Unauthorised access to index.html (Error 403)

Jean · 11-02-06

I have just uploaded a re-vamped site and when checking it on the browser, I got error message 403 saying I was not authorised to access the page. I have definitely uploaded the index.html page.

Anyone know what the problem might be?

Many thanks

Art · 11-02-06

Hi,

What are the permissions of your web (public) directory?

Jean · 12-02-06

Art

Thank you for responding. I do not know what the permissions are. This is a site we have finished off for someone else. All I have are the ftp logins through Cuteftp. They are apparently using Telewest hosting service. I do not see a /public_html/ folder which is what I upload all my sites to.

The site is www.professionaltravel.co.uk . If I type the index file into the address bar I can see it and all the other pages, it just does show when you just put in the domain name.

drivetowin · 12-02-06

When you connect via ftp are you uploading your files direct into the directory you log in to or navigating to a sub directory?

Jean · 12-02-06

Directly into the file it logs into

drivetowin · 12-02-06

Well that kills a theory then!!

Only one other thought, is there a .htaccess file in the directory? - if there is try renaming it and see if that solves the problem.

Jean · 12-02-06

I've just had a look and there isn't a .htaccess file, but there is an aspnet_client folder which has nothing to do with what I am doing. Could that be the problem. Will I be able to delete it. I am not very technical and this folder just has other folders with numbers in it.

drivetowin · 12-02-06

I'm not sure what that folder is for but as it says aspnet as part of the folder name it implies to me that the server is Microsoft based rather than Linux

I would try copying your index.html file to index.htm, index.asp and index.aspx - upload each of those to the server one at a time and try to access the site via the domain name each time and see if any of them work - it may well be that .html is not the default file suffix for web pages on the server.

Jean · 12-02-06

What a star!!

I remembered the previous chap had called the home page default.htm - I have never used that, so I when I rebuilt it, I used index.html. I have now renamed it default.htm and it works.

Thanks so much. I would never have thought of that solution ever.

drivetowin · 12-02-06

No problem Jean - been there, done that, got the tee-shirt

Only other thing is to make sure you rename any links to index.html that you have got in your site...