# What's a Runtime Error? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 15, 2002, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-runtime-error/103662 "2002-04-15T01:47:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecd19e/32.png) [@Jojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jojo)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2002, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-runtime-error/103662/1 "2002-04-15T01:47:21Z")
and how do I stop it from happening. I keep trying to enter a free games site at [pogo.com](http://pogo.com) but every time I try to enter one of it’s rooms I get a message saying: > [@](#): > > A Runtime Error has occurred. > Do you wish to Debug? > > Line: 55 > Error: The callee (server(not server application)) is not available and disappeared; all connections are invalid. The call did not execute. What does all this mumbo jumbo mean? I think it’s a problem with my computer. I don’t think the games site can be down because: - this has been happening for some weeks now every time I try to enter - [pogo.com](http://pogo.com) is a hugely popular site, it wouldn’t be down for that long - everything else on the site responds so their server must be ok, it’s just when you actually try to enter a game room and open an applet. When I click on “Yes” to Debug. A complicated window opens and I get lost from there on in. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2002, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-runtime-error/103662/2 "2002-04-15T02:05:44Z")
What OS and what browser (and what version of each) are you using to try to get in? Have you tried it with a different browser? ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2002, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-runtime-error/103662/3 "2002-04-15T02:15:00Z")
A runtime error is an error which occurs while a program is running. This is different than a compilation error, which is an error which occurs while the program is being compiled. Computer code is normally written in a language which approximates a logical human language which gives the computer a set of instructions to perform. It is then either compiled or translated. Either way, at some point the computer actually attempts to execute these instructions. If at that point the instructions tell the computer to do something that it either doesn’t know how to or cannot do, then it will normally return an error. Well written code will normally “trap” these types of errors and give you a message which is semi-meaningful, ie, “The date you’ve entered is not in a valid format. Re-enter as MM/DD/YYYY”. In the example you’ve given I don’t know exactly what the error means, however it’s doubtful that you wish to debug. If the site is indeed very popular this could just be a message which means that you can’t get in to the site to do what you want to do. ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2002, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-runtime-error/103662/4 "2002-04-15T02:44:58Z")
Seems like you are running a Java applet to play an online game. I reckon the server has been too busy so the applet couldn’t establish a connection with the server. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2002, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-runtime-error/103662/5 "2002-04-15T03:11:06Z")
Well, I tried to help. I’m using OS9.2 On an old iMac, IE5, Earthlink DSL, and I had no trouble 'till I tried to access a game. I’ll not ‘sign-up’, not even for you old buddy. 😉 Do you have an ancient modem? Some game sites just won’t deal with 28K. Time to toss pogo’s cookies. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Jojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecd19e/32.png) [@Jojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jojo)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2002, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-runtime-error/103662/6 "2002-04-15T04:48:05Z")
Yes you need to register to play but it’s free and they don’t send you any spam at all (as long as you uncheck the correct boxes on joining). I get about 1 e-mail a month from them (informing me of changes) so they are pretty good from that angle. I have a fast ISDN connection so it can’t be that. ---
**Author:** ![Jojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecd19e/32.png) [@Jojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jojo)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2002, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-runtime-error/103662/7 "2002-04-16T23:31:20Z")
I’ve now noticed I get the same problem when I try to play Yahoo games - it won’t let me in. Don’t suppose any computer whizzes out there have any ideas about how to fix this? ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2002, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-runtime-error/103662/8 "2002-04-16T23:46:13Z")
Again, what OS and what browser (& what versions of each) are you running? ---
**Author:** ![Jojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecd19e/32.png) [@Jojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jojo)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2002, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-runtime-error/103662/9 "2002-04-16T23:54:05Z")
os -windows 2000, I’m not sure I understand the browser question. (sorry, i’m not very computer literate) ---
**Author:** ![Jojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecd19e/32.png) [@Jojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jojo)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2002, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-runtime-error/103662/10 "2002-04-16T23:55:24Z")
I’m on a pretty decent pentium 3 if that helps ---
**Author:** ![Jojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecd19e/32.png) [@Jojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jojo)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2002, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-runtime-error/103662/11 "2002-04-17T00:09:32Z")
oh I’ve just realised what you mean by “browser” - I’m on Internet Explorer ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2002, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-runtime-error/103662/12 "2002-04-17T00:16:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jojo \* > \*\*os -windows 2000, I’m not sure I understand the browser question. > > (sorry, i’m not very computer literate) \*\* This person asked you what _WEB BROWSER_ you use. Valid answers would be Internet Explorer 6, Netscape 6, Opera, Lynx or a small host of others. ---
**Author:** ![Jojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecd19e/32.png) [@Jojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jojo)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2002, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-runtime-error/103662/13 "2002-04-17T00:21:34Z")
I don’t know what version of IE this is, is there a way I can find out? Something I can click on that tells me, maybe? This computer doesn’t belong to me, it belongs to a housemate so that’s why I’m not too sure of all the specs. But it’s quite a new computer (maybe 2 years old) so it’s probably quite a recent version of IE. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2002, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-runtime-error/103662/14 "2002-04-17T01:00:59Z")
To find the version number, click on Help and then About (in this case, About IE). This works with most apps. ---
**Author:** ![Jojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecd19e/32.png) [@Jojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jojo)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2002, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-runtime-error/103662/15 "2002-04-17T01:13:33Z")
Ah thanks Xema, it’s version 5. Is this significant in some way? Surely I’d still be able to access Yahoo games with version 5?