me to insert photos. By the way, my husband has the same problem with inserting hyperlinks, boldface and itals into my site on his PC. When that happens, we throw our hands up in disgust and wait until the gods that oversee these issues stop being fickle and allow us to continue editing. Neither of us is new to computer use. I’m new to web publishing – and, as a writer trying to make a living doing this, I am increasingly frustrated with this unresolved problem. I have searched the web numerous times and found others with the same problem – but no resolution. Frustrating.

As esmi suggest, FTP would seem to be the answer for a random problem.

It is not difficult to use, basically you see the files on your computer and the files on the server at the same time and with most you can just drag and drop.

https://codex.www.ads-software.com/Using_FileZilla has information on one program but here is one for the mac, https://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/internet_utilities/classicftpformac.html and this link does some explaining https://www.apple.com/findouthow/web/#ftp

With clients waiting (thank goodness I no longer have that problem!) the work-around is more important than the why.

there are times when the software (or something) does not allow me to insert hyperlinks, boldface type, or italics – besides not allowing me to insert photos. By the way, my husband has the same problem with inserting hyperlinks, boldface and itals into my site on his PC.

Any problems like this are almost always problems with javascript. Safari has some good tools for detecting javascript problems. When it happens again, and you have time, make sure the develop menu is turned on.

My husband is on a train and uploading photos as I write this. The photos inserted with no problem, but the entire text has gone bold. This happens with his PC whenever he has to insert photos. (I forgot about that lovely little issue.) Darn, I with print wasn’t dying. This is no way to make a living.

Thanks, kmessinger, I’m going to learn how to use FTP. (Tried to when I first started the blog but was so new to everything, it confounded me.)

So frustrating … Now that the photos are in the post, I have to go in and edit all the bold type, the hyperlinks and all the formatting and editing I did yesterday. How exactly is WP user-friendly? I forget.

kmessinger – I’m going to have to check Safari for that javascript thing. Thanks!

In the meantime, at 8:06, the photo gods decided that I could insert photos. However, they also deleted a bunch of text and bolded what was left. I seriously hate WordPress.

Is there another program that I can use that would be easier and that would eliminate these problems? I will check out my Safari thing, but this happens with my husband’s pc too. And I know it will happen again. When clients are waiting for me to write about their products and readers are expecting a certain level of quality in my posts, I want to be able to deliver every single time, at any time. WP does not give me that option.

Thousands, if not 10s of thousands, use wp with no problems. I have use it for over 4 years with no problems. There is no way (although it did happen to you) that the software it self would delete text, bold what is left, when you inserted photos. I am not saying it did not happen. I am saying the software (program- wp) did not do it, nor could it do it. That is just against any programing rules, language, logic, etc.

Believe me, I know that. That’s why I refer to the software gods as being responsible for the glitches in my system. I know it’s not possible – although it happens. It took me FIVE HOURS to fix the simplest post and to unbold what inexplicably became bolded, to insert photos that wouldn’t insert, except on my husband’s PC – until they did insert on my Mac. I have no explanation for why this happens. It has happened on two of my computers, both of my daughters’ computers, my mother’s computer and on my husband’s as well, although he is the only one who is able to insert photos when I can’t. As I said, these glitches are random. It can be weeks before they happen again. But when they do – and they will – it’s the most frustrating thing to deal with. I am going to try to find another software program. As I said, the WP support forum is filled with others who have the same problem with the white screen. Some refer to it as the white screen of death. I don’t want to deal with the glitches anymore. It’s not my computer, my router, my theme. No one has been able to explain the glitches or offer advice to prevent them from re-occuring. I am not the only one dealing with this problem. Perhaps I’m the most optimistic, visiting and revisiting the forum in the hopes that someone will be able to offer a solution. Apparently, there is none.

Delaine –

I received your post in my email but it’s not on the forum. Nevertheless, I read it. Thank you! I thought I was going insane.

I have stumbled upon a solution by trial and error, frustration and disgust. I have found that the program will not accept uploads, hyperlinks, formatting, etc. unless it’s been saved immediately before uploading. So I write, save, edit, save, insert hyperlink, save, insert photo, save, insert another hyperlink, save. It’s cumbersome, time-consuming, a pain in my rear end, frankly – but it solves the problem 80 % of the time. I cannot explain or solve the other 20 % of the failures of the program. If I do one teeny little thing, such as deleting an extra space and then try to upload, the program won’t accept it and I get the white screen. But, when I edit and save and then upload, it will accept the photo most of the time. As I said, it’s a pain.

Try it and see if it helps.

I stumbled upon this several weeks ago and it has been consistently working 80% of the time since then.

Hope this helps …

MFLesser –

I deleted my grumpy post. Thanks. I’ll try it next time.

But for my current blog, I’ve tried over and over to insert the photo from the library. White screen every time!

No, it’s not you.