How to Troubleshoot 403 Forbidden Error?

Typically, 403 Forbidden is an HTTP status code that means access to the particular web page you are attempting to reach is prohibited due to some reasons. While in some cases there is not anything which could be done to go into any preferred site and then the problem arises on the user’s part.

However, users can meet the 403 Forbidden errors on operating system, and almost all browsers such as Google Chrome, Safari, and Mozilla Firefox, etc.  Hence, words may differ, but issues are always the same, some other messages which says;

·        403 Forbidden

·        Error 403

·        Error 403 – Forbidden

·        HTTP 403

·        HTTP Error 403 – Forbidden

The 403 Forbidden errors can be caused if the users are rejecting access to some certain users. In some cases, when things come to permissions, some websites itself misconfigured itself. But some users reported that the issue automatically goes away in sometimes, it will make it valuable for the users who are simply waiting before attempting to access their site again.

This error mostly occurs on your system when you are attempting to download or install any latest Windows updates, but sometimes it also shows an error message related to this error says; 0x80244018 WU_E_PT_HTTP_STATUS_FORBIDDEN error code.

Below we discuss the process of how to troubleshoot 403 Forbidden error. The steps are discussed below.

Steps to Troubleshoot 403 Forbidden Error

Before starting the procedure, we suggest you scan your system by using any anti-virus software, as sometimes error might be caused by malware or virus. Here how to do it:

Method-1: Check URL Address

One of the most ordinary cause for the 403 Forbidden errors is that URL address of any website is wrong. Sometimes, users may enter the wrong URL address; this will lead to encounter the error. Incorrect URL relates to the web page file name; extension should be correct because some sites don’t allow directory browsing. Moreover, users frequently type incorrect .html, .htm, www, and wwww, and many other mistakes.

 Method-2: Clear Cache and Cookies

Cache refers to a previously visited storage space for the web browser. Thus, whenever you visit the webpage again, it will automatically load the content from the cache that includes HTML, Images, JavaScript and many more. To fix this 403 Forbidden error, it is necessary to clear all your cookies and cache from your system and to do it, follow the below-given steps:

In Google Chrome

1.     Firstly, hit the ‘Google Chrome’ menu icon appears in the top right corner of the screen.

2.     Then, choose and click on the ‘Settings’ tab.

3.     Now, Search for ‘Clear browsing data’ by scrolling the screen.

4.     After that, choose ‘Cookies and Cached images and files’ option.

5.     Lastly, click on the ‘Clear Data’ tab.

Mozilla Firefox

1.     Click on the ‘Firefox’ Menu and choose ‘Options’ from the menu.

2.     Navigate to the ‘Privacy & Security’ option.

3.     Now, in the ‘Cookies and Site Data’ section, click on the ‘Clear Data’ tab.

4.     Then, tick mark ‘Cookies and Cached Web Content’ option.

5.     Then, click on the ‘Clear’ option.

Hopefully, the above-given methods will help you in fixing the 403 Forbidden error.

Mathew Anderson  is a Microsoft Office expert and has been working in the technical industry since 2002. As a technical expert, Mathew has written technical blogs, manuals, white papers, and reviews for many websites such as office.com/setup

Source : 403 Forbidden Error