Can't log on...

About a week or so ago, instead of getting the usual SL intro screen (with the mountains and the moon), I got a DOS window the lines in which would zoom by and produce the pre-caching screen and my "home" image. I'd then be logged on and would proceed on my happy way in SL. I assumed this new log on procedure was the result of switching to AutoLogOn in the debug menu - maybe so, maybe not. I wanted to switch away from it, but it was one of those things one puts on the back burner.

THEN, last Tuesday evening, after logging on successfully that morning, my SL world crashed. The DOS window popped up as usual. Then the pre-caching screen came on as usual. BUT THEN, the pre-caching screen disappeared, the DOS window reappeared for less than a second. It ran some lines and disappeared. Then nothing. I tried to log on again -same thing happened. As has happened , I'd guess, 50 times in the last four days - trying to log on after trying different "fixes" which have occurred to me.

I followed the suggested fix on the SL website support pages: delete the client, remove all files including temp files in Local Settings and cache files in Application Data. I ran Ad-Aware. I bought and ran Registry Booster which supposedly cleaned and ordered the registry ($30 down the drain?). I wrote ticket after ticket - 3 on Tuesday evening, 1 or 2 each succeeding day - to tech support in the Support section of www.secondlife.com. (More about that outsourced waste of time in another message). I have not had ANY contact with a technician in these four days. Not a word - Zilch - Nada (don't miss the message on tech support).

I considered reformatting my PC but wondered if that enormous effort would produce a successful log in. What if the problem were server side rather than client side? I would have done all that work for nothing.

My graphics card is nVIdia GeForce 7300 LE and is working fine. My computer is fairly new: Intel Core 2 CPU 6400 @ 2.13GHz running with 2 GB RAM.

If anyone can help, I would so very much appreciate it. Thanks.

I have not been able to login since the 14th. I submitted a ticket on the 16th. I chatted with 3 support personalle over the course of the 19th, 20th and 21st and all said they would escalate my ticket and get it to a tech. I received a response from a tech on the 21st asking me to do something. i did and responded in the ticket. No response yet. I guess I will have to wait for another week until the tech who responded to my ticket after a week will respond to my comment and supplied info to him.

So you're not alone. Ticket tech support are a way for companies to respond to whatever they want and ignore what they want.

Of course, I agree with you. I bet there are many more customers of SL out there like us having the same problem with outsourced technical support. That's the issue - Linden Labs has, like so many companies and corporations, outsourced technical support, billing and other issues to companies outside of the United States. This company doesn't want Linden Labs to know if they can't handle a problem, so they cover up their inability to provide a solution. The one "guy" (his name was Gavin...right!) that I did speak with in the Billing segment of Outworld Support asked me to submit a new ticket summarizing my issue. He then said that he would delete my previous tickets. I realized shortly thereafter that he was covering up their not responding to this string of tickets. Fortunately, I had kept a record of all ticket numbers and messages.

On Monday, I'll write a letter to Philip Rosedale, CEO of Linden Labs, with copies to many of the people listed below, describing this situation. They should know - but it's possible they don't - how these tickets are being shoved under the rug.


Linden Lab
945 Battery Street
San Francisco, CA 94111


Executive Management

Philip Rosedale Founder and CEO
Robin Harper Vice President, Marketing & Community Development
Joe Miller Vice President, Platform & Technology Development
Cory Ondrejka Chief Technology Officer
Marty Roberts General Counsel
Ginsu Yoon Vice President, Business Affairs
John Zdanowski Chief Financial Officer


Board of Directors

Mitch Kapor Kapor Enterprises, Inc.
Jed Smith Managing Partner, Catamount Ventures
Bill Gurley Partner, Benchmark Capital
James Currier Founder and President, Tickle, Inc.

You'll tend to find posting a thread once will be plenty.
You also don't tell us much about what platform you're running on or if you can catch any of the error messages as they fly past.
It also sounds like you still have auto logon turned on.
That shouldn't be possible if you really have deleted eveything.
And you'll find if you have deleted eveything (including your stored password and name), auto logon won't work.
It'll dump you out in some way pretty similar to what your getting as the moment I guess.
Turn Auto logon off and see if re-entering your name and password helps.

And did you install something or change anything right before your screen started showing all those messages, but you were still able to log on?

Assuming you are running windows, why not do a system restore from before last Tuesday? You will have to do a SL client update afterwards, but maybe it will fix your problem.

Thanks for all your help and responses. I went to a friend's and used his MAC to log on. I went to debug settings and clicked "Return to defaults." That must've done the trick because I just logged on at home and - knock wood - all seems OK.

I'm still astounded at the lack of technical support and will write a letter to Philip Rosedale wit copies to all who might be interested.

I'm also still getting the DOS window instead of the Mountains and Moon intro screen. SO if anyone has an idea of how to get back to the default, please let me know.

Thanks again.

ctrl-alt-d
debug / client / console window

remove that tick , shouldnt give you the console window when you start up SL again.

Sure 'nuf...."Console Window" was checked...probably by mistake because I don't remember doing that...didn' t know what the console window was.

Thanks. Will that give back the Mountains and the Moon intro screen?