Many times, I get a “400 Bad Request” window when I try to open or read my Hotmail emails on outlook.live.com. It was undoubtedly frustrating and I started researching this error. Read on, as I share the possible causes and solutions for the Hotmail bad Request error.
What Causes A ‘Bad Request’ In Hotmail?
Hotmail bad requests are a common error that occurs across devices. Some of the possible causes of this error are:
Outdated Browsers
Microsoft supports only IE 11 or Edge browsers. So, if you’re using a lower version browser, there’s a chance you could face this problem. Older browsers may have problems rendering the content they receive and this can cause the Hotmail bad request error.
Slow Internet Connection
Another possible cause can be a slow Internet connection. This error is highly likely if you use a dial-up connection because, over the years, websites have become more complicated and tend to consume more resources. So, slow Internet connections bring down the speed of data transmission and can lead to this error.
Problems in Microsoft Servers
If the Microsoft servers are down, they can’t send information to your browser. In such a case, the browser may respond with a Bad Request or Invalid Request message.
Invalid URL
If you have a typo in your URL, the corresponding server can’t process your request, and this could be interpreted and displayed as a “Bad Request”
Now that you have an idea of the causes, let’s now look at the solutions.
Solutions To Fix Hotmail ‘Bad Request’
Here are some possible solutions to fix the Hotmail “Bad Request” error.
Update Your Browser
Update your browser to the latest version and see if that works. This applies not just to Internet explorer, but also to other browsers.
Check Your Internet Speed
Check your broadband connection speeds to ensure that this is not the cause. If you’re using a dial-up, consider upgrading to a broadband connection.
Double-check Your URL
Double-check your URL including its spelling, as this is a potential cause for a bad request.
Clear Your Browser’s Cookies and Cache
This error can occur if your browser’s cookies are outdated or corrupted. So, clear your browser’s cookies and refresh the page to see if this works.
Clear Your DNS Cache
Go to your command prompt, and type “ipconfig/flushdns”. This will flush your DNS cache and will remove any outdated DNS records.
Close Your Browser
If none of the above solutions work, close your browser, and open it again. This can remove any deadlocked processes and can work. Likewise, log out from your account and log in after a few minutes. This has worked for me a few times, so it may be worth a try for you.
