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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsUse Wget’s diagnostic options to identify where a request fails before changing random settings. Start with wget --verbose URL for client-side detail, add --server-response to inspect HTTP headers, and use --spider when you only need to check whether a URL is available. The ten examples below map common symptoms to a command, explain the output, and show the next step.
These behaviors follow the GNU Wget 1.25.0 manual. Option names, defaults and compiled features can differ on older or vendor-modified installations, so check wget --version and your local configuration first.
Before troubleshooting: confirm which Wget you are running
Run wget --version and note the version, operating system and whether HTTPS support is present. Replace URL in the examples with a quoted address when it contains shell metacharacters. Save output to a log when an incident must be shared: wget --verbose URL 2>wget-error.log. Wget’s normal verbose mode describes its own work; it is different from the server’s response headers.
1. See Wget’s diagnostic detail
Command
wget --verbose URLWhat it diagnoses
This is the first command for an unexplained failure. Verbose output (also enabled explicitly by -v) shows name resolution, connection progress, redirects, authentication prompts, the selected output file and transfer errors. It helps separate a DNS problem from a connection refusal, an HTTP error or a local write failure.
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Read the result and act
Look for the first meaningful error, not only the final “failed” line. A name-resolution message points to DNS or resolver configuration; “connection refused” points to the host or port; an HTTP status points to the server or request; “Permission denied” points to the destination directory. For a shorter log that keeps errors and basic information, use wget -nv URL. Debug output can be available in some builds, but builds compiled without debug support cannot provide it.
2. Print the server’s HTTP response
Command
wget --server-response URLWhat it diagnoses
--server-response prints response headers (and FTP server responses). Use it when you need to know what the server actually returned: status codes, redirects, content type, cache directives or a reported Content-Length.
Read the result and act
A 301 or 302 identifies a redirect chain; follow the final URL and check whether authentication or a different host is involved. A 401 or 403 requires credentials or server-side permission. A 404 means the requested path is not present at that host. This option complements, rather than replaces, --verbose: one describes Wget’s client activity and the other exposes the server reply. Details are in GNU’s Download Options.
3. Check a URL without downloading its body
Command
wget --spider URLWhat it diagnoses
--spider checks whether the page is present without downloading it. It is useful in monitoring scripts and for quickly testing a link, but it is not a full web crawler and does not prove that JavaScript, forms or every page function works.
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Read the result and act
Combine it with --server-response when you need the status and headers: wget --spider --server-response URL. If the check fails, investigate redirects, authorization and DNS before attempting a large download. A successful spider check only establishes that Wget could perform this request; it does not guarantee that a later transfer will remain available.
4. Separate DNS, connection and reading timeouts
Set one overall network timeout
wget --timeout=30 URL--timeout applies the supplied value to DNS, connection establishment and reading. Choose a value appropriate to your network and the resource; 30 seconds is an example, not a universal setting.
Test connection establishment specifically
wget --connect-timeout=10 URLThis limits only the time allowed to establish a TCP connection. If connection setup succeeds but the transfer stalls, investigate the read timeout instead. GNU documents a 900-second default read timeout; that is command behavior, not a performance guarantee or a cap on total download duration. A read timeout is an idle-time limit, so a large file that continues producing data can run longer.
What to try next
Use the combined timeout first, then isolate the suspected stage with connection, DNS or read-specific controls supported by your installed Wget. Compare results from a known-good host to distinguish local network conditions from a remote outage.
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5. Retry transient failures
Command
wget --tries=5 URLWhat it diagnoses
This changes the retry count for failed transfers. It can help with intermittent packet loss, a briefly unavailable endpoint or a reset connection.
Read the result and act
If later attempts succeed, investigate network stability or server load rather than assuming the URL was permanently broken. Retries cannot repair a persistent outage, an incorrect path, a denied request or a server that consistently returns an error. Avoid excessive retry counts against services with rate limits; coordinate with the service owner for recurring failures.
