Where can i find old web Pages
Change is the only constant, they say. Back in the day, most people had limited connection to the internet and the old cached web page were far from being as polished as you see them now. With time and decreasing data prices, the internet penetrated the homes of those who were willing to pay a nominal fee for it every month.
Apart from having Wi-Fi and other modes of internet connectivity in their home, people started having access to the internet on their smartphones. With a consumer base that was growing at a rapid pace, the internet became a much bigger and richer medium.
Dotcom companies, as they were known in the early days of the internet, are now being looked upon as large conglomerates. This has resulted in companies putting in more money and relaunching their websites in a new avatar. While most people have got hooked to the refurbished websites or web pages, many are left disappointed with the fact that some of the content they had come across on the old internet pages was gone. What happened to all the data that so many people had worked meticulously on putting together?
There are various reasons behind web pages disappearing. There are times when a website is renovated or relaunched and the old data is put behind. Sometimes, a website just shuts down and all the content – old and new – is gone. In such a situation, when you try to read an old article or try to view an old version of a website using a link that you had saved in the past, you will be directed to a ‘404’ page.
Though the old data is not a part of the new or present version of the website, it is still there on the internet and can be traced with some efforts. Yes, you can still retrieve old pages and view old cached versions of websites on the internet. Let’s now see how to access cached sites and view cached pages on the internet.
Table of Contents
How Can You Find Old Versions of Web Pages?
If you lost your internet connectivity and wish to visit the same page of a website you were browsing through just a while back, Google Cache will help you out. The Google Cache, simply put, is an amalgamation of all the web pages indexed and accounted for by Google as a search engine. These cached web pages, which are scanned, are later copied and saved in a cache from which you can access them.
Accessing cached websites by date is a fairly simple process. You just have to use the Google search engine like you always do. After that, you need to click on the arrow that is facing downward and present on the right-hand side of the URL that pops up as a result. Here is where you can open the internet archive.
Alternatively, if you are using a Google Chrome browser, you will be required to enter the word ‘cache’ in the address bar. After that, you will need to add the link or the URL of the web page you want to visit. Example: cache:www.xyz.com. This will lead you to the results that you were looking for.
The Wayback Machine – Find Cached Version Of Old Pages
The name says it all. The Wayback Machine is a digital internet archive that has managed to become a treasure trove for internet users who wish to find old versions of websites, web pages or web page.
Today, The Wayback Machine internet archive is being used by innumerable people across the globe to trace old internet pages. To explain it in simpler terms, it is a humungous library of old internet-based content and anybody can access the cached version of the pages or text only version.
At the moment, it has more than 450 billion web pages in its fold. From an old cached page to the newest ones, you get a large amount of data to sift through. All this content is a result of accumulating data for around 20 years stored within the internet archive.
If you wish to access any of the archived web pages, you just have to enter the URL of the web page you want to trace in the search bar of the Wayback Machine. Once you enter the URL, you will see a calendar showing the dates and multiple versions on which the archiving and ‘caching’ of a particular website or web page happened. You just have to click on a particular date and view the cached copy of the website, looking for an older version just run again. That’s how the page looked on that particular day. Wayback Machine is also useful if you are looking to purchase expired domains, this tool allows you to look at the old website and determine, how the site looked and its authority.
Web Cache Reviewer
The Web Cache Reviewer is an extension on Chrome that you can install on your browser and start using. It gives you the freedom to click on any of the links listed within the Googles internet archive on a website that is accessible on Google Chrome. After this, you will get the opportunity to visit the cached page of a web page with the help of the Google Cache viewer or the Wayback Machine. This extension comes in handy when you are trying to find old websites and stumble upon a 404 page. Here is what you should do when faced with such a situation. Copy and paste the URL into TextEdit or Notepad. Then, save the file with the .html extension. After that, open it using the Google Chrome browser.
Tip: Clean Up Your Cache
It is one of the most basic things to do irrespective of whether you use your own computer or other devices to browse through the internet. The hard drive on your system features a cache of its own. It comprises backup copies of the websites or the web pages you have browsed through in the past. While this cached data should ideally work towards making the loading process faster, it often makes the system congested by filling it in with redundant or old versions of websites. Clearing up the cache on a daily basis is a very good habit to have, especially with old browsers.
Conclusion
Who doesn’t fancy the idea of revisiting that wonderful movie blog that existed way back in the early 2000s? Or, that online forum where old school friends met after several years? A lot of people also need to visit historical pages to retrieve a piece of information they might need on an urgent basis.
Tracing internet archive a web page or even some of the oldest web pages on the internet has now become very easy and convenient. Access to cached sites in available to all, you just need to look.
About Nettonic Ltd
We are a Bedford based Website Design and Integrated Marketing Company with over 10 years of experience. We have worked hard to build a reputation supporting local Bedfordshire businesses and national companies. To view our web design work just browse through our portfolio
We’ve positioned ourselves close to London, but not too far from any point in the UK where we can’t easily travel. We love meeting our clients and potential clients face-to-face and offer a firm handshake.
If you would like to talk to us about how to access a cached version of a website, or any of our services please do not hesitate to call on 01234 261385
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