File time-outs and connection problems on Flickr Uploadr
For more than a week, photos uploaded via the Flickr Uploadr have ‘timed out’ which makes uploading impossible.
It is rather difficult to understand how such a significant problem as an inability to upload photos to Flickr could be allowed to persist for such a long time, but nevertheless it has. For more than a week now, myself and others have been unable to upload photos to the photo-sharing website via the Uploadr because photo files will “time out”.
Given the challenges that Flickr have faced in the past, this isn’t a good look when they have been trying so hard to improve.
In my experience, photos will upload part of the way and then an error will be received:
After that, a message box will appear stating that it “Looks like there are connection problems” and offering to retry the connection. This is futile; it never works.
Nothing will upload when this happens and a cycle of time-outs and connection errors will continue ad infinitum.
An immediate solution
One immediate solution is to use the Old Uploader. Whilst less than ideal, it will get the job done in a clumsy but satisfactory manner.
Another suggested solution: Disable Avast Web Shield
One suggestion has been made that the Avast anti-virus software programme may be interfering with the upload process. Users of AVG and even Mac users with no anti-virus have also been affected, so it seems unlikely that Avast is the sole culprit. Flickr claim that they are working with Avast to sort something out.
In the interim, you can attempt to disable the WebShield. Here’s how to do it:
Step 1:
Open Avast and click on the ‘cog’ icon down the left-hand side.
Step 2:
Click on “Active Protection” on the upper left-hand side.
Step 3:
On the “Web Shield” panel, choose a duration that you are comfortable with (I suggest as long as it takes for you to upload your photos).
Step 4:
Click “OK”. You will receive a warning indicating that “Some Shields are Off”.
When your upload are complete, restore the Web Shield by clicking on “Turn On”.
My Specifics
Flickr have been investigating whether a user’s connection speed may be contributing. For the record, here are my system’s specifics:
- Operating system: Windows 7 (64-bit)
- Browser: Firefox 26.0
- Avast software version: 2014.9.0.2011
- Avast engine and definitions: 140124-1
- Connection type: 4G mobile broadband (iiNet on Optus network in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia)
- Connection speed: Line speed 429kbps; Download speed 54KB/s (Measured using Oz Broadband Speed Test)
The result?
For me, the unsatisfactory ‘solution’ of switching off Avast’s ‘Web Shield’ worked.
At the most, this is a temporary measure and will need to be remedied properly. Hopefully Flickr and Avast can get together and sort this out. Travelling the internet with the web shield off is not safe.
Comments
24 responses to “File time-outs and connection problems on Flickr Uploadr”
Thank you for writing such a helpful post. It’s very thorough and the illustrations make the how-to especially clear. Yes indeed, Flickr is working with Avast to get the conflict resolved. Thanks for you patience and continued support.
Thank you very much. I really appreciate that you shared the solution. I was thinking on the same lines, I was thinking if I have installed something that has caused this issue, never realised it was avast.
regards
Muji
THANK YOU!
It is oct 20, 2014 and this problem persists. I am interested in finding another program other than flickr….cant imagine why this has persisted almost the entire year!
I’ve had no problems for months, Jay. Something else must be affecting your uploads.
Afraid it didn’t help me.
I’ve just uploaded a few gigs of photos, and 3 single images simply refuse to be uploaded – Timed Out error.
one year later and this problem still persists
What about Mac Users with no Antivirus…. What is causing the problem, and is there something we can do to temporarily allow our uploads?
Hello Ian,
I don’t have an answer for Macs but hopefully someone else who reads this will. That said, you really should install an anti-virus on your Mac because Macs can get viruses too.
Trying to upload images on Windows 8.1 without avast or anything installed and this problem has started, any tips for Windows 8.1 on Google Chrome?
I have not had this problem arise since I published this post and cannot offer advice for Windows 8.1. For me, Flickr just seems to work without any need to interfere with Avast. Perhaps I am lucky.
It did not work for me
Sadly none of the solutions offered above helped me, Flickr seems to be still persisting with this problem.
