Internet Error Messages

Error messages, when you're browsing the Internet can be aggravating at the best of times! I live in the country, and have to rely on a dialup connection when I'm at home because cable is not available. To see a "File Not Found" message come up after waiting for what seems like 5 minutes tends to be frustrating. The problem is, however, it's going to happen.

"400 Bad File Request"
In most cases, this error is a problem with the URL (Universal Resource Locater)you typed in. Check the syntax. Did you miss a slash or a colon? Remember that the URL is case-sensitive. Have you used upper or lowercase letters that aren't used in the original reference? Is the spelling correct? In some cases, the page may no longer exist or you may not be authorized to access it.

"401 Unauthorized"
You've requested a page that requires encryption ID or a password for access. You have to be on the list of subscribers. If you are on the list, then maybe you've mistyped your user name or password. Or maybe, your password is now invalid. Remember that passwords are case-sensitive!

"403 Forbidden"
Another response to the same problem as 401. Try retyping your password and user name.

"404 Not Found"
This is a very common message. The page you're looking for can't be found. It either doesn't exist, is misspelled or has been moved or renamed. You can check the URL and try retyping it.

You can also work backwards from the address you have. For instance, if you've tried the URL /drives/ide/names.htm and ended up with a 404 error, delete all but the basic domain name. In this case, you would delete 'drives/ide/names.htm', and hit the ENTER key. You may be able to find the page you want by following links from the HomePage, or in some cases, the HomePage may have a search box to help you find the page you require.

I always appreciate being made aware of any problems like this that can crop up on my site. In defence of myself, I've got to say that it's easy to redesign, move or rename a page, either accidentally or purposely, and overlook changing one of many links to that page. I can really only speak for myself, but I'm sure all webmasters would appreciate being notified of such errors found on their site.

"501 Not Implemented"
The Web Server doesn't support a requested feature. You might as well head to another page.

"502 Service Temporarily Overloaded"
Network Connection Was Refused by the Server* The server probably can't process your request because it's experiencing high traffic loads at the time. You can try to access the site again immediately, but if you get the same results, try again a little later.

"503 Service Unavailable"
Your company's server, or your Internet Service Provider (ISP) is down for some reason. Check to see that you're still connected, you may have lost your connection somehow. The server may also be busy, try again later. If the problem persists, phone your ISP for an explanation.

"Bad File Request"
Web Browsers are constantly improving and upgrading in an effort to keep up with the ever-changing HTML, JavaScript and CGI coding that's available for webmasters to enhance your website experience. A "Bad File Request" error may result from an error in the coding on the page, or the fact that your browser doesn't support the form you're trying to access.

Although some webmasters find the trade-off acceptable as long as their pages work on a majority of browsers, most will appreciate being notified of any problems. Be sure to include which browser and version number you use.

"Failed DNS Lookup"
The Domain Name System (DNS) looks up the Domain Name you're looking for and relates it to the corresponding number (DNS number) of the server that hosts the site you requested. If the lookup fails, the host server can't be located. Try retyping the URL or trying again later. Sometimes, you can overcome the problem by clicking on your browser's 'refresh' or 'reload' button. In other cases, you can try restarting your Internet Browser, then try your request again.

"File Contains No Data"
If you get this message it means that the file is there, but it doesn't contain any information. There is a possibility that the file is actually empty, but more likely the problem lies in missing or wrong HTML coding. The administrator may also be updating the page at the time, in which case you can try again later with better results.

"Host Unavailable"
"Host Unknown"
"Unable to Locate Host"
The server is probably down, or you may have been disconnected. You can try reloading the page, restarting your browser, or trying again later. Also, check to make sure you typed the URL correctly.

"Viewer Not Found"
"Helper Application Not Found"
If you use NetScape, you may see either of these messages when you try to access, view or download a type of file that requires a specialized plug-in or viewer that you don't have. For example a .ZIP file, Flash file, or RealAudio file. Information is usually available as to how to download these viewers or plug-ins. Until you do, you can save the file to disk for future viewing.

Back | Next