What Is HTTP 302 and How to Fix 302 Found Error

What is 302 Found? You may have come across an error — 302 found while browsing. It is nothing but an HTTP response indicating that the resource you were looking for does not exist at the same location. There are a few reasons responsible for such an error. However, it is a temporary relocation and may be moved back. This article will primarily talk about what exactly is HTTP 302, the possible causes of the problem and various associated solutions for the same.

HTTP 302 is a common HTTP Status code that shows a page or resource is moved to a new URL but only temporarily. However, the location directive could be altered in the future; therefore the user who receives a 302 error should use the same URL for all the future requests. Unlike 301 redirects which are permanent, 302 are not. The web server displaying 302 errors should redirect the browser and take you to the new location immediately. It should be noted that HTTP 302 status code is due to the web server and not the web browser. There is no control at your end. If these redirects are set properly, you won’t really notice them.

How to identify HTTP 302?

The status code 302 depicts that the resource will be found at a new location. But there is a possibility that the server is misconfigured causing the error. Henceforth, your diagnosis should focus on checking the several resources displaying 302 Error and establishing whether they are right or wrong. As 302 shows that something is not well with the server of the application, there is no reason for considering other components such as CSS, HTML, Javascript and so on. This problem is faced by After learning about the possible reason behind this error, it is but essential to know how the server is responsible for causing HTTP 302 error. HTTP 302 found denotes a redirection message. The web browser in this case must fulfill an additional step to complete the request to reach the resource. So, the real problem lies in the web server hosting the application. Nonetheless, in a 302 Found responses, there is no need for a user to intervene. The modern browsers are well-equipped to detect the code and complete the redirection process. The web server hosting the application integrates a location header in the response sent to the user. This header has the new URL of the requested resource. The browser detects the error, reads the new resource and sends the request on to the new location. Such applications showing 302 Error can be fixed in a few steps: phone applications too. Phone apps powered by web applications may display 302 Error. Here again the problem lies in the web server that performs processing behind the scenes.

In-depth Application backup

You wouldn’t want to lose all your data in case things don’t go as planned. That said, perform full backup and restore for database and application before fixing. After doing this, you can fix and resolve the issues without endangering the security.

Resolving At the Server End

Your server is most probably running on one of the two web server software nginx or Apache. These servers cover over 84% of the world’s web server software. Therefore, start with establishing the reason for 302 Error. Check configuration files for the web server software causing redirection errors. To check this in Apache: In the web site file system; look for .htaccess file in the root directory. After finding the file, open it in a text editor. Look for RewriteXXX directives. It has some rules which are quite elaborate. To understand it, one can say the RewriteCond directive is a text based pattern to be matched with the entered URLs. When a matching URL is requested to visit a site, the RewriteRule directive that follows RewriteCond directives conducts the redirection to the correct URL. For instance, look at the RewriteCond and RewriteRule Combination that matches with the requests coming towards makers.com. It defines a temporary redirection to the URL on the temporary-makers.com

1. RewriteEngine on
2. RewriteCond % {HTTP_HOST} ^makers\com$
3. RewriteRule ^{ -*}$http://www.temporary-msn.com/$1 [R=302]

To check this in nginx: The configuration in nginx is different from Apache. The name of the file is nginx.conf and it is in one of the directories: /usr/local/etc//nginx, /etc/nginx, and /usr/local/nginx/conf. After finding it, open nginx.conf in text editor and then locate rewrite directives using redirect flag. For instance, a named set of directives, i.e., the block directive. It configures a virtual server by making a temporary redirection.

Almost all the web applications keep some or the other server side logs. Application logs are basically the history of the application. It provides information such as pages requested, the servers it connected to, kind of database results provided and more. On the other hand, Server logs are related to the actual hardware running the application. It keeps information related to the health and status of the connected services or the server.

Debug Application Code

If everything fails, the problem may be hidden in custom code in the application. Identify the origin of the issue by debugging the application manually. The best way to do this is by creating a copy of the full application and then conduct debug process step-by-step. This helps in recreating 302 Error and witness the application when it goes wrong. The problem of 302 Error may sometimes be hidden in the web browser on your PC. Let’s find out what are the symptoms, causes and the solutions.

What are the symptoms of HTTP 302 on your PC?

• Browser shows HTTP Error 302 often on one or more websites
• An active window crashes after showing ‘HTTP Error 302’
• Windows responds slowly
• Computer ‘freezes periodically’

How to Fix HTTP 302 Error on your PC

You must follow the troubleshooting steps described below to solve 302 Error.

1. Perform a Full malware Scan of the PC

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3. Update PC Device Drivers

Another possibility for 302 Error, could be outdated device drivers. Your drivers may be functioning well one day and suddenly stop working the next day. The reasons can be plenty. But this problem can be resolved. That said, discovering the exact driver for error 302 is difficult. This is time consuming and exhausting even for experienced people, leave alone non-experienced ones. Additionally, if you install the wrong driver, or an incompatible version, the issue will only get worse. When you conduct a driver backup, remain assured that you always move back to the previous version when required. Updated drivers allow unlocking new features besides improving your PCs performance.

4. Use ‘Restore’ to undo recent changes in Windows System

With windows system ‘Restore’ you can fix your 302 issues. It can take your PC’s programs and files to the time, it was working well. Solution:

• Click ‘Start’
• Type ‘System Restore’ in the search box and Click “Enter”.
• Click ‘System restore’
• Add administrator passwords (if asked)
• Follow Wizard steps
• Restore your PC.

5. Uninstall a Program Associated with Moved Temporarily

Uninstall the Windows Operating System when Moved Temporarily Error is due to a program. For Windows 7

• Click Start > Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features
• Click on the Program associated with ‘Moved Temporarily’
• Now Click ‘Uninstall or change a program’

6. Run Windows File Checker

System File Checker is included with Windows. The tool helps in scanning and restoring corruptions in the Windows files Run System File Checker in Windows 7, 8, 10, Vista and XP

• Click ‘Start’
• In the search box, type ‘Command’
• Hold CTRL + Shift on the keyboard
• A permission dialog box appears
• Click ‘Yes’
• A black box with a blinking cursor opens up
• Write ‘sfc/scannow’

7. Install all Windows Updates Available

Microsoft provides updates for improving the Windows system files. Some of these files may have an association with Moved Temporarily. By updating your Windows with the latest pack, you can solve your Status Codes. Check Windows updates in Windows 7

• Click ‘Start’
• In the search box, type ‘Update’. Click ‘Enter’
• It opens ‘windows update’ dialog box
• Click ‘Install Updates’ if available.

8. Conduct Clean Installation of Windows

This is the final step. If you choose to reinstall Windows, it will delete everything from the hard drive implying you have to start with a fresh system.

When you choose to clean install Windows, you clean any junk that has added up due to the usage of computer.

Redirects (including 302) play an important role in maintaining Page rank and reputation of a website. Make sure your website is search engine optimized with proper redirects. If you find any difficulty in the process, take help from the professionals of Carina Softlabs Inc.

Originally published at https://www.carinasoftlabs.com on December 16, 2019.