How to Deal With a Web Link That Reports File not Found

There's nothing more annoying than when you're surfing the Web, trying to get a critical piece of information or complete a transaction, and suddenly the Web page opens and gives the error message "File not found." Here are a few things to try so you can fix or avoid that error message.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Hit "Refresh." Often the "File not found" error message occurs because a site is overloaded with browsers attempting to interface with it. Simply hit the "Refresh" button on your browser (usually found at the top of your screen next to where you type the Web address). See if this solves the problem.
2. Hit the "Back" button. If hitting "Refresh" didn't work out, try clicking the "Back" button (usually found near the "Refresh" button and looking like an arrow pointing to the left). Once you get to the previous page, hit the "Forward" button to return to the page you were trying to access. This may help reload the page.
3. Check the spelling. Double-check that you've correctly spelled the address of the site you are trying to access in your Web browser. Often a letter is missed or simply reversed. If this is the case, it may solve your error problem.
4. Give it time. Sometimes Web sites, even the major ones, momentarily go down. The "File not found" error message is the industry standard of what will replace it while the IT department is working to restore the site. Try accessing the site in a half-hour or so.
5. Contact them. If none of these steps works, consider contacting the company or people responsible for the site. Maybe the address has changed, or maybe they were unaware of the problem.

Tips & Warnings

• Also try logging off the Internet and rebooting your computer. Sometimes this will reset your browser to interface properly with the Web. This is especially good to try if every Web site you try to visit gives the "File not found" error message.