Help me get my avatar back. I am an orange blob.

[Rolig Loon]

If you're appearing a a cloud, that's a fairly simple problem to solve in most cases.  It's called a "bake fail".  Good suggestions for ways to cure it are here >>> http://wiki.phoenixviewer.com/fs_bake_fail

Bake fail very often occurs because your local inventory cache is slow to update as you log in.  Until the update is complete, your viewer cannor proceed with the next steps of login, including rendering your avatar.  As a result, your av stays a default cloud.  So why would the update be slow?  Usually because your Internet connection is unstable.  It's not a matter of bandwidth, but stability.  If you are losing data between your computer and SL's servers, or if there are unexpected bottlenecks along the way, the servers will keep resending the information until the job is finished.  For many people, the weak spot is a wireless connection -- not recommended by Linden Lab -- or a modem or router that needs rebooting.  Unplug your modem and router from the power for a few minurtes, then plug them back in and restart your computer.  That will let the units' RAM clear and will let the router get a firm grasp on an IP address.

[Rolig Loon]

If you're appearing a a cloud, that's a fairly simple problem to solve in most cases.  It's called a "bake fail".  Good suggestions for ways to cure it are here >>> http://wiki.phoenixviewer.com/fs_bake_fail

Bake fail very often occurs because your local inventory cache is slow to update as you log in.  Until the update is complete, your viewer cannor proceed with the next steps of login, including rendering your avatar.  As a result, your av stays a default cloud.  So why would the update be slow?  Usually because your Internet connection is unstable.  It's not a matter of bandwidth, but stability.  If you are losing data between your computer and SL's servers, or if there are unexpected bottlenecks along the way, the servers will keep resending the information until the job is finished.  For many people, the weak spot is a wireless connection -- not recommended by Linden Lab -- or a modem or router that needs rebooting.  Unplug your modem and router from the power for a few minurtes, then plug them back in and restart your computer.  That will let the units' RAM clear and will let the router get a firm grasp on an IP address.

[KarenMichelle Lane]

Everything is a large list...

Have you tried a Clean install without skipping the steps where you delete the hidden app files?

from... http://wiki.phoenixviewer.com/fs_clean_reinstallfrom

 

Doing a Clean Reinstall

A Clean Reinstall implies more than just removing the installed viewer and then reinstalling it. Doing that leaves behind all the data files and therefore rarely fixes anything. A Clean Reinstall, therefore, also includes locating and deleting all your settings and cache files.

There are times when you may wish to do a clean reinstall of Firestorm - or a support team member might request it, as part of a trouble shooting procedure.

Updating from an Earlier Version of Firestorm

When updating from an older version of Firestorm, you should always do a clean reinstall as described below. However, you can make use of the backup/restore feature to create a backup copy of your settings, before wiping them all.

Then after having logging in for the first time with the new version, you can restore your old settings, and then just tweak any that have been added.

As Part of Problem Solving

There are times when you may wish to do a clean reinstall as an attempt to solve an issue you are having. In such cases, it is suggested that you backup your settings first, then do the full clean reinstall as described below.

Before restoring settings, however, you should see whetehr you issue reproduces on all default settings. If it does not, then very likely it was a “bad” setting that caused the problem, so it is best not to restore old settings, but to set them manually.

Doing The Clean Reinstall

 

Uninstall Any/All Copies of Firestorm

 

Windows

Remove Application

Ideally, use the Programs & Features Control Panel [Vista, Win7, Win8], or Add/Remove Programs Control Panel [XP] to remove Firestorm, or simply delete the entire installation folder. For 32-bit Firestorm, this is typically located at: C:\Program Files\Firestorm for 32-bit or C:\Program Files(X86)\Firestorm for 64-bit Windows systems. For 64-bit Firestorm, this will be C:\Program Files\Firestorm on 64-bit Windows (it cannot run on 32-bit Windows). You will be left with the folder in the Start menu, however, which is why it is preferable to uninstall as previously described.

Delete Settings

Firestorm settings can become corrupt, particularly if you recently crashed; the files may not save completely, so important information can become “scrambled”. For this reason, wiping your settings, while “painful”, may be necessary. Here is how:

• Use the file manager (Windows Explorer) to locate the settings folder. In its default location, the folder is hidden on most OSs. To find it, you will need to show hidden folders. Now you need to locate the settings folder:
  • Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\[uSERNAME]\Application Data\Firestorm
  • Windows Vista, 7, or 8: C:\Users\[uSERNAME]\AppData\Roaming\Firestorm

NOTE: If you wish to preserve your chat logs and/or contact sets, then you will need to make a backup copy of them before deleting the contents of the folder just named. The folder contains one or more folders in turn, each one named after your SL user name(s). Inside each of these folders, locate the chat log files. These will have the names of your groups and the people with whom you have had conversations. The contact sets file is named settings_friends_groups.xml. Select the chat log files, and the contact sets file (settings_friends_groups.xml), if you wish, and copy them to a location you can easily locate later, like a temporary folder on your deskstop. After this, you can erase the entire contents of the Firestorm folder. Then proceed as described below, install (or reinstall) the viewer, and run it once to have it recreate the default files. Once you have logged out again, you can copy the chat logs and contact sets file back where they were.

