The problem
Some people experience difficulty logging into htaccess secured sites with Microsoft Internet Explorer. Where other browsers would pop up a password dialog, MSIE instead immediately displays an 'Error 401: Access Unauthorized' message.
Like many other Microsoft products, MSIE's default settings aren't always the most sensible. This document shows you how to fix it.
Step 1
Start MSIE in the way you normally would. Browse to our website and attempt to login.
Step 2
Click 'Tools' then 'Internet Options'. Then click the 'Security' tab and then make sure the 'Internet' icon is highlighted.
Step 3
Click 'Custom Level' or 'Default Level' then browse down to the 'User Authentication' section and open it to reveal 'Logon'. Set this to 'Prompt for username and password' as you can see in the screen shot on this page.
Step 4
Click 'OK' to as many windows as necessary to bring you back to the main MSIE screen. You should now (after restarting MSIE) be able to get the login prompt correctly.