6. Resume a file left by an earlier run
Command
wget --continue URLWhat it diagnoses
--continue resumes a partial file from a previous invocation when the server supports range requests. It is different from retrying a connection lost during the current invocation: Wget already retries failures during that retrieval according to its normal behavior.
Read the result and act
Run the command in the directory containing the partial file and keep the same output filename. If the server does not support ranges, Wget may need to restart or report that continuation is not possible. Confirm the final size and, where the publisher provides one, verify a checksum.
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7. Send a request header to test content negotiation
Command
wget --header='Accept: text/html' URLWhat it diagnoses
--header adds an HTTP request header exactly as supplied. It is useful when a server varies its response by media type, language, authorization or another documented header.
Read the result and act
Use only values appropriate to the server and inspect the response with --server-response. A changed response confirms that content negotiation is involved; it does not prove that the header is accepted for every endpoint. Do not paste secrets into shell history: use a safer credential mechanism when the header contains tokens.
8. Handle a bogus Content-Length
Command
wget --ignore-length URLWhat it diagnoses
Use --ignore-length only for the documented case where a server supplies an incorrect Content-Length and Wget repeatedly reports the same incomplete byte position. It tells Wget not to rely on that length.
Read the result and act
First confirm the header with wget --server-response URL and check whether the server or a proxy is generating it. This is not a general download-repair switch. If the server consistently sends malformed responses, report the endpoint or correct the proxy rather than applying this option everywhere.
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9. Investigate a certificate verification error safely
Start with the cause, not a bypass
- Confirm that the URL hostname is spelled correctly and matches the certificate.
- Check the system clock; an incorrect date can make a valid certificate appear expired or not yet valid.
- Update the operating system’s CA trust store, or configure the appropriate internal CA certificate for a private service.
- Inspect the certificate chain and whether a proxy is replacing certificates.
Temporary diagnostic command
wget --no-check-certificate URLGNU documents this option, but it disables certificate and hostname checks. A successful download with it enabled only shows that verification was the blocker; it does not make the connection safe. Do not use it as a routine fix for sensitive or important downloads. Install or specify the correct CA instead, then rerun Wget with verification enabled.
10. Combine the right checks for a stalled or failing request
A practical diagnostic sequence
- Run
wget --spider --server-response URLto test availability and see status headers without fetching the body. - Run
wget --verbose URLto identify client-side DNS, connection, redirect and local-file errors. - If timing is the symptom, try
wget --connect-timeout=10 URL, then an appropriate--timeoutvalue to distinguish connection setup from idle reading. - If the failure is intermittent, use a modest
--triesvalue and record whether a later attempt succeeds. - If a previous file is incomplete, use
--continue; do not confuse it with retries in the same invocation.
This sequence keeps the investigation bounded: availability, server reply, client path, timing, transient recovery and continuation are separate questions.
Common errors and the next fix
| Symptom | Likely area | Next check |
|---|---|---|
| “Temporary failure in name resolution” | DNS or resolver | Test another hostname, inspect resolver settings and retry later. |
| Connection refused or timed out | Host, port, firewall or route | Use --connect-timeout and compare with a known-good service. |
| HTTP 401/403 | Authentication or authorization | Inspect headers and supply documented credentials; do not guess headers. |
| HTTP 404 | Wrong path or removed resource | Check redirects and the URL spelling with --spider --server-response. |
| Repeated incomplete byte position | Bogus Content-Length | Verify the header, then consider --ignore-length only for that case. |
| Certificate verification failed | Trust chain, hostname, clock or internal CA | Fix trust configuration; reserve --no-check-certificate for controlled diagnosis. |
| Permission denied writing file | Local directory or filename | Choose a writable directory and check existing file ownership. |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does –spider crawl every link on a page?
No. It checks the requested resource without downloading it; it is not a full-featured web crawler or a test of JavaScript-driven functions.
Does –continue replace Wget’s retry behavior?
No. Retries address failures during the current retrieval, while –continue resumes a partial file left by an earlier invocation.
Is –no-check-certificate safe for production downloads?
No. It disables certificate and hostname verification. Correct the trust store or internal CA configuration instead.
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