Title: Cannot change reading settings Last modified: August 30, 2016 --- # Cannot change reading settings * Resolved [newbiecoder](https://wordpress.org/support/users/newbiecoder/) * (@newbiecoder) * [10 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-change-reading-settings/) * I am trying to fix a site for a neighbour and have hit a weird issue. * I need to set up a static page so went to Settings, Reading and choose static page. * When I try to choose what page it displays for the front page, the drop down box just shows up as a huge black square. No page options, no anything. * I have deactivated all plug ins -no change. Logged out and back in. No change. Tried three different browsers – no change. I tried saving as Your latest posts and then going back to try again – still a big black box. * I do not have access to the server at present but may tomorrow. Is there anything I can do in the meantime to resolve this? * Thanks Viewing 9 replies - 1 through 9 (of 9 total) * [Rajesh Soni](https://wordpress.org/support/users/rajeshsoni/) * (@rajeshsoni) * [10 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-change-reading-settings/#post-6621037) * Do you notice any JavaScript errors on your debugging console? [http://codex.wordpress.org/Using_Your_Browser_to_Diagnose_JavaScript_Errors](http://codex.wordpress.org/Using_Your_Browser_to_Diagnose_JavaScript_Errors) * Thread Starter [newbiecoder](https://wordpress.org/support/users/newbiecoder/) * (@newbiecoder) * [10 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-change-reading-settings/#post-6621055) * Thanks for that link! Be gentle with me, I am learning as I go here. 🙂 * The drop down has spread itself out across the equivalent of about 8-10 screen widths meaning I have to scroll horizontally a long way to see the arrow. * Ok, in Chrome debugger I get * Synchronous XMLHttpRequest on the main thread is deprecated because of its detrimental effects to the end user’s experience. For more help, check [http://xhr.spec.whatwg.org/](http://xhr.spec.whatwg.org/).[ Sorry, I can´t understand what that page is telling me about XMLHttpRequest!] Failed to load resourcerapport_nikko_send_focus_event @ (program):62 Failed to load resourcerapport_nikko_on_blur @ (program):49 Failed to load resourcerapport_nikko_send_focus_event @ (program):62 Failed to load resourcerapport_nikko_on_blur @ (program):49 Failed to load resourcerapport_nikko_send_focus_event @ (program):62 Failed to load resourcerapport_nikko_on_blur @ (program):49 Failed to load resourcerapport_nikko_send_focus_event @ (program):62 Failed to load resourcerapport_nikko_on_blur @ (program):49 * In Firefox, I don´t see the black box but the drop down is unresponsive. Debugger has js tab has: * NS_ERROR_FAILURE: Component returned failure code: 0x80004005 (NS_ERROR_FAILURE)[ nsIProperties.get] XULStore.js:66:0 TypeError: browserWindow is null about:blank: 78:6 NS_ERROR_FAILURE: Component returned failure code: 0x80004005 (NS_ERROR_FAILURE)[ nsIProperties.get] XULStore.js:66:0 TypeError: browserWindow is null about:blank: 78:6 ReferenceError: gBrowser is not defined about:blank:345:6 not well-formed wtu-secure-search.xml:1:2 ReferenceError: gBrowser is not defined about:blank: 345:6 NS_ERROR_FAILURE: Component returned failure code: 0x80004005 (NS_ERROR_FAILURE)[ nsITaskbarTabPreview.invalidate] * Help?! * [Rajesh Soni](https://wordpress.org/support/users/rajeshsoni/) * (@rajeshsoni) * [10 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-change-reading-settings/#post-6621067) * Try disabling all plugins, switching to a default theme, etc. and then retry. * Thread Starter [newbiecoder](https://wordpress.org/support/users/newbiecoder/) * (@newbiecoder) * [10 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-change-reading-settings/#post-6621074) * Thanks. I have already disabled all plug ins and theme is Twenty Twelve. Still a big wide black box! * Thread Starter [newbiecoder](https://wordpress.org/support/users/newbiecoder/) * (@newbiecoder) * [10 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-change-reading-settings/#post-6621117) * Does anyone know where in the WP code the setting for those two drop down boxes might possibly be? * This is the “Front Page displays” section of Settings | Reading. * The two drop down boxes causing all the problems are Front page and Posts Page. They stretch horizontally for a huge distance and when you finally find the arrow many screens later, a large black rectangle the entire length of the fields appears and no text can be entered nor is a choice of pages displayed. * I have checked every other dropdown throughout settings and they are all functioning as expected as seem to be all checkboxes etc. * This is driving me spare. * Thread Starter [newbiecoder](https://wordpress.org/support/users/newbiecoder/) * (@newbiecoder) * [10 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-change-reading-settings/#post-6621198) * Resolved!!! * For anyone else who ever has this issue….. * If you paste an entire blog post into the title of either a page or a post (or both!) rather than where the body of the blog post should go, you break things!!! I have demanded a bottle of fortified alcohol as payment 😉 * [Rajesh Soni](https://wordpress.org/support/users/rajeshsoni/) * (@rajeshsoni) * [10 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-change-reading-settings/#post-6621205) * I couldn’t have figured that out- LOL * Thread Starter [newbiecoder](https://wordpress.org/support/users/newbiecoder/) * (@newbiecoder) * [10 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-change-reading-settings/#post-6621213) * I only realised **anything** was wrong with this published page because I was transferring all the comments across (100s of comments) and spotted this strange long title and, when I deleted it, found the drop downs back to normal….Thx for your support Rajesh, sometimes it really helps knowing there is *someone* out there on your side. 🙂 * [Rajesh Soni](https://wordpress.org/support/users/rajeshsoni/) * (@rajeshsoni) * [10 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-change-reading-settings/#post-6621214) * You’re welcome. Glad I could be of help. * Cheers! Viewing 9 replies - 1 through 9 (of 9 total) The topic ‘Cannot change reading settings’ is closed to new replies. ## Tags * [black box](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/black-box/) * [reading](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/reading/) * [settings](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/settings/) * [static-page](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/static-page/) * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/) * 9 replies * 2 participants * Last reply from: [Rajesh Soni](https://wordpress.org/support/users/rajeshsoni/) * Last activity: [10 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-change-reading-settings/#post-6621214) * Status: resolved ## Topics ### Topics with no replies ### Non-support topics ### Resolved topics ### Unresolved topics ### All topics