Answered By: Andrew Welch
Last Updated: Aug 23, 2024     Views: 1599

Question: Why do I get a "Bad Request" error when I try to access an online article or eBook?

Answer:

If you get a 400 Error in your browser, it likely means something in your browser's cache is corrupt or too large for the server to handle. Different browsers present the error in different ways, but you might see one or more of these messages:

  • "HTTP-ERROR-400"
  • "Bad Request. Your browser sent a request that this server could not understand. Size of a request header field exceeds server limit."
  • "This page isn't working."

The best way to get rid of such errors is to clear the browser's cache entirely. This includes cache, cookies, and stored files & data. If you're unsure how to do this, Google "clear cache" and the browser you're using (e.g., "clear cache firefox").

If you don't want to clear your entire cache, first try clearing cookies from the following domains:

  • cowles-proxy.drake.edu
  • library.drake.edu
  • The domain of the site that returns the error (e.g., "ebsco.com" or "gale.com")

For instructions on clearing cookies from specific domains, Google "clear specific cookies" and the browser name (e.g., "clear specific cookies chrome").