Done but with error

Q:
When I visit certain Web sites, I often get the error message of "Done, but with errors on page." What does that mean and is there anything I can do to fix it? Please help!

A:
Back by popular demand! I always have people asking me this question and it's a problem I run into every once in awhile as well. I know how frustrating it can be to receive any type of error message, but when you don't have a clue what it means, it's even harder to deal with. I didn't know what the "Done, but with errors on page" error message meant for the longest time, but after doing some research on it, I found out some very interesting information. So, when I saw this question in my Inbox, I knew I had to cover it right away. And that's exactly what I'm going to do today. Let's check it out!

First of all, I want to make sure everyone's clear on what we're talking about. Here's the scenario: you're browsing the Web and you see a Web site you'd like to visit. You go to the site, it loads up and everything seems to be running fine, but then you see that dreaded error message at the bottom of the page. Yep, it says "Done, but with errors on page." It gives you the little yellow exclamation point icon and you know something's wrong. But what could it be? It's just a simple Web site. What could possibly be the problem? (Note: This is what the error message looks like):

Done but with error on page

Well, to begin, the error usually only shows up in Internet Explorer and it mainly has to do with JavaScript. If the Web site you're trying to view uses JavaScript, you may run into a script related error, which triggers the "Done, but with errors on page" message. It's usually generated by an error in the site's code and unless you have access to that code, you probably won't be able to fix the error yourself. Once the problem hits a Web site's code, only the developers of the site can get in and fix it.

However, when the error pops up, you should still be able to see most of the site. Just keep in mind that some of its parts may not function correctly. You might have a missing image or animation here or there, but most of the site should still be visible. Now, I know some of you may be worried about the error affecting your computer. You may be thinking it's going to harm your PC. Well, I assure you it won't. The problem lies within the Web site only and there's no way it could damage your computer. Plus, if you go and visit other sites, you'll see that they load up just fine. And once the creators of the other site fix their code, it will be viewable again as well.

In addition, if you're a Web site designer or editor yourself, you'll want to keep an eye on your site and make sure the "Done, but with errors on page" message doesn't pop up at any time. If it does, just go in and look through your source code. The problem usually comes from an improper syntax, an incomplete code or a script that's placed in the wrong HTML section. Just take a look at those things and you should be able to fix the error rather quickly. Then your site will be back up and running the way it should be.

As you can see, the error message isn't one to panic about. It's unfortunate that it happens, but there's not really anything you can do about it yourself. If there's any way you can contact the designer of the Web site, do so. They may not even know there's a problem, but if you tell them, I'm sure they'll get it fixed right away. Otherwise, you'll just have to sit tight and keep checking back until the problem is solved. Luckily, it's not an error message that can ruin your whole day. At least it shouldn't!

~ Erin