Firefox and Youtube 'Unsecure Connection'

[gordon_s1942]

This has only started in the last few weeks but now instead of being asked if I wish to make an exception, which I have done several times already, now it just offers me to either read the 'Technical Details' or leave the site.

I can open Youtube with Internet Explorer without any problems so why the hell has Firefox decided to refuse to open the site at all?

[tristen]

Hmmmm....strange. I have experienced no problems at all accessing Youtube with Firefox v.29.0.1 on this computer.

In fact I have never had problems accessing Youtube.

I did witness a friend having a problem such as you describe several nights ago. He added an exception and all was normal thereafter.

[Tiny]

Hi Gordon, I don't have this problem with FF & YT, however I looked it up for you.

The short answer is that in most cases it's a conflict with your PC system time & the security certificate time of the website.

Even if the time on your PC is correct according to you, this can happen.

The fix apparently is that when you open the website & you get the "unsecured connection" message: click on date & time at the bottom right of your PC, then select "change the date & time settings", then "change date & time".
If you're on the incorrect time change it to the correct time & check that; 1: your time zone is correct, if not set it.
2: Check under the "internet time" tab has "this computer is set to automatically synchronise with "time.windows.com".
If not select "change settings" tick the box & select server "time.windows.com", select update now.

The above should fix the problem if your time settings are out, if they are not wrong then try changing the day to yesterday then click ok, then change it back to today & click ok. That should resynchronise your system.

This YouTube shows step by step what to do. I guess IE will let you watch it.


Edit: the second most popular problem is a corrupt cert8.db file. This is the FF certificate data base.
Instructions below to fix this.

The certificate is not trusted because the issuer certificate is unknown

(site name) uses an invalid security certificate. The certificate is not trusted because the issuer certificate is unknown. (Error code: sec_error_unknown_issuer)
The file cert8.db in your profile folder may have become corrupted. Delete this file while Firefox is closed.

1. Open your profile folder:
   Click the menu button , click help and select Troubleshooting Information. The Troubleshooting Information tab will open.
2. Under the Application Basics section, click on Show Folder. A window with your profile files will open.Note: If you are unable to open or use Firefox, follow the instructions in .
3. Click the menu button and then click Exit
4. Click on the file named cert8.db.
5. Press Delete.
6. Restart Firefox.cert8.db will be recreated when you restart Firefox. This is normal.

There is more about this here.

[gordon_s1942]

Well, resetting the clock eventually fixed the problem but not the first time.
The first time I only reset the clock/time zone without shutting the Computer down completely and that made no difference but when I redid it including shutting down, Youtube now 'runs'.

As for trying the find that cert8.db file, I know its there but it wont show on the 'Search' list.


Tristen, just check with your friend because thats how this began a few days ago, firstly the 'untrusted connection' warning that allowed me to make an exemption but a few days later it did the same thing again asking for an exemption which I again gave (3 in all) until that option didnt appear on the warning anymore.

Thanks Tiny for you help.

[Tiny]

Glad to here it worked for you one way or the other.

Interesting the cert8.db file is not found by "Search" on my W8.1 PC either.
Pretty sure you have W8.

It is there when I open Firefox, go to the menu button, in the latest version 29 that's the 3 lines/bars at top right, then the question mark at bottom of the drop down menu is the help button. That brings up the list of help options.
Click on Troubleshooting Information, then in the new tab that opens, next to Profile Folder, click on "Show Folder" & the cert8.db file is in that list.
If you need to delete it to fix problems in the future. Then close Firefox before deleting the file. The Profile folder will stay open. You can close it after deletion.
Restart Firefox & the file will rebuild itself.

The file path in W8 for anyone curious is C:\Users\Tiny\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Prof iles\v6wq7kzh.default

[gordon_s1942]

Duhhhh, Tiny, after reading the above a few times, I found the Menu thing you mention, I was using the button on the keyboard with the 3 horizontal lines on it..............................instead of on the Firefox browser page.

I have never 'opened' it before even though I saw the word 'Menu' appear with the cursor over it........maybe that would have printed a browser page I wanted ages ago, geeeezzzzz.