why does my computer say access denied on this server

Hi Deborah Altman

Welcome to Microsoft Community.

Based on your description, I understand that you tried to access a certain website but it says that this server denies access, and I understand very well how you feel!

I'm going to give you some advice about this and hopefully it will help you without any problems.

Option 1: You can try to use other network environment and other devices to see if you can access this website.

Network environment: e.g. different WiFi, cell phone hotspot, public network etc.

Different devices: computers, cell phones, tablets and so on.

Check if you are experiencing the same problem, if so, it means the problem is caused by the web server itself.

Option 2: Sometimes, certain websites restrict access based on geographic location. This error occurs if you try to access the site from an area where the site is not accessible. (This needs to be caused by a specific region)

Option 3: Sometimes it is possible that your access to a website may be affected by corrupted cookies or caches.

We try to clear browser cookies and cache.

Here is an example of Edge browser:

Open Edge browser -> click on “...” in the upper right corner button -> “Settings” -> “Cookies and site permissions” -> “Manage and delete cookies and site data” -> “See all cookies and site data” -> “Remove all”

Disclaimer: Your browser automatically saves temporary internet files to help pages load faster. Clearing this cache will sometimes fix website issues. Please back up all your personal files first, such as Favorites, to ensure you do not lose data.

Option 4: Occasionally, access may be blocked by firewalls or anti-virus software or the site may be deemed unsafe.

We try to turn off all types of firewalls and disable anti-virus software before trying to access the site.

1. Turn off all types of firewalls.

Click “WIN key” to open search bar -> type “Windows Defender Firewall” and open it -> Turn off all types of firewalls

2. Disable all services of your antivirus program.

Disclaimer: Temporarily turn off antivirus protection. However, keep in mind that if you do so, your device may be vulnerable to threats. So please turn it on immediately once issue fixed.

Option 5: We try to reset the browser.

Open Edge browser -> click on “...” in the upper right hand corner button -> select “Reset settings” in the left sidebar -> “Restore settings to their default values”.

Option 6: Let's try to reset the network completely from the command line.

Click on “Windows Logo Key” to open the search bar -> Type “cmd” in the search bar and open it with administrator privileges -> Please enter the following commands

ipconfig /release 

ipconfig /renew 

ipconfig /flushdns 

ipconfig /registerdns 

netsh int ip reset 

netsh winsock reset 

netsh winhttp reset proxy 

In addition to that, assuming you find that other networks and other devices are still unable to open the site, I suspect that there may be circumstances such as temporary maintenance of the site blocking access to everyone, or the ISP (service provider) blocking the site, etc. that are causing the problem.

In this case, you need to contact the website developer or ISP to inquire about the situation.

I sincerely hope that the above solution will solve your problem. Please feel free to contact me if you have any problems or still can't solve them. (Photos related to the question would be great!).

I look forward to hearing back from you. 

Best Regards

Arthur Sheng | Microsoft Community Support Specialist