Modern browsers store cached data, cookies and images to speed page loading times. When these become outdated, however, they can cause disruption during authentication processes resulting in 401 errors and cause unnecessary interruptions during authentication processes.
Solution to this error is typically straightforward and can usually be resolved by refreshing or clearing out browser cache.
1. Incorrect URL
If a 401 error message pops up when trying to access a website or web app, it could indicate that you entered the URL incorrectly or clicked a link with bad link anchor text – even small typos can lead to this message; so double checking is always advised. Furthermore, it could also mean that the administrator changed or removed that page address altogether.
An additional cause of 401 errors can be outdated or incorrect cache data and cookies. Browsers use cached images and cookies to improve online experiences, especially regarding loading times; if these files become corrupted or obsolete, however, they can disrupt authentication processes leading to errors – in such instances it would be wise to clear your browser cache and cookies to address this issue.
Dependent upon the website or web application in question, you may also have to clear out and reset your login details if they have become corrupted or outdated. In such instances, log out before signing back in again in order to reset them. It may also be possible that plugins or themes have altered database records which triggers the 401 error code.
If none of these methods work, 401 error code could indicate that the page you are trying to reach is password-protected and you don’t have permissions to access it. To confirm this, launch Google Chrome and right-click anywhere on the page before choosing “Inspect.” This will open developer tools window in your browser.
Once again, take a look at the WWW-Authenticate header which contains information about which authentication methods your web browser supports and see which username and password are being used by looking at login data in HTML of page. Alternatively, contact your web hosting provider to help manage password-protected directories; should this fail, professional assistance can help resolve 401 error message.
2. Incorrect or outdated cache data or cookies
Modern browsers store cache and cookies to speed up loading speed and personalize websites, but sometimes this data can become outdated or corrupted, prompting a 401 error when trying to login. If this occurs while trying to login, this indicates that either your cookies or cached data have become invalid; clearing both may solve this issue.
The status code “401 Unauthorized” signifies that you attempted to access a protected page, post or resource without valid credentials. This could occur because your target page is password protected or your login credentials were entered incorrectly; websites will provide a WWW-Authenticate header as part of their response message indicating what kind of authentication may be necessary in order for you to gain entry to said resource.
An additional possible cause for the 401 error message could be that the page you are trying to access has been deleted or modified – perhaps by an administrator, or because its URL was entered incorrectly when linking. In such an instance, refresh or click another link until it reappears – otherwise try refreshing or clicking different ones until something new pops up!
Some individuals experience this error when mistyping a password, username or email address when trying to login to their account. The website checks if your login data matches what’s stored in its database – if they don’t match, an Error 401 message appears instead.
Website owners can avoid such errors by making sure that users use valid login details. This can be achieved using robust authentication mechanisms, educating users on password protection issues and frequently testing login systems on your site.
Other than using strong authentication methods, 401 errors can also be avoided by regularly flushing your DNS cache and disabling plugins that are no longer being utilized by your site. Doing this ensures that it runs with secure and stable code while protecting it against vulnerabilities and exploits.
3. Incorrect authentification settings
Error 314 occurs when the web server cannot recognize visitor authentication credentials. This is a fairly frequent problem as most pages or resources being requested are password-protected and thus a login prompt appears for them to provide authentication data and gain access.
Sometimes the 401 error isn’t caused by insufficient authentication credentials but by an incorrect configuration of a web server’s security settings. This is especially prevalent among websites running content management systems like WordPress with numerous plugins and extensions installed; these often add extra code which conflicts with security settings.
As such, the first thing to check is whether or not your web browser has a login cookie stored. If it does, clearing this may help resolve your issues by clearing away any obsolete or invalid information which might be disrupting the login process and forcing browsers to download new files directly from the website.
Clearing the browser cache may also help, clearing away any invalid information that may be interfering with the login process and forcing your browser to download fresh files directly. If that still doesn’t help, flushing your DNS cache may help – simply launch a command prompt on your PC and type ipconfig/flushdns (for Macs run sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder instead).
As a website owner, if the 401 error persists on your site you can try disabling several modules, plugins and themes to see which may be causing it. Starting with popular ones may help narrow down potential culprits quicker; although it may take some time to determine its source it’s worth spending the effort in finding it and fixing it for users; in many instances a straightforward solution will appear quickly – should that not work then professional support should always be an option!
4. Server-side error
Error 401 typically occurs when a web server detects that a user has submitted authentication credentials which are invalid or not recognized by it. This often occurs when password protection settings on a webpage or API require password protection but are incorrectly implemented, expired, or no longer active. 401 errors also frequently appear when there is an error in a server config file preventing logins to take place or when its service becomes inaccessible altogether.
At first, it is vital to make sure the server and application administrators have configured all aspects correctly; otherwise they could cause further issues. Unfortunately, however, this method of troubleshooting may not always work and further assistance may need to be sought from them directly.
To accurately diagnose server-side issues, it is advisable to create a test environment by making a copy of your current live application and database, before replicating their actions on a staging server. This allows for a more thorough examination of the problem without endangering live applications or data.
An alternative way of troubleshooting 401 errors is using your browser’s developer tools to investigate response headers and identify what might be going wrong with them. For example, Chrome allows users to open its developer tools by right-clicking on pages and selecting “Inspect”.
Particularly, it is critical that the WWW-Authenticate header matches the type of authentication being expected by a website. For instance, if Basic Auth is employed on that site then its authentication header must reflect this with username/password in base64 encoded format.
Error 401 can be very frustrating, but there are solutions that may help. These include verifying your authentication credentials, clearing cache and cookies, and verifying you have appropriate authentication settings in place. By taking these simple steps you should be back up and running quickly!