How in the hell they expect anyone to stay on their site when a serious issue like NOT BEING ABLE TO UPLOAD PICTURES onto a photo based website is beyond me!
Interestingly enough, some people have told me that smaller files seem to be less affected than larger ones.
But it makes no difference, if you can’t upload a pic then what’s the point of having an account? Getting more and more annoyed with this ever single day.
It’s driving me nuts.
Paid for a Pro version, but cannot upload Grrr!
Even the old uploader fails………..
And Flickr does… NOTHING!
Me too, old uploader, new uploader, it doesn’t matter just every once in awhile it refuses to upload. Sometimes it’s all the photos, other times just random photos, a REAL pain in the neck as I’m a ‘paying user’ also!
Same issue for me. Started happening to me today and has happened to me in the past. I’ve tried every possible problem on my end. Switched off Virus Protection. Tried different browsers. Turned off my VPN. Even tried different wireless networks.
Flickr needs to get it together and solve this issue. I am also a Pro subscriber. It’s June 2015 as I’m writing this and it appears this has been an on-going problem since January 2014? And maybe earlier? What gives, FLICKR!!!!!!
I’ve been having this problem a lot recently, Windows 8.1 with McAfee, fast fttc broadband (around 8 meg uploads), Pro flickr account. Nothing has changed my end but it has suddenly got very hard to upload files. I’ve found it depends on size – smaller ones will almost always upload after a few time outs and retries but something like a 10Mb video clip will keep failing, even with the old uploader. It’s weird – flickr appears to repeatedly upload a portion of it then time out then start again from the beginning when I retry. That’s very stupid of it. The answer for me is to upload in the morning UK time, when the Americas are asleep. I’ve even successfully uploaded a 90Mb+ video clip that way. I think flickr has a serious capacity problem and needs to invest in more and better technology. If they introduced something that would incrementally upload across timeouts that would probably solve it at once.
UGH! I have NOT had this problem until today. I wasn’t keen when Yahoo rui.. erm, bought FlickR, other than the need to create and maintain yet ANOTHER in a seemingly endless procession of log-ins & passwords (because my previous login no longer worked), but I got over that.. Now, I don’t remember how many years later, suddenly I can no longer upload photos. (I retain hope this is a transient problem that will go away in a day or two, but looking at the history, it’s difficult to be optimistic)
I am running Win7 Ultimate/64-bit, Chrome Version 49.0.2623.112 m (I’ve tried FIrefox also), and neither the main, nor old, uploader work for me as of today. YAY! Still looking around for solutions/work-arounds..
So here at this date and it is still happening. I do not have avast installed, and apparently another computer worked out but that is not a solution for the long term as it is not my laptop. Switched browsers, not working. Added Flickr to my antivirus exclusion list, not working. Old Uploadr, NOT WORKING. Running Windows 10, used Chrome and Firefox (Firefox still worked once in a while after a bajillion times of retrying) on their latest version at time of writing.
January 2016 and I have spent over a day trying, unsuccessfully, to upload 50 JPGs.
Am seriously considering migrating to a different site as this is beyond a joke.
April 2017 mac user @ chrome: having flickr timeout problems…
I have flickr pro and never had a problem with timeout until smugmug came along. Now I get intermittent timeouts on my video uploads of under 300mb. Flickr limited videos to 1GB. I left smugmug because it was too expensive now they buy Flickr. I’m doomed
What as gone wrong with flicker now after the Smugmug as come on to the seen cant upload movies all timing out .There not so much people or views that there used to be so on till you fix all this i wont be renewing my subscription again i need every £ that i have so sort this out .
After watching a documentary I decided to re-install my VPN. Too much stealing of info out there. Had taken some shots a few days ago and wanted to post them to my account. Well it was a struggle to say the least. Even tried the old uploader. Nothing but timeouts over and over and over. Tried to email the help people and it wouldn’t even allow that to work.
Finally I woke up and thought about the VPN. Sure enough turned it off and everything worked fine. I think Smugmug is doing a crappy job of running Flickr for sure.