From time to time, you will come across server error messages when trying to access a web page or website. They can be quite annoying especially if you can’t differentiate one error message from the other. The 4xx Client Error group of HTTP status codes includes errors where the request for a web page contains bad syntax or is incapable of filling, presumably by the fault of the client. These errors can be avoided, or overcome by using a few simple techniques. Here are some of the common Client Error messages that you might come across when surfing the Web, and what they mean.

400 - Bad File Request

The 400 error indicates that the server can’t figure out the URL you requested. It could be because the syntax in the URL is incorrect. Check for wrong punctuation marks, incorrect upper case or lower case letters, colons, and slashes.

401 - Unauthorized

The 401 error usually occurs when the server is not receiving the correct encryption key (ID or password) necessary for entry, from the client. Try again, typing the password correctly, as passwords are often case-sensitive.

403 - Forbidden/Access Denied

Similar to 401 errors, 403 errors usually occur either when you haven’t signed up with a site that requires registration, in which case try to register with the site first, or try your password again. The other reason could be because you may not have proper permissions to be able to access the site - contact the site’s administrator for a password in this case.

404 - File Not Found

The 404 error, ‘Not Found’ or ‘File Not Found’ occurs when the server cannot find the file you requested. You have either entered the wrong URL or document name, or the file has been moved or deleted. Check for a misspelled word in the URL, and try once again. If this is not working, backtrack by deleting information between each backslash, until you come to a page on that site that isn’t a 404. You might be able to get to the page that you are searching for from here.

408 - Request Timeout

The client sent a request to the server which took longer than the server was prepared to wait. So the Web Server has dropped the client’s connection, or in other words “timed out”. This could have happened because of large files or slow servers. The web page can be refreshed or reloaded, although trying the page again may not always be successful.

Tags: 400 error, 401 error, 403 error, 404 error, 408 error, 4xx errors, common error messages

This entry was posted on Monday, August 24th, 2009 at 3:07 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.