Delete Cache

• Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\[uSERNAME]\Local Settings\Application Data\Firestorm
• Windows Vista, 7, or 8: C:\Users\[uSERNAME]\AppData\Local\Firestorm

Clear Custom Cache

If you have created a cache for Firestorm outside of the Firestorm folder, then delete everything inside it now, and remember to reset that location after next login.

• To preserve things like saved chat logs, rename the Firestorm folder - for example, append the current date to the name, such as: Firestorm-12Jan2011

If you do not need to save chat logs, then simply delete the entire folder named Firestorm and everything inside it.

Mac

Remove Application

Navigate to Applications and trash the Firestorm App.

Delete Settings

• If you're using OSX 10.7 Lion or 10.8 Mountain Lion, you will need to show hidden folders to find the Library.
• Go to User/Library/Application Support and delete the Firestorm folder.

NOTE: If you wish to preserve your chat logs and/or contact sets, then you will need to make a backup copy of them before deleting the contents of the folder just named. The folder contains one or more folders in turn, each one named after your SL user name(s). Inside each of these folders, locate the chat log files. These will have the names of your groups and the people with whom you have had conversations. The contact sets file is named settings_friends_groups.xml. Select the chat log files, and the contact sets file (settings_friends_groups.xml), if you wish, and copy them to a location you can easily locate later, like a temporary folder on your deskstop. After this, you can erase the entire contents of the Firestorm folder. Then proceed as described below, install (or reinstall) the viewer, and run it once to have it recreate the default files. Once you have logged out again, you can copy the chat logs and contact sets file back where they were.

Delete Cache

• Go to User/Library/Caches, and again delete the Firestorm folder.

Clear Custom Cache

If you have created a cache for Firestorm outside of the Firestorm folder, then delete everything inside it now, and remember to reset that location after next login.

• To preserve things like saved chat logs, rename the Firestorm folder - for example, append the current date to the name, such as: Firestorm-12Jan2011

If you do not need to save chat logs, then simply delete the entire folder named Firestorm and everything inside it.

linux

Remove Application

The Firestorm install directory will be wherever you extracted the download archive to. Typically this will be in your home directory somewhere, such as ~/Apps/Firestorm/. Delete this directory and everything inside it.

Delete Settings

• Delete the directory ~/.firestorm - if you can't see this folder, you will need to show hidden folders.

NOTE: If you wish to preserve your chat logs and/or contact sets, then you will need to make a backup copy of them before deleting the contents of the folder just named. The folder contains one or more folders in turn, each one named after your SL user name(s). Inside each of these folders, locate the chat log files. These will have the names of your groups and the people with whom you have had conversations. The contact sets file is named settings_friends_groups.xml. Select the chat log files, and the contact sets file (settings_friends_groups.xml), if you wish, and copy them to a location you can easily locate later, like a temporary folder on your deskstop. After this, you can erase the entire contents of the Firestorm folder. Then proceed as described below, install (or reinstall) the viewer, and run it once to have it recreate the default files. Once you have logged out again, you can copy the chat logs and contact sets file back where they were.

Delete Cache

The cache directory is typically located inside ~/.firestorm, so if you have not changed its location, it will have been deleted with the step above.

Clear Custom Cache

If you have created a cache for Firestorm outside of the Firestorm folder, then delete everything inside it now, and remember to reset that location after next login.

• To preserve things like saved chat logs, rename the Firestorm folder - for example, append the current date to the name, such as: Firestorm-12Jan2011
• If you do not need to save chat logs, then simply delete the entire folder named Firestorm and everything inside it.

Reinstall

Having done all those steps, you may now reinstall Firestorm. Once you have, you will need to repopulate your inventory:

• Log back into SL, to a quiet region (try Hippo Hollow, Aich or Hatton). On your inventory window, click “Recent”.
• Wait for your inventory to repopulate fully. The process may be sped up, if needed, by typing random letters into the search bar.
• While inventory repopulates, do not teleport anywhere, and do not attempt to access anything in your inventory. Talk to people or surf the web.
• Watch as it repopulates. As long as you can see (Fetched…) at the top of the inventory window, it is still loading.
• Once inventory has repopulated, log out of SL once more.
• If you opted to keep chat logs, you may copy them over at this point. Look in the old dated Firestorm folder you renamed in the “Delete Settings” section above; you will see one or more folders with your avatar name(s). Inside each of these you will find your chat logs - unless you changed the default location, in which case they will be wherever you saved them. Copy over only the logs; do not copy any XML files, with the optional exception of your contact sets file (settings_friends_groups.xml). (If your OS does not show file extensions like XML, copy only files that have avatar names or SecondLife group names, as well as the one called “settings_friends_groups”; the rest are old settings files and can be discarded.) Once you have done that, you may delete the old folder.
• Log back in into SL.