A common browser error message is the classic 403 Forbidden Message. The number 403 is one of the several HTTP status codes that a server can return to a browser. This message is coming from the HTTP server and is ultimately telling your browser that it is not allowed to do something or access something on that website. It does not mean there is anything wrong with your computer or your browser since this message is coming from web server you are visiting not your local computer.
The most common reason for a web site to return the 403 Forbidden error is if the URL is pointing to a directory instead of a web page. In other words you may have put in an address into your browser like www.website.com/pictures. In this case pictures represents a directory on the web server not a file. Many web servers are configured so they do not allow access to an entire directory for countless security reasons. So if you are getting this error because you clicked on a link on a webpage then it is most likely the website that is having problems. If you’re sure the page you’re trying to reach is correct, the 403 Forbidden error message may be a mistake. At this point it’s probably in your best interest to contact the webmaster or other website contact and inform them of the problem. The webmaster of most Internet sites can be reached via email at webmaster@website.com, replacing website.com with the actual website name.
About George Dover
George Dover is one of the Microsoft Certified Technicians that works at BoxAid.com. He is the primary blog contributor and has helped thousands of customers calling into BoxAid on a daily basis. Connect with me on Google+
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