Google Chrome is one of the best web browsers currently available on the market.
However, an error that many users have been complaining about is the SSL Connection Error.
Today I will be teaching you how to fix it. In this article, you will find everything you’ll need to know to tackle this error, from what exactly an SSL is, to what the error is telling you, and all of the solutions you should try.
You’ll find that this is a relatively easy process to correct. So, if you’d like to learn more, stay here.
Also Read: Fix Err_SSL_Protocol_Error: Chrome, Mac, Android
What is an SSL?
SSL is an acronym for Secure Sockets Layer and it is a standard piece of security technology used in every browser, not just Google Chrome.
It establishes an encrypted link between you and the server, which you can think of as usually a website. You may not have heard of this term, but I’m sure you’ve noticed it.
Above is a screenshot from my browser on Google Chrome in the top left-hand corner of the address bar. That lock symbol is a universal symbol used on every web browser anytime you visit a site where you have personal information, like PayPal or Facebook.
Why Is It Important?
You may be asking, well why do we need SSL on our web browsers?
The answer is simple; security. It protects private information, like credit card numbers, social security numbers, and login credentials as it transmits them securely.
Normally, data sent between browsers and web servers is sent in plain text, but this encrypts the encrypts the data, making it difficult for a third party to access it.
What Does This Error Mean?
As you can tell from the screenshot of this error message, SSL connection error tells you that you are unable to make a secure connection with the server.
That’s somewhat helpful as it’s at least telling you what the issue is, but what frustrates a lot of people is that they have no idea what exactly is causing this to happen.
There are many possibilities for what is causing this error. Here are some of the most popular:
- If the SSL certificate is untrusted.
- If you are behind a firewall.
- If the page contains both secure and non-secure items.
- If there is a culprit antivirus which is scanning encrypted connections.
If your website doesn’t have trusted SSL certificate, then you need to purchase SSL certificate from trusted SSL reseller and configure it on your server to establish a secure and private connection. Most web browsers only recognize trusted SSL certificate issued by trusted Certificate Authorities. If you want to buy one, you can acquire an SSL certificate from places like www.cheapsslshop.com for $7 per year.
There’s really no way of knowing exactly what is causing this error until you start trying out the various solution techniques, so let’s get into those now.
“The Internet browser is the most susceptible to viruses. The browser is naive about downloading and executing software. Google is trying to help by releasing the Chrome browser as open source.” – Vint Cerf
How To Fix It
Here are all of the best solutions that you should try to fix this error. You should perform them in order as I strategically organized them based on effectiveness, the time they take, and difficulty.
After trying each solution, completely quit and close the Chrome web browser open it back up, and then try to access the exact same web page that you were trying to before.
If the issue still persists, then just move onto the next solution and repeat this process until the error is fixed. With all that being said, let’s just get into these solutions so you can be on your way towards fixing this.
Solution #1 – Change the date and time correctly
This is actually the most common cause of this error and one that you may not have even thought of. It is because when you open some websites, especially account websites like Gmail or Outlook, it tracks the location, date and time of your system. If there is a mismatch in the information, it blocks the certification from your system. So, just correct your date and time.
To do that:
- Click on the clock on your desktop.
- Select Open Date and Time Preferences
- Select the time zone you would like, and make sure the date is correct also.
Most of the time, the automatic feature is set to automatically set the date and time based on your location. I would recommend turning that on so won’t have to worry about this issue again.
Solution 2 – Change the settings of an antivirus
This solution will obviously only be relevant to those of you who use antivirus software and if you do and it is turned on, that may be the root of your problem.
They are designed to block potentially unsafe or insecure sites, but they aren’t perfect. Sometimes there is a conflict between the encrypted data and the antivirus, which causes the software to block it.
Thankfully, there is a way you can get around this by simply just changing up the settings of your antivirus a little. To do this:
- Close everything else and then open your antivirus program.
- Click on Settings. Go to Advanced Settings tab and click on Network.
- Under the Encrypted connections scan, uncheck the Scan encrypted settings.
- Click Apply and OK.
Now, there are hundreds of different antivirus software out there and they are all a little bit different so the process of changing this setting may vary. I’m obviously not going to give the procedure for every program out there, but you should be able to find it within a couple of minutes by using these generic steps.
Solution 3 – Change the settings of the Internet in the Google Chrome Browser
This solution is a general one that has lots of potential but easy steps. Many times the SSL error message appears when some of the elements of a secure web page are not loaded by secure sources. It happens most commonly with images and PDF’s but it can happen with really any web page. Here are three ways you can prevent that from happening.
1. Change URL to https:
In Chrome, an insecure URL will have an HTTP extension at the beginning. For secure, just add a ‘s’ to the end of that. For example, if you are trying to open htttp://www.gmail.com, change it to https://www.gmail.com and then open it.
2. Delete HTTP: in URL (for images)
This trick will only work if you are getting the error while trying to open an image. For example, using the standard URL format for an image, if you are opening img src=”https://www.freedriverfix.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/localimages/image.gif“, replace it with img src=”//www.domain.com/image.gif”. You can see that the only difference between the two is the removal of “HTTP:”.
3. Change the SSL settings the in browser
This step is a little more of a process, but will definitely correct this error if everything else has failed.
- Open Google Chrome. Go to Preferences and then Settings.
- A new window of Google Chrome settings will open. Scroll down and click on Show advanced settings.
- Now, scroll down. You will see a tab of Change Proxy Settings under Network. Click on it.
- This will open up your computer’s system settings.
- Choose the Security tab. Set Security level zone as medium. If it is selected as before then leave it.
- Choose the Privacy tab. Set Internet zone as medium. If it is selected as before then leave it.
- Now, choose the Content tab. Click on Clear SSL state and press OK.
Clearing the SSL state should fix this issue. If not, there is one more setting that you tweak. Here’s what to do.
- Acces Google Chrome’s Settings and Advanced Settings just like in the previous steps.
- This time, scroll down and you will see a tab of Manage Certificates. Click on it.
- A new window of certificates will open. Just import the desired URL and relaunch the browser.
Although I think that it is highly unlikely if you aren’t able to fix this problem after running through all of these steps, make sure you contact Chrome’s customer support.
I’m sure that they will be able to fix your problem within a matter of minutes, especially after you have gone through all of these steps and eliminated many possibilities.
Summary
In my opinion, Google Chrome is by far the most superior web browser available. It’s sleek, runs fast, and has great features.
That’s why I always use it, and I’m writing this article on it right now. Saying all of that, it still isn’t perfect.
This error is a great example of this and sometimes you will encounter it. Many times, it’s not even Chrome‘s fault, but the other servers, and sometimes if their server is down, there is simply nothing you can do.
However, by spending 10-15 minutes, you can go through all of these steps and do the best you can to correct this error. Just like many other error codes, fixing this one is a simple process that nearly anyone can do, you just have to be patient and focus. It can seem like a daunting and intimidating task, but I promise it really isn’t that bad at all.
If you ever get the SSL connection error, make sure you keep this article in mind or save it. It will definitely come in handy as I laid out all of the skills and tools you’ll need to fix it.
If you have any other question regarding this error or want to suggest an error code we should write about next, feel free to leave a comment below.
Good luck fixing this error!
