After updating Confluence, the accented characters in the articles title appear like question marks
Asked by Charles Focant:

![image.png](/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/231926iD05C433F5625FA97/image-size/large?v=v2&px=999 "image.png")


Answers:
author: Alex Bourdeau
body: To get around this behaviour add the following to the JVM startup options:  
-Dfile.encoding=UTF8

<br />

More info here: <https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/CONFSERVER-81330>

comments: author: Charles Focant
body: Hi Alex,

I'm not the one who installed and manage Jira and Confluence.

Maybe you could guide me. How do I add the option?

Is there a file somewhere where I need to add this line?


author: Alex Bourdeau
body: Hi [@Charles Focant](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/3553280),   

Follow those instructions to add ***-Dfile.encoding=UTF8*** parameter to your JVM startup

<https://confluence.atlassian.com/doc/configuring-system-properties-168002854.html>  

Have a nice day !


author: Fabio Racobaldo _Herzum_
body: Hi [@Charles Focant](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/3553280) ,

as said by [@Benjamin](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/3275402) probably it is an issue due to db character encoding.

Please take a look to the following troubleshooting article <https://confluence.atlassian.com/doc/troubleshooting-character-encodings-167194.html>

Fabio

comments: author: Alex Bourdeau
body: Same issue.  
It seems to be with the **page tree** macro. Other macros looks OK.


author: Benjamin
body: HI [@Charles Focant](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/3553280) ,

Haven't encounter this issue during an upgrade. I'm wondering if there was a DB encoding issue. May want to check your troubleshooting and support page to wee if there's any fail checks.

It would be good to indicate what version you were upgrading from and to in case another member has gone through the same upgrade path.

-Ben

comments: author: Charles Focant
body: [@Benjamin](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/3275402)

7.18.3 -\> 7.20.1 -\> 8.01 -\>8.02

So I'm currently at 8.0.2.

Please note that the accented characters show wrong only in the left column, not in the articles.

![image.png](https://community.atlassian.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/232971iDFB842F78E11FBF5/image-size/large?v=v2&px=999 "image.png")

I don't see why there would be a problem in the database. I'm a junior sysadmin and have little knowledge about databases and Atlassian Products. I was hoping someone could help me.


author: Benjamin
body: It may have impacted it because the character may need to be change when upgrading.

Here's a documentation for further troubleshooting.

<https://confluence.atlassian.com/doc/troubleshooting-character-encodings-167194.html>


author: Charles Focant
body: As per <https://confluence.atlassian.com/doc/troubleshooting-character-encodings-167194.html>

I followed the link to the test: /admin/encodingtest.action

<br />

The test succeeded.

What does it mean?

I have the impression it is not an issue with the database but with the iframe on the left side of the page.

TEST RESULTS:

Test 1: Raw text  
This is the test string generated in Confluence

I?t?rn?ti?n?liz?ti?n

Test 2: Form submission  
This is the test string pasted by you into the web form and submitted back to Confluence

I?t?rn?ti?n?liz?ti?n

Test 3: Database round-trip (select as lower-case)  
This is the string from Test 2 after being stored in the database and then retrieved as lower-case

i?t?rn?ti?n?liz?ti?n

Expected result (converting Java string to lowercase)

i?t?rn?ti?n?liz?ti?n

Test 4: Database round-trip (select as upper-case)  
This is the string from Test 2 after being stored in the database and then retrieved as upper-case

I?T?RN?TI?N?LIZ?TI?N

Expected result (converting Java string to uppercase)

I?T?RN?TI?N?LIZ?TI?N

Test 5: International file name support  
Try to write a file to the confluence home directory with the test string as the file name

File was written successfully

Test 6: Detect international file name mangling  
Detect whether the file system is mangling the file name when it is saved

The file name has been preserved


author: Benjamin
body: It means it is something else. Do you have the same issue using another browser or if someone else tries to login? This can help with isolating the issue for support

Look at the end of the page on a link to raise a support request.

Thanks,

Ben


author: Charles Focant
body: Hello Ben,

I tried Chrome, Firefox and Edge, it happens on all of these browsers.

It also happens for other users.

There is no link to raise a support request, but I was told by the support that our 10 agents bundle does not allow us to open a support ticket...


author: Benjamin
body: Hi Charles,

Thanks for the update. # of Agents are tied to the JSM product.

For confluence, is determine by the number of users tier. If you are on paid standard license for confluence server, you should be able to get support from Atlassian.

Here's the support link:

<https://support.atlassian.com/contact/#/>

-Ben


author: Charles Focant
body: Hi Ben,

Unfortunately, I was told by atlassian we did not have access to support because of the fact we have the starter license.


author: Benjamin
body: HI [@Charles Focant](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/3553280) ,

got it. Looked at [@Alex Bourdeau](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/5121243) suggestion. Worth checking out to see if the workaround resolve your issue. It would require having admin access to the OS side to make the change.

-Ben


author: Charles Focant
body: Or maybe, instead of tweaking stuff, I could wait until the next Confluence release?


Tags: confluence-server

server