Retry

Updated: 06/22/2024 by Computer Hope

As a verb, retry is used when recommending an action or command be tried again. Below are different examples of why you may be requested to retry on a computer.

Username or password

When attempting to log in to a service, you may be prompted to retry your username or password because it was unrecognized.

How to fix

Ensure you're entering the correct username and password and that the keyboard's Caps Lock key is not enabled.

Error with command

When entering a command, you may be asked to retry the command if that command encounters an error (e.g., bad syntax).

How to fix

Verify the entered command was typed correctly and that all characters entered are supported (e.g., spaces and quotes). In some situations, some characters may need to be escaped.

Connection problem

When communicating over a network, you may be prompted to retry if the connection is interrupted.

How to fix

Wait a few seconds and try again. If trying again doesn't work, verify the connection works by trying something else on the same network. If your connection works, try accessing the same connection on another computer. If multiple computers cannot access the same network resource, there is a problem, and the administrator of that resource should be contacted.

Busy device, website, or game

When attempting to access a busy hardware device (e.g., drive or printer), website, or game, you may be prompted to try again later or retry.

How to fix

Wait a few minutes or hours and try the device or website again. If too many people access the same thing at the same time, it can become overloaded, and the only thing a user can do is wait.

Error, Software terms