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500 Error 'Page cannot be displayed': viewing clearer error messages in Internet Explorer
Question
I have encountered a '500 - page cannot be displayed' error, but I don't know what the error is or how to fix it.
Answer
Many users find at some point that an error message is generated when setting up and testing CactuShop. The vast majority of errors are due to common permissions and setup issues which can be easily resolved through this knowledgebase.
Unfortunately, Microsoft's Internet Explorer's default setting is to obscure many of these errors with what Microsoft considers to be a 'friendly error' message but is really just a nicer-looking but useless page that does not tell you any detail about the error.
If you are getting a page error on Internet Explorer, do the following, you can change the browser settings as follows:
Go to Tools > Internet Options, then click the 'advanced' tab on the dialogue box that appears. In the 'browsing' section, ensure that the checkbox for 'show friendly HTTP error messages' is unchecked.
You should now receive clearer error messages that, in conjunction with this knowledgebase, make it simpler to resolve problems.
The alternative solution is to access the page that generates the error using another browser like Firefox or Opera. Both offer better features (especially for web developers) as well as better security and better speed. We highly recommend both.