Description of General Internet Error Messages

• Microsoft Internet Explorer version 3.01a for Macintosh
• Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 3.01, 3.02a, 4.0 for Windows 3.1
• Microsoft Internet Explorer version 3.02, 4.0 for Windows 95
• Microsoft Internet Explorer version 3.02, 4.0 for Windows NT 4.0

SUMMARY

This article briefly describes the most common types of Internet error messages.

MORE INFORMATION

The five most common categories of Internet errors are:

• Web browser errors
• File Transfer Protocol (FTP) errors
• Usenet errors
• Gopher/Veronica errors
• E-mail errors

Web Browser Errors

• 404 Not Found

  The browser could not find the specific document that you requested on the host computer. To resolve this error, check the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) syntax (some URLs are case sensitive). In addition, the page may have been removed, had its name changed, or have been moved to a new location.

• 403 Forbidden/Access Denied

  The Web site you requested requires special access permission (for example a password).

• 503 Service Unavailable

  The host computer is too busy. Try viewing the page again after about 30 seconds.

• Bad File Request

  The form or the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) code for an online form has an error.

• Cannot Add Form Submission Result to Bookmark List

  The results of a form (such as a WebCrawler search) cannot be saved as a bookmark. A bookmark can only be a document or an address.

• Connection Refused by Host

  This is a version of the 403 error. The Web site you requested requires special access permission.

• Failed DNS Lookup

  The Web site's URL could not be translated into a valid Internet protocol (IP) address. This error is common on commercial sites because the computers responsible for translating the IP addresses are overloaded. Try again later when there may be less Internet traffic. This can also be caused by a URL syntax error (the URL has incorrect format).

• HTTP Server at Compressed <xxx>.com:8080 Replies:HTTP/1.0 500 Error from Proxy:

  This error is common with proxy servers (a server on a local area network that lets you connect to the Internet without using a modem). The proxy is either down, busy, or cannot interpret the command that was sent to it. You may want to wait for 30 seconds or more then try viewing the page again. If the problem persists, contact the network administrator of that proxy. Whatever is shown instead of <xxx>.com is usually your Internet service provider.

• File Contains no Data

  The browser found the site, but nothing in the specific file. Try adding ":80" (without the quotation marks) to the URL just before the first slash, for example: http://www.microsoft.com:80/

• Helper Application not Found

  You have attempted to download a file that needs a helper program, and your browser cannot find the program. On the browser's preferences or options menu, make sure the correct directory and file name are entered for the helper program. If you do not have a helper program, save the file to disk and obtain the helper program.

• NTTP Server Error

  The browser could not find the Usenet newsgroup that you tried to access. Make sure the news server address is correctly listed in your browser's preferences or options menu and try again.

• Not Found

  The link no longer exists.

• Site Unavailable

  Too many users are trying to access the site, the site is down for maintenance, there is noise on the line, or the site no longer exists. This can also be caused by a user URL syntax error.

• TCP Error Encountered While Sending Request to Server

  This error is caused by erroneous data on the line between you and the requested site. This may be hardware related. Report the error to your network administrator and try again later.

• Too Many Users

  The site is busy. You may want to try again after about 30 seconds.

• Unable to Locate Host

  The URL did not return anything, the site is unavailable, or the Internet connection was dropped. Check the hardware connections and URL syntax.

• Cannot Connect to Server

  This error can occur if you are using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) security ("https" at the beginning of the URL) when you are connecting to certain Web servers. This behavior has been seen on C2's StrongArm servers with Internet Explorer 3.x and 4.0 in Windows 95 and Windows

FTP Errors

Because there are many FTP programs available, error messages may vary.

• Invalid Host or Unable to Resolve

  This is the FTP equivalent of the Web browser's 404 error. The FTP program cannot find the site requested. This can also be caused by a URL syntax error.

• Your FTP program connects then suddenly stops responding.

  NOTE: this is not an error message. If this occurs shortly after you log on, try using a dash (-) as the first character of your password. This turns off the site's informational messages, which may be causing a conflict with the FTP program.

• Too many consecutive transmit errors

  NOTE: this is not an error message. This indicates that line noise has prevented the FTP program from continuing. This could be a hardware problem, the command string sent to your modem may be incorrect, or the modem may not be properly configured.

Usenet Errors

Usenet is the collection of computers and networks that share news articles. It overlaps with the Internet, but not identical to it

These type of errors are usually specific to your news reader.

• Invalid Newsgroup

  This is caused by a URL syntax error, or the news server may not carry the newsgroup you are trying to access. See your network administrator for assistance.

• No Such Message

  This message indicates an outdated message. The message you requested is still in the index, but has been removed from the server.

• Could Not Connect to Server

  The news server is busy or is down, or you do not have access to the news server. Another possibility is that your browser or news reader program has been set up incorrectly.

• The Message Appears Unintelligible

  NOTE: this is not an error message. This is caused by a binary (non-text) file, such as a picture, movie, or program, that has been encoded into text characters. Most news readers include automatic decoding of binary files. To decode a file, use a decoding program or purchase a news reader that supports automatic decoding.

Gopher/Veronica Errors

The Gopher protocol is a menu-based interface for opening resources on the Internet. The menus have the same function as hyperlinks on the Web. Gophers (and their search engine, Veronica) rarely return errors. The most commonly returned messages are "Can't find site" or "Too busy."

• Xxxxx Does Not Exist

  This error occurs when a menu lists an item that longer exists. The item may have been moved or renamed. Gopher menus must be updated manually so they sometimes refer to outdated catalogs.

• Your Search on Xxxyyyzzz Returned Nothing

  Your search term did not appear in the catalog or menu.

• Sorry, But We Don't Allow Off-Site Access to this Server

  This error occurs when you have tried to access a network or site that has been set up strictly for local use. You cannot access the Gopher site unless you are considered part of that local network.

E-Mail Errors

Most mail errors are URL syntax errors. Commas and spaces are not allowed in e-mail addresses.

• Unknown User

  This may be caused by a URL syntax error. The name was typed incorrectly or the address was typed incorrectly.

• Mail for a mail list stops appearing

  NOTE: this is not an error message. This may be caused be a temporary problem at the site or on the Internet. You may have been involuntarily "unsubscribed" by the mail list program at the site. Or, the list may have been discontinued.

• Warning: Message Still Undelivered After Xx Hours

  This is a warning indicating that the mail message may be delayed. The mailer will continue to send, depending on the configuration of the mailer.