Blocks freeze

  • amberdaultonauthor · Member ·

    Ever since WP updated their site a week or so ago, blocks are no longer loading or if they do work, they quit working after a minute or so. I can’t bold, italicize, center, or anything. Sometimes I can’t write or copy/paste text into a block.
    What’s going on? Please fix this bug!

    The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)

  • deancroyal · Staff ·

    Hi there – This sounds frustrating for sure. Saved browser cache might be the issue. At your next earliest convenience, try the following:

    1. Clear your web browser’s saved cache: https://wordpress.com/support/clearing-your-sites-cache/

    2. Once you have done that, see if it fixes the issue. If not, please try quitting and restarting your web browser.

    3. If the first two steps do not help resolve the issue, try logging into your WordPress.com account from a second web browser and seeing if the problem persists there.

    Let us know what you find please. Thanks so much for taking the time to work through these steps. :)

  • amberdaultonauthor · Member ·

    Thanks for the info. I followed all three steps but it didn’t work.
    Everything seems fine with my post until I try to do some formatting, like highlighting multiple paragraph blocks to ‘center’ them all at once. I used to be able to do that, but now, the blocks freeze and the edit dialogue box doesn’t show up. So I click on a different block, and nothing happens. The edit box won’t show up no matter what I do or how many new blocks I add to the post. The only way I’ve found to fix this is to save my progress, click out of the tab, bring WP back up, and return to the post. Then everything freezes again about 2-3 minutes later, and I have to start the cycle over again.

  • kokkieh · Staff ·

    Thanks for the explanation how to replicate this.

    Can you please tell us what browser and operating system, including version numbers you’re using? You can find that information if you visit http://supportdetails.com/ in your browser.

    If you tried this in more than one browser, please give the version numbers of both.

  • amberdaultonauthor · Member ·

    Hi there.
    I’m using Windows 10 Home 64-bit.
    I tried WP on both Chrome 91.0.4472.114 and Microsoft Edge version 91.0.864.59
    Thanks!

  • kokkieh · Staff ·

    I’ve tried on both those browsers, and I’m not able to reproduce what you’re seeing, so it could be something in the content itself.

    Can you give a link (or the title if it’s a draft) of the specific post/page where this is happening?

    Does it also happen if you create a completely new post?

  • amberdaultonauthor · Member ·

    It happens on every post and page. Here’s the scheduled link/post I worked on tonight (a brand new post): https://amberdaulton.wordpress.com/2021/07/01/seriesspotlight-guestpost-love-in-the-kingdom-by-amber-cross/
    Here’s one of my pages: https://amberdaulton.wordpress.com/book-reviews/

    From what I can tell, the blocks only freeze when I double click in one and drag the cursor either down or up to select multiple blocks at the same time. I know from past use that I can only format the same type of block, so I make sure I only click on all “paragraph” blocks, for example. So after I highlight two or more blocks, a blue box incases the blocks and the edit dialogue box doesn’t show up. When this happens, I can’t work on any other blocks because the cursor won’t go into the block for me to type.

    Luckily, I’m able to format each block individually, but that takes a lot of time. It’s easier if I can select multiple blocks at once to bold the text or center the block, as I used to be able to do.

  • kokkieh · Staff ·

    I tried editing those pages on your site, and I don’t get this locking-up issue there either, so it’s not a problem with your site or your content.

    So we’re back at your local setup.

    Do you have access to another computer, so you can check if it happens there as well?

    I’ll also need you to check for any console errors in your browser. Open the editor for a post, and open your browser’s JavaScript console. Then with that open, try selecting multiple blocks as you’ve been doing.

    If any errors appear in the console when you do that, take a screen shot of those, and upload them to your media library so we can see them.

    You can find instructions for accessing the console in Chrome here:

    https://wordpress.com/support/browser-issues/advanced-browser-troubleshooting/#java-script-errors-in-google-chrome

    It’s easier if I can select multiple blocks at once to bold the text or center the block, as I used to be able to do.

    The only formatting option that’s available when selecting multiple paragraph blocks is the alignment option. Other text formatting options like Bold or Italics have never been available in the block editor if one selects multiple blocks, and there’s an open enhancement request for that over on WordPress.org.

  • amberdaultonauthor · Member ·

    Hi again.
    I got on my husband’s laptop and tried it there. The same thing happens. I checked the post in the developer tools, as well, and there were 18 errors.

    For my laptop, I tried to select multiple blocks while in developer, and all I was able to do was put my cursor in a block to edit it (the edit dialogue box did pop, though). When I tried to select/highlight multiple blocks, nothing happened. I took a screenshot and added it to my media for you. There are eight errors and one warning.

    Thanks!!

  • staff-heroponriki · Staff ·

    Thanks for that! Those samesite attribute errors are something to note.

    Do you use any browser extension or antivirus/antimalware on your computer that blocks third party cookies? You can easily test this if you open a new private/incognito window in your browser and log into your WordPress.com account and try to edit the post and see if you get the same errors.

