Why am I receiving a 403 Forbidden Error when trying to access a database?
Answer
Sometimes library users experience a "403 Forbidden" error message while searching library databases.
This access issue can generally be resolved by clearing the computer's Internet browser cache. To do so,
In Internet Explorer or Edge:
- Choose the three dot menu in the right-hand corner
- Settings
- Privacy & Security
- Under Clear browsing data, choose "Choose what to clear"
- Check all the boxes and click "Clear"
In Firefox:
- Click the 3 line (hamburger) menu in the right-hand corner
- Options
- In the search bar, type in "cache"
- Clear Data
- Check both boxes and Clear
In Chrome:
- Settings
- In the search bar, type in "cache"
- Clear Browsing Data
- In the Time Range dropdown menu, choose "All time:
- Make sure all the boxes are checked and click "Clear data"
In Safari (Mac):
- Select the "Safari" pull-down menu at the top.
- Select "Empty Cache."
- A dialog box will open and ask "Are you sure you want to empty the cache?"
- Select "Empty."