# Why can't I get onto Microsoft.com/hardware? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 6, 2010, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-get-onto-microsoft-com-hardware/563097 "2010-12-06T01:51:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-get-onto-microsoft-com-hardware/563097/1 "2010-12-06T01:51:11Z")
A few times I have tried to get onto various of Microsoft’s different pages, and they are just unavailable. Tonight, I bought a wireless mouse, a 3000, and the packaging indicated if I go to the aforenamed website, I could download some cool apps. Not happening! Got the old 404, or something like that. And, I have tried it a bunch of times, IIRC, to download some Office apps for my Windows 2007, and got the same page. Do I have something weird with my computer, or is it the site? Thanks, hh ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-get-onto-microsoft-com-hardware/563097/2 "2010-12-06T01:56:26Z")
Don’t know, but I was able to get to [http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/](http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/) so it’s not the site. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-get-onto-microsoft-com-hardware/563097/3 "2010-12-06T02:55:51Z")
> [@ZenBeam](#): > > Don’t know, but I was able to get to [http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/](http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/) so it’s not the site. I clicked on your link on my HP, an it went right through! However, when I used my old Dell Latitude 505, I got the 404 or whatever. What’s happening??? Thanks, ZB hh ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-get-onto-microsoft-com-hardware/563097/4 "2010-12-06T03:22:37Z")
> [@handsomeharry](#): > > I clicked on your link on my HP, an it went right through! > However, when I used my old Dell Latitude 505, I got the 404 or whatever. > What’s happening??? > > Thanks, ZB > hh And your old Dell Latitude uses: [ul] [li]which O/S?[/li][li]which browser (version number, too)?[/li][/ul] Microsoft has been caught out several times over the years deliberately denying access if you happen to be using an O/S and/or web browser it doesn’t like. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-get-onto-microsoft-com-hardware/563097/5 "2010-12-06T03:25:01Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > And your old Dell Latitude uses: > > [ul] > [li]which O/S?[/li][li]which browser (version number, too)?[/li][/ul] > > Microsoft has been caught out several times over the years deliberately denying access if you happen to be using an O/S and/or web browser it doesn’t like. HMMMM…browser, IE…I thought 8, but I’ll recheck. OS is XP, I think Professional. I’ll check, update the browser if not, and get back with you. Thanks for the great help! hh ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-get-onto-microsoft-com-hardware/563097/6 "2010-12-06T03:34:48Z")
hmmm…just checked, I have IE 7. I tried to download IE 8, but, yep, directed to [microsoft.com/somethingorother](http://microsoft.com/somethingorother). When I got there, it was the 404 message again. I also had mozilla installed, and I tried it and it couldn’t get me to microsoft either. hh ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-get-onto-microsoft-com-hardware/563097/7 "2010-12-06T03:41:16Z")
[ul] [li]Clear your browser cache.[/li][li]Use a better browser (Chrome, Firefox, Opera)[/li][li]You might have a virus/trojan.[/li][/ul] (I got to the URL on a Win7 machine using Firefox.) ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-get-onto-microsoft-com-hardware/563097/8 "2010-12-06T03:45:37Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > [ul] > [li]Clear your browser cache.[/li][li]Use a better browser (Chrome, Firefox, Opera)[/li][li]You might have a virus/trojan.[/li][/ul] > > (I got to the URL on a Win7 machine using Firefox.) Uhhhhhhhh…how do I clear my browser cache? I’ll get on Chrome right now. Thanks, hh ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-get-onto-microsoft-com-hardware/563097/9 "2010-12-06T04:05:43Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > And your old Dell Latitude uses: > > [ul] > [li]which O/S?[/li][li]which browser (version number, too)?[/li][/ul] > > Microsoft has been caught out several times over the years deliberately denying access if you happen to be using an O/S and/or web browser it doesn’t like. curious if you have a link for that? ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-get-onto-microsoft-com-hardware/563097/10 "2010-12-06T04:47:09Z")
> [@China\_Guy](#): > > curious if you have a link for that? [Opera web browser](http://www.opera.com/press/releases/2001/11/01/), during the “Browser Wars.” ---
**Author:** ![zwede](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ac91a4/32.png) [@zwede](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zwede)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-get-onto-microsoft-com-hardware/563097/11 "2010-12-06T15:41:40Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > And your old Dell Latitude uses: > > [ul] > [li]which O/S?[/li][li]which browser (version number, too)?[/li][/ul] > > Microsoft has been caught out several times over the years deliberately denying access if you happen to be using an O/S and/or web browser it doesn’t like. True, but I just loaded the site in Firefox under Linux with no issues.