    Since WordPress.com uses third party cookies for site management (since you log in under wordpress.com, but you go to a different URL amberdaulton.wordpress.com to manage your site), that might be what you’re running into.

    Let us know how that goes and we’ll keep digging into this if you still have trouble.

  • amberdaultonauthor · Member ·

    I have a couple browser extensions (one of them is Ad-Block Plus), but they’ve never affected my WP account before. I use SuperAntiSpyware for my laptop. I don’t believe any of those blocks third party cookies. Also, I always hit the ‘accept’ button when WP asks if I want to accept cookies.

    But just to be sure…I turned my Ad-Block off, refreshed the page, and tested a WP post. The same freezing happened, so the problem isn’t from the ad blocker.

    I checked it with Incognito, and the freezing happened again, both with the Ad-Blocker on, and then off. I also got one warning in the developer tools. It’s this: “SharedArrayBuffer usage is restricted to cross-origin isolated sites.”

    I posted another screenshot in my media to show exactly what’s happening from my end. I titled it Screenshot 2 (7-1-2021). I hope it further helps to explain what’s going on.
    Thanks a lot!

  • staff-blorbo · Staff ·

    Thanks for sharing that!

    Would you please check with all browser extensions off, and please try with SuperAntiSpyware off (or from a computer that isn’t running it)?

  • amberdaultonauthor · Member ·

    Just tried it with everything off, and the problem is still there.
    As I said in an earlier message, this problem only began about a week or so ago. Didn’t WP do some updates recently? I’ve noticed that the design in my dashboard is different, and I can no longer access the widgets from the dashboard (now I have to go to the customizer). Anyway, I think my problem stems from the WP update.

  • fstat · Staff ·

    Hi there,

    I wasn’t able to replicate it on my end using the latest version of Chrome. Can you please try Firefox or any other non-chromium-based browser and see if you’re having the same issue?

  • amberdaultonauthor · Member ·

    I’ve also tried it with Microsoft Edge, and the problem is there.
    I just tried it with Internet Explorer, and the edit post page wouldn’t even load.
    I’m not going to download any new browsers to my PC. I’ve used WP on Chrome and Edge for over a year, and everything was fine until last week.

  • kokkieh · Staff ·

    Edge and Chrome runs on the same technology, Chromium, so the fact that you have the issue in both of those isn’t really surprising, and also doesn’t tell us anything. If you also have the issue in Firefox, that might give us more information on what’s going on.

    That said, none of us are able to replicate the issue on our end, so it doesn’t appear to be a problem with WordPress.com. We also haven’t had reports from anyone else with this issue. That points to this being a problem specific to your local setup.

    I assume you used your husband’s computer still on the same internet connection, correct? Can you try using a completely different internet connection?

    Are you and your husband using the same antivirus software on your computers? Does disabling that make any difference?

    Lastly, please take a screen shot of the errors you see in the browser console and add that to the media library. I see the screen shot you uploaded only shows the editor, not the errors in the console.

    (The editor not loading in Internet Explorer is expected. Microsoft recently announced they’re retiring that browser, and it is no longer supported for either the open source WordPress software or here on WordPress.com.)

  • gordonrharris · Member ·

    This has been happening to me as well for the past month. The ability to edit a block stops. I can’t use the delete button or enter text. If I highlight text and try to delete it deletes the entire block. The only way to continue editing is to save my edit, then open the page (or a preview), and start editing the page or preview. It will then work properly for a few minutes and the problem starts again. The site is https://historicipswich.org/ hosted by WordPress.com using the Chronicle theme. I use Chrome, Windows 10 pro.

  • staff-doublebassd · Staff ·

    Hi there,

    As @kokkieh mentioned above, do you have any anti virus software on your computer that you can disable? Or extensions? Please let me know if that makes a difference.

    Also, have you tried using a different browser to see if the issue persists?

    If none of the above suggestions work for you, please take a screenshot of what you are seeing in your browser console and upload it to your media library.

    Thank you!

  • gordonrharris · Member ·

    I use only Windows Defender. Chrome has various extensions, but I have not tried disabling them. I did try clearing recent browsing data but am reluctant to change too much or disable extensions until the cause is determined. In any case it takes a few minutes after restarting or re-opening the page before the problem starts again, so it is difficult if not impossible to pinpoint the cause. I have several sites on WordPress.com and I think I have experienced the problem on the other ones as well, but will try to confirm. I will try logging in to WordPress with various other browsers again and will update. Another possibility is incompatibility with a Windows update. This is a new problem that I never had until July 2021.

  • amberdaultonauthor · Member ·

    Hi, Gordon.
    Thank you for telling about this. I’m sorry you’re having trouble, but at least I know I’m not alone in this anymore. The WP staff couldn’t help me and couldn’t recreate the problem on their end, so I’m still having trouble. Nothing they told me to do helped. Previously, I considered switching to a paid plan (I’m on the free one right now), but I don’t see a point in giving WP my money when I can’t use the site as intended.
    Hopefully, they’ll be able to figure something out to help us both.
    ~ Amber

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