Repairing broken links "Error 404"

[Berlin-Bob]

Every now and then a link doesn't work. Sometimes the site server is busy, or even off-line, sometimes the site has closed down, or sometimes it has moved, without an automatic re-direct for "older" users.

This happened today on the Devonshire board: "Link: Devonshire Surname Research"

The original link was: http://www.users.on.net/proformat/devnames1.html
but the dreaded "Error 404 This page could not be found" came up

This is what I tried, to repair it:   

1) Try the first part of the link: http://www.users.on.net/
In this case, I got an internet providers home page.

2) I then tried the next part of the link: http://www.users.on.net/proformat/
and got "this page has now moved to ..." : http://www.jaunay.com/

Tried there, and found everything "as before"

If the address is longer .../aaa/bbb/ccc/... then try a bit more at a time, bbb/ then ccc/ etc.
 
OK, so this time I got lucky, sometimes I get a message along the lines of "user not authorized ..." !!

So, if anybody else has a good tip for repairing broken links, please post it here.

[RJ_Paton]

You have covered most of what can be tried although it is often better to go the opposite path and remove information from the original address until you get an answering link.

eg

step 1   http://www.users.on.net/proformat/devnames1.html
step 2   http://www.users.on.net/proformat/
step 3   http://www.users.on.net/
(note always leave in the slash bar)

Failing that a google hunt may pay some dividends  but if a site has moved completely or as is more often the case just died then tracking down its replacement is sometimes an impossible task.

[RJ_Paton]

Scottish name links have also moved

http://www.list.jaunay.com/sctnames/