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Reference number: CH001019
What do I do if I get a 404 error on the Internet?
Question:
What do I do if I get a 404 error on the Internet?
Answer:
404 is an HTTP status
code errors "Not Found 404" or "Page Not Found", which indicates the
server was unable to find the requested address. Below are some
suggestions on what you can do if a page you're trying to access is
getting this error code.
Read 404 suggestions
Many 404-error pages will have additional suggestions
and tips on what you can do to help locate the missing page. For
example, the Computer
Hope 404 page gives our recommendations on where to find
specific information and gives a direct link to the search engine.
Additionally this page may give additional details to why you're
getting the error; for example, it may indicate if the page was
recently changed or moved.
Verify URL entered correct
A 404 message can also occur when the
URL
is improperly entered.
Make sure the URL is properly formatted and that it's ending in the proper extension. For example, a web page may
be an .htm file and not a .html file. See
document CH0000709 for additional information about the
importance of capitalization and spaces in URLs.
Locating a lost or moved page elsewhere
If the page continues to generate
a 404 it is likely it has been moved or deleted. Below are some tips
on how you can locate lost or moved pages.
Check for a Google Cache
Google
has a cache of almost every
page it indexes on the Internet.
If you are unable to access the information you are looking for
because of a 404 see if you can pull up a cached version from
Google (assuming it's a valid URL). To do this open a Google search and type a command
similar to the below command.
cache:http://www.computerhope.com
In the above example you would replace the Computer Hope URL
with the URL you're trying to look up. Or if you have the Google
Toolbar or a variant of the Google Toolbar right-click on the
page and click the option to view the cached version.
Go back to the domain
Erase everything in the URL except the
domain name and search
for the page you're looking for. For example, if this page:
http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch001019.htm was bad erase
everything except:
http://www.computerhope.com/ and look for a search and
search for the page or topic you're trying to find.
Internet Archive
Finally, if you're trying to find an older web page that has all
disappeared from the Internet and/or you wish to view the
history of a web page visit the
Internet Archive, which has
complete snapshots of over 85 billion pages since the early
90's.
Additional information:
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