# Sudden loss of ability to click on links. **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [March 22, 2016, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sudden-loss-of-ability-to-click-on-links/749861 "2016-03-22T14:41:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sudden-loss-of-ability-to-click-on-links/749861/1 "2016-03-22T14:41:54Z")
I’m getting this on every effort to click on a link: > [@](#): > > The website declined to show this webpage ---- HTTP 403 > > Most likely causes: > •This website requires you to log in. > > What you can try: > > Go back to the previous page. > > More information ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sudden-loss-of-ability-to-click-on-links/749861/2 "2016-03-22T15:32:23Z")
I have looked at several “fixes” to the **HTTP 403** problem and have yet to find one that’s free and not on Norton’s scam list! :mad: Anybody else with the problem AND a decent (free) fix? ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sudden-loss-of-ability-to-click-on-links/749861/3 "2016-03-22T16:48:50Z")
My best guess is that something is screwed up with viglink. Try adding [viglink.com](http://viglink.com) to your spam filter or ad blocker and see if that fixes it. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sudden-loss-of-ability-to-click-on-links/749861/4 "2016-03-22T17:10:56Z")
[This About Tech page on 403 errors](http://pcsupport.about.com/od/browsers/fl/http-403-forbidden.htm) gives a good rundown of possible causes and solutions. Try clearing your cache and cookies, that fixes many problems. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sudden-loss-of-ability-to-click-on-links/749861/5 "2016-03-22T20:28:19Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > My best guess is that something is screwed up with viglink. > > Try adding [viglink.com](http://viglink.com) to your spam filter or ad blocker and see if that fixes it. > [@aldiboronti](#): > > [This About Tech page on 403 errors](http://pcsupport.about.com/od/browsers/fl/http-403-forbidden.htm) gives a good rundown of possible causes and solutions. Try clearing your cache and cookies, that fixes many problems. Thanks for the ideas. I’ll try them and report back. So far the only links that go to the target are ones I posted myself! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sudden-loss-of-ability-to-click-on-links/749861/6 "2016-03-22T21:46:56Z")
If you have a bad connection lasting more than 4 hours…call your doctor. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sudden-loss-of-ability-to-click-on-links/749861/7 "2016-03-23T13:54:55Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > My best guess is that something is screwed up with viglink. > > Try adding [viglink.com](http://viglink.com) to your spam filter or ad blocker and see if that fixes it. This has turned out to be the solution! I went all over Hell and half of Georgia since I posted this complaint/problem and finally got the solution – (I hope! :dubious: ) – by way of: [http://www.viglink.com/opt-out/](http://www.viglink.com/opt-out/) Meanwhile I have spent literal hours downloading the various come-ons that spend gobs of time building lists of all the ills in the world before eventually letting you know that for $30 or $50 they will remove all traces of them – and cooties. After all their plate-juggling, I just bailed out. One potential culprit (I won’t name it since it may be innocent) has taken forever to remove. There’s still an unwanted scrap of it I can’t get rid of, so I hope it’s not lying in wait like those dormant viruses! Anyway, thanks for the place to go to. I finally got there and now I can see all the lovely links that have been posted in the threads I’ve been involved in. I didn’t realize how addicted to links I have become! Thanks for the help, **engineer\_comp\_geek**! ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sudden-loss-of-ability-to-click-on-links/749861/8 "2016-03-23T14:03:28Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > … > > One potential culprit (I won’t name it since it may be innocent) has taken forever to remove. There’s still an unwanted scrap of it I can’t get rid of, so I hope it’s not lying in wait like those dormant viruses! I found this which supports the idea that others might profit from knowing that source of my irritation: [http://www.rescuemybrowser.com/online-map-finder-virus-removal](http://www.rescuemybrowser.com/online-map-finder-virus-removal) I’m still trying to get it out of my yard! Anybody have a FREE tool that does that sort of thing?