[Skeezyks]

Today and yesterday, when I attempt to open some of the articles in PC's archives, I get a screen that says "Bad Request Your browser sent a request that this server could not understand. Size of a request header field exceeds server limit." This has occurred multiple times. Here are links to two articles I received this notice on:

When a Depressed Spouse Refuses Help | Family Mental Health

Reasons Not to Give Up On Someone You Love (Who's Acting In Hurtful Ways) | Neuroscience and Relationships

[healingme4me]

It might be working now? I was getting this error at work with a vendor's website.

I'm curious as to what causes such messages.

[Skeezyks]

Hm-m-m-m... well... I tried the first article I provided a link to & it worked fine! Then I tried the second & still got the "Bad Request" notice...

Here's another article I just received a "Bad Request" notice on:

9 Signs Of Psychological and Emotional Manipulation

and then another:

Verbal Abuse Doesn't Require A Raised Voice: 5 Subtler Types | Knotted: The Mother-Daughter Relationship

I'm actually still getting these all over the place in the archives. So whatever's causing it, it's not fixed.

[healingme4me]

Even though, no tech replies yet, I've read somewhere, that probably would be better off not sharing due to it being a business selling security types of products, that if such things continue to happen even after cache cleaning etc, that the owner may not realize it and awareness is key.

I had similar happen again at work while looking for a simple nutrition label.

[Skeezyks]

Originally Posted by healingme4me

Even though, no tech replies yet, I've read somewhere, that probably would be better off not sharing due to it being a business selling security types of products, that if such things continue to happen even after cache cleaning etc, that the owner may not realize it and awareness is key.

I had similar happen again at work while looking for a simple nutrition label.

Thanks for your replies. This isn't occuring on all or even most of the articles I try to open. It just happens on some of them. And often they're articles I haven't had occasion to open previously. It all just started the day before yesterday.

[Skeezyks]

Today I downloaded & ran ccleaner which is supposedly a program intended to clear the cache from computers. It didn't help. I'm still getting the "Bad Request" notices. I know clearing the cache from one's computer can also be done manually. But it seems like a complicated process. I may give it a try at some point. But the last time I tried something like this I destroyed my operating system. So I don't know...

[marvin_pa]

For a link that consistently gives you the bad request error, try opening it in a private/incognito window/tab in your browser & see if that works.

[Skeezyks]

So... today I did a manual cache clean-up with the help of a YouTube video from the "Britech" channel. It made me SO NERVOUS to do this, I thought I was going to have a cardiac arrest! But, so far at least, it all seems to have gone well. And I learned some new stuff along the way too.

By the way, in case anyone is interested, as mentioned above I had previously downloaded & run the free version of CCleaner. However performing a manual cleaning removed a lot more extraneous stuff than did the free version of CCleaner.

Here's a link to the Britech YouTube video I followed:

YouTube

Unfortunately, after all of this, I'm still getting the "Bad Request" notices in the archives...

[Skeezyks]

Originally Posted by marvin_pa

For a link that consistently gives you the bad request error, try opening it in a private/incognito window/tab in your browser & see if that works.

Thanks for this suggestion. I don't know if I can do this without downloading a new browser. I use the Cortana feature on Windows 10 to search the archives via Bing. I'll have to look around & see if that's something I can do.

Oh... I think I just figured out how this can work. I'll give it a try!

[marvin_pa]

Originally Posted by Skeezyks

Thanks for this suggestion. I don't know if I can do this without downloading a new browser. I use the Cortana feature on Windows 10 to search the archives via Bing. I'll have to look around & see if that's something I can do.

Oh... I think I just figured out how this can work. I'll give it a try!

Most of the current generation of browser support private/incognito tabs/windows - which browser are you using?

Let me know how it goes...

[Skeezyks]

Originally Posted by marvin_pa

Most of the current generation of browser support private/incognito tabs/windows - which browser are you using?

Let me know how it goes...

I've just been using the Cortana function in Windows 10 to search the archives via Bing. However Microsoft Edge has a private window function. So I tried it... & it works! So that's great! It appears to be a bit more complicated than using Cortana. But it's certainly workable. Thanks so much for the suggestion! Do you happen to know why Cortana would suddenly stop working consistently but using a private window would?

[marvin_pa]

Originally Posted by Skeezyks

I've just been using the Cortana function in Windows 10 to search the archives via Bing. However Microsoft Edge has a private window function. So I tried it... & it works! So that's great! It appears to be a bit more complicated than using Cortana. But it's certainly workable. Thanks so much for the suggestion! Do you happen to know why Cortana would suddenly stop working consistently but using a private window would?

Glad it's working. I've seen similar errors when cached browser data has gotten messed up in some way, which is why I suggested trying the private/incognito option, as this ignores most of the stored browser cache.

You might find that a regular Edge window also works, in which you wouldn't need to use incognito mode. It may also suggest that the issue is likely something that the cortana interface is introducing.

I really don't know enough about cortana to suggest why it might be having problems - hopefully, someone else might be able to leap in on that one.

[Skeezyks]

Originally Posted by marvin_pa

Glad it's working. I've seen similar errors when cached browser data has gotten messed up in some way, which is why I suggested trying the private/incognito option, as this ignores most of the stored browser cache.

You might find that a regular Edge window also works, in which you wouldn't need to use incognito mode. It may also suggest that the issue is likely something that the cortana interface is introducing.

I really don't know enough about cortana to suggest why it might be having problems - hopefully, someone else might be able to leap in on that one.

One tidbit I picked up along the way yesterday is that Cortana stores information in the "cloud" as well as in the regular search history. Consequently if one wants to clear one's search history in Cortana one has to not only clear one's regular search history, but one also has to delete what Cortana has stored in the "cloud" (whatever that is.)

[marvin_pa]

Originally Posted by Skeezyks

One tidbit I picked up along the way yesterday is that Cortana stores information in the "cloud" as well as in the regular search history. Consequently if one wants to clear one's search history in Cortana one has to not only clear one's regular search history, but one also has to delete what Cortana has stored in the "cloud" (whatever that is.)

The cloud? Them's those white fluffy things up in the sky...
It's marketing-speak for storing/accessing your data to/from remote servers on the internet.