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Why are newer versions of Firefox having problems with UTF-16le (Windows default unicode set)

  • 2 replies
  • 4 have this problem
  • 3 views
  • Last reply by linnapaw

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I have a website that has multiple languages on it, and so I've been using UTF-16le for it. Everything was working well on multiple browsers until the last few months, when only Firefox stopped displaying it properly. I can force the page into UTF-16le, but then some of my graphical links no longer work and I cannot navigate through the pages unless I force every single page to UTF-16le EVERY SINGLE TIME. This problem is not unique to my computer, either, as this has happened with every computer I have tried in the last few months.

I have a website that has multiple languages on it, and so I've been using UTF-16le for it. Everything was working well on multiple browsers until the last few months, when only Firefox stopped displaying it properly. I can force the page into UTF-16le, but then some of my graphical links no longer work and I cannot navigate through the pages unless I force every single page to UTF-16le EVERY SINGLE TIME. This problem is not unique to my computer, either, as this has happened with every computer I have tried in the last few months.

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As answered before a few weeks back [*]: the server sends the pages as UTF-8 and that is what Firefox uses to display the pages. You need to reconfigure the server and make them send the pages with the correct content type (UTF-16) or with no content type at all if you want Firefox to use the content type (BOM) in the file.


A good place to ask questions and advice about web development is at the mozillaZine Web Development/Standards Evangelism forum.
The helpers at that forum are more knowledgeable about web development issues.
You need to register at the mozillaZine forum site in order to post at that forum.

See http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewforum.php?f=25

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cor-el - I don't believe that I can do anything with the server, but I doubt that your solution is to the problem I have. For one thing, I've tested this page with about 5 other browsers, and Firefox is the only one having problems. Secondly, the problem arose after I upgraded Firefox a about 4 months ago, and so I tend to believe that it is a problem with Firefox, not the server. Thank you for the link to the forum, though, I didn't even know it existed.  :)

Happy New Year!