While working with a virtual or dedicated server, errors may periodically occur. Don’t be afraid or panic – there is a solution! But first, let’s look at the definition of this 401 error. One of the logical and common explanations for the HTTP 401 Unauthorized error indicates a specific status code that is associated with the user not having the proper authentication credentials to access a certain resource. This error can occur for a variety of reasons, from incorrect login credentials to incorrect server settings. Below we will delve into the causes and possible solutions to this problem. This article will outline the causes and possible steps to resolve the 401 error.

Causes and Possible Solutions for Error 401

To summarize, the HTTP 401 Unauthorized error is a prevalent issue encountered by web application users, indicating insufficient access rights to the requested resource. Here are the primary causes of this error and their respective solutions:

  1. Incorrect credentials:
    • Cause: Entry of incorrect username or password during authentication.
    • Solution: Ensure correct credential entry. Reset the password if needed or seek assistance from the system administrator.
  2. Expired session:
    • Cause: User session expiration due to inactivity or timeout.
    • Solution: Re-login to refresh the session. Admins can adjust session timeout settings to prevent expiration.
  3. Missing or incorrect authentication headers:
    • Cause: Absence or incorrect format of authentication headers in the HTTP request.
    • Solution: Verify and update authentication headers in the request, focusing on token or credential format and transmission.
  4. Insufficient access rights:
    • Cause: User lacks necessary access rights for requested actions.
    • Solution: Review user access settings, granting required rights or altering user roles as needed.
  5. Incorrect server configuration:
    • Cause: Flawed authentication settings on the server or configuration file errors.
    • Solution: Validate and adjust server authentication settings. Ensure correctness of configuration files like .htaccess or web.config.

By addressing these issues according to the provided solutions, users and administrators can effectively resolve the HTTP 401 Unauthorized error.