Home
>
Web Design
>
404 Error - The Page Cannot be Found

404 Error - The Page Cannot be Found

A "404 Error" happens when the web server you are on cannot find the page that you requested. This type of error is quite common and is seen all over the place.

404 Errors can be caused by many different problems, though generally they are caused by either dead links, or errors in the websites coding. Dead links often occur when a webmaster puts external links on his website, then the website he is referring to changes, moves, or no longer exists. Coding errors on the other hand can happen all over the place! Quite often webmasters neglect to check their links as they are making them, this means that there could be a spelling mistake in the URL, a missing slash or pretty much any typing error you could think of. It's good practice to check all links as you make them!

Internal links, or links to pages within the same website also get 404 errors from time to time. Unfortunately this is due to the webmasters neglect of his own website. If modifications were made to the website, he should have checked his website, or ran an automated program to check all of his links. Broken internal links look bad and unprofessional.

There are a few ways that a webmaster can mask his errors, or at least do some recovery work if an error occurs. If a webmaster changes the framework of his website he can create re-direct pages that will move the user to their the main index, or the updated version of the page that they requested. Additionally, they should be able to stop 404 Errors all together by creating an automatic forward whenever an error occurs.

A couple tricks for webmasters to help reduce the amount of 404 errors, or try to hide the errors is to modify the .htaccess file in their website directory. This file has one variable that can be set that will allow you to specify the page that you want to send the user, should a 404 occur.

Example: ErrorDocument 404 index.php
Example: ErrorDocument 404 404.php

The first example would automatically send the user back to the main index (if the main index was called index.php), and the second would send them to a customized 404.php file, which could display an error message, or send you an auto-notification of an error that happened. Keep in mind that if you use non-absolute directories that you may not feed out the correct page. For instance if the error occurs in a subdirectory on your website, and you specify index.php as your error document, there may not be an index.php in that subfolder, thus it might be a good idea to put the below example instead.

Example: ErrorDocument 404 http://www.yoursite.com/

Note: If you use Apache HTTPD you can setup the default error documents in the configuration file!

Ken Dennis
http://kendennis-rss.homeip.net/

shuttle to Midway Beardstown .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare

In The News:

The FBI has issued a warning that scammers are impersonating doctors, police and banks using spoofed numbers as "smishing" texts surge nationwide.

Communities with unreliable internet service stand to gain after Amazon's Project Kuiper launched its first full batch of satellites into orbit April 28.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says unsubscribing from spam might actually backfire. Learn when to avoid it and stop junk effectively.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about how the first nonstop beating heart transplant, called zero ischemic time, at Taiwan hospital changes surgery.

Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson: FBI warns of "time-traveling" hackers.

Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about a soft, vine-like robot called SPROUT that aids safe survivor rescues in collapsed buildings.

Health insurance giant Blue Shield of California confirmed it had been sharing private health data of 4.7 million users with Google for three years without even realizing it.

Delta and JetZero’s blended wing body aircraft marks a meaningful step toward a cleaner, quieter and more efficient future for air travel.

Recent reports show many common passwords can be cracked in literally seconds. Kurt the CyberGuy explains how to strengthen your passwords.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Iron, a robot that stands 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighs 154 pounds, combines advanced artificial intelligence with human-like movement and exceptional vision.

Hertz, the rental car giant, recently confirmed that customer information was exposed through a cyberattack on one of its software vendors.

There are a number of features with AirPods you may or may not know about to take your listening experience to the next level. Kurt the CyberGuy explains.

These 35 Chrome extensions have privacy and security concerns. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says to delete them now.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says 329,000 mph fusion rocket promises to be fast, disruptive and enable deep-space missions.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says a new autonomous AI is a game changer that also raises privacy risks. Is your data safe?

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says robots and drones are revolutionizing fruit farming with faster picking and smarter handling.

Landmark Admin revises May 2024 cyberattack scope to show twice as many people were affected. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson gives tips to help stay safe from an insurance data breach.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about how Yamaha’s hydrogen outboard motor could revolutionize boating with zero emissions.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals how to memorialize or remove a deceased loved one’s Facebook account and protect their digital legacy from misuse or scams.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says an Apple Watch saved psychiatrist Amanda Faulkner by detecting deadly leukemia early.

Scammers and fraudsters are increasingly targeting the most vulnerable, especially nursing homes and the personal data of their residents. Kurt the CyberGuy has safety tips.

Infected USB flash drives can spread malware among multiple organizations in ways that can easily bypass traditional security systems.

With a fully automated warehouse system and AI-powered robots, Ocado's Hive picks, packs and delivers grocery store orders in just a few minutes.

404 Error - The Page Cannot be Found

Web Design