There are a few common reasons why you may be unable to access Facebook from your desktop computer:
Your internet connection is down
The most obvious reason why you can’t access Facebook is because you’ve lost your internet connection. Before doing anything else, check that your wifi or ethernet cable is working properly. Try loading other websites – if none of them work, you likely have an issue with your internet connection rather than anything specific to Facebook.
Things to check:
- Make sure your router is powered on and working
- Reboot your router and modem (unplug them for 30 seconds and plug back in)
- Check that cable connections are secure (for both power and to your computer)
- Try a different ethernet cable if using a wired connection
- If on wifi, make sure you’re connected to the correct network
- Forget the wifi network on your computer and re-enter the password to reconnect
- Restart your computer
- Check if other devices are having issues connecting to the network
- Contact your internet service provider if the issue persists
Once you’ve confirmed your internet is working again, try loading Facebook. If you can access other sites but still not Facebook, move on to the next troubleshooting steps.
Facebook is down
The second possibility is that the Facebook website itself is having problems. Facebook has billions of users, so when their servers are down it tends to make the news. But occasionally more localized outages can occur.
To check if Facebook is having global issues:
- Go to downdetector.com and search for Facebook – this site tracks outages and issues across popular websites
- Search Twitter for “Facebook down” to see if others are reporting problems
- Check the Facebook status page for any notifications of outages
If Facebook seems to be having widespread problems, the only solution is to wait until Facebook engineers resolve the outage. Follow Facebook’s status page or social media accounts for updates.
Regional outages
In some cases, connection issues to Facebook can be localized to a specific region or ISP. If Facebook is working for your friends but not for you, this may be the cause.
To troubleshoot regional issues:
- Use a VPN service to route your traffic through another location and test if Facebook loads
- Try connecting to Facebook via cellular data if on wifi
- Restart your router and modem in case DNS cache issues are occurring
Contact your ISP if problems persist in your area. Keep an eye on Downdetector to see if others report issues near your location.
Your browser has connectivity issues
Problems with your web browser configuration can prevent connecting to Facebook, even if your internet is otherwise working fine. A few things to check in your browser:
- Make sure proxies are disabled in your browser settings
- Try disabling browser extensions and plugins as they may be interfering
- Clear your browser cookies and cache
- Reset your browser settings to default
- Try an alternate web browser like Chrome or Firefox
- Restart your browser
- Restart your computer
If only one browser has issues loading Facebook, that indicates a browser-specific configuration problem. You can transfer settings to a fresh browser profile as a troubleshooting step.
Account access problems
You may be running into account access issues that prevent you from logging into Facebook successfully:
Account suspended
If your account has been disabled or suspended by Facebook, you’ll be unable to access it until you go through Facebook’s account recovery process. Violating Facebook’s terms of service can lead to temporary or permanent suspension.
Forgotten password
If you’ve forgotten your Facebook password, use the password reset process to gain access again. Reset your password at Facebook’s password reset page.
Account hacked
If someone has gained unauthorized access to your Facebook account, you’ll need to secure it again through Facebook’s hacking recovery process. You can report suspicious activity from Facebook’s Help Center.
Two-factor authentication
If you have two-factor authentication enabled, you’ll need your phone or authentication app to complete the login process after entering your password. Make sure you can access your 2FA device.
Firewall or antivirus blocking access
Overly restrictive firewalls or antvirus software can sometimes block access to Facebook. Try temporarily disabling your firewall and antivirus to see if that resolves the problem.
To troubleshoot firewall/antivirus issues:
- Temporarily disable your firewall and retry Facebook
- Add an exception for Facebook in your firewall settings
- Temporarily disable your antivirus and retry Facebook
- Reboot your computer and retry Facebook
- Update your antivirus software, firewall settings, or both
If access is restored after disabling or adjusting firewall settings, you’ll need to further adjust the configuration to allow Facebook access.
DNS issues
DNS (Domain Name System) resolves human-readable domains like facebook.com into machine IP addresses. Some connectivity problems stem from DNS issues or caching problems:
- Flush your DNS cache and retry Facebook
- Change your DNS servers to public DNS like Google (8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4) or Cloudflare (1.1.1.1, 1.0.0.1)
- Restart your router/modem
Persistent DNS problems may require troubleshooting your network configuration and speaking with your ISP or network admin.
Facebook site maintenance
Facebook performs routine maintenance on their servers that can occasionally cause brief connectivity issues. These are usually isolated incidents that are quickly resolved.
To identify site maintenance:
- Check the Facebook status page for any maintenance notifications
- Follow Facebook’s Twitter account @facebook for updates
Scheduled maintenance windows are also posted ahead of time on Facebook’s status page. Try again in a bit if Facebook is undergoing planned site work.
Hardware problems
Damaged network hardware like NICs, cables, routers, and modems can affect connectivity:
- Ensure all power and ethernet cables are securely connected
- Inspect cables for damage and crimps for issues
- Try swapping network cables if possible
- Test hardware on a different computer if available
- Replace suspected faulty hardware if needed
Network hardware issues are likely if you can’t access any websites. Contact your ISP or computer technician if you suspect a hardware problem.
Cookies disabled
Facebook uses cookies to store login sessions and user preferences. Connectivity issues can occur if cookies are disabled:
- Make sure cookies are enabled for Facebook.com and *.facebook.com
- Try clearing cookies and cached files
- Consider allowing third-party cookies
Enable cookies first as a troubleshooting step before investigating other potential issues.
Phone Facebook app working
If your Facebook phone app is working normally, but the desktop site has problems, focus troubleshooting on your computer setup:
- Browser configuration
- Cookies and site data
- Antivirus/firewall settings
- DNS caching issues
- Computer networking configuration
Differing behavior between phone and desktop points to a computer-specific cause rather than account or site issues.
New computer or location
If the issue started after getting a new computer, moving to a new location, or changing networks, configure your setup:
- Confirm internet access is working normally
- Configure browser settings as needed
- Adjust firewall and security settings
- Set up wifi or ethernet networking
- Test other devices on the same network
New devices or networks often require reconfiguring network settings before full functionality is restored.
What to do if Facebook is still not working
After exhausting the troubleshooting steps above, here are some final things to try:
- Completely reset browser settings
- Log in from another browser
- Try on a different device like a phone or tablet
- Restart your router, modem, and computer
- Temporarily disable antivirus and firewalls
- Try over a VPN or cellular connection
- Update network drivers
- Boot into safe mode
If nothing allows you to access Facebook, contact your ISP or network admin for additional support. Be ready to provide details of troubleshooting steps you’ve already attempted.
Conclusion
With the troubleshooting steps outlined above, you should be able to resolve most common Facebook access issues. The problem typically stems from one of these categories:
- Internet connectivity
- Account access
- Computer configuration
- Network hardware
- Facebook site outages
Carefully and methodically checking each potential point of failure will help you narrow down and fix the issue. Don’t hesitate to contact technical support if you exhaust your troubleshooting options.