Genealogy Chat

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I have recently emptied cookies and temporary internet files and defragged, and since then I keep getting a security alert box as described below: SECURITY ALERT (with a yellow warning sign and padlock) Information you exchange with the site cannot be viewed or changed by others. However there is a problem with the sites security certificate. GREEN CIRCLE (with tick in it) The security certificate is from a trusted certifying authority YELLOW HAZARD SIGN The security cert has expired or is not yet valid GREEN CIRCLE (with tick in it) The security certificate has a valid name matching the name of the page you are trying to view. Then there are 3 macro buttons YES NO VIEW CERTIFICATE Yes lets you view the site, No doesn't (obviously), View Certificate gives another screen to allow access on a permanent basis to the site. My questions are: Why has this suddenly happened? How do I stop it? Do I have to enable the certificate for every site I wish to view? Margaret

I had the same problem until I changed my computer last week. I was on W95 and Windows was not recognising the security certificate. Our computer engineer couldn't fix it, so I can't offer a solution, all I can say is it's annoying but doesn't seem to do any harm. It only applies to secure sites.

Brian I am on XP and the PC is only 6 months old Margaret

Dawn This isn't stopping the problem. I have checked the PC against my laptop, they both have exactly the same setting, Medium. I altered the PC to Medium - Low, but still had the same problem. The laptop works fine, it's just on the PC. It's only just started happening. Margaret

Margaret Sorry to hear of your problems I have xp , and none of those. Just a thought if its only 6mnths old can you get back to where you bought it ? Hope you get sorted soon. Joan

Margaret, I am having exactly the same problem as you! I have had my computer for just over a year. Suddenly about 2 weeks ago, I started getting this message when I tried to enter certain sites. I have not done anything (that I know of) that will have altered my settings. Just before this started my email froze and with help from people on here and after using the ad-aware package recommended by Judy I managed to get that working again. But still this certificate message pops up. It's weird because the certificate gives a date in July 2003 as it's start date (if I remember correctly) but yet it says it has not yet started. This is a new problem on a year old machine. I hope someone can help us to sort it out. It's slightly unnerving and rather annoying to say the least! Fingers crossed for a solution. Eleanorxx ps. Are you on BT internet Broadband by any coincidental chance? I am and I am also an XP user.

Try this: 1. Click on Start 2. Click on Control Panel 3. Click on Internet Options 4. A box appears with tabs at the top; click on SECURITY. 5. Scroll to DON'T PROMPT FOR CLIENT CERTIFICATION SELECTION WHEN NO CERTIFICATES OR ONE CERTIFICATE EXISTS and click on DISABLE. 6. Towards the bottom of the box under subheading RESET CUSTOM SETTINGS, RESET TO....show MEDIUM in the box and then click APPLY or OK. One the tabbed box (where you clicked on SECURITY tab) now choose the tab ADVANCED. 1. Scroll to SECURITY 2. Make sure the following is marked/unmarked: (Place mouse in front of each line to mark or unmark it. a. Check for publisher's certificate revocation - Mark it b. The next three items on the list are left UNMARKED. c. Empty temporary internet files when browser is closed - Mark it d. Enable intergrated windows authetication (requires restart) Mark it c. Enable Profile Assistant - Mark it d. Use SSL 2.0 - Mark it e. Use SSL 3.0 - Mark it f. Use TLS 1.0 - Mark it g. Warn about invalid site certificates - Mark it h. Warn if changing between secure and not secure mode - UNMARK it i. Warn if forms submittal is being redirected - Mark it Then click APPLY or OK....computer will require restart. When computer restarts a box will pop us telling you that there were changes made on the computer....just click DON'T SHOW ME THIS AGAIN to get rid of it. And as always, be sure you're visiting the Microsft Windows Updates site and updating your computer.

Judy I have done as you suggested to no avail. Most of the boxes you told me to mark were already marked. The only things I had to alter were c: empty temp internet files f: use TLS 1.0 The problem is still there Margaret

Eleanor I missed the end of your reply, no I am not on BT Broadband. I am on AOL Broadband. Still having the problem. It is not all sites. It doesn't happen with GC, but does if I go on AOL website or Abbey National. Hubby goes on a lot of sites that are sort of Tombola's or lottery types where you can win things, and he has somtimes (LOL) but they seem to pop up all the time with him. If you click yes than you get on the site, but it is so annoying. As I said it only happened when I defragged and emptied temp internet files and cookies. I mainly use my laptop but it only happens on the PC and it is very annoying. Anyone else got any more ideas please? Margaret

Cookies are not all bad, they are little files that remember bits of infomation about your use of a site. If you are dealing with a trusted site (say Aol) on a regular basis you can add them to your trusted sites in options /security and lower the security settings for these sites. the security level remains the same for all other sites. You can also turn off the prompts for these sites only. Bob

Bob Can you explain how to do this? and, why has this only just started happening? Margaret

Hi Margaret, I've only popped in for a minute. Must sleep tonight as I have my Driving Test tomorrow. Someone very clever will sort us out! Judy and Bob and everyone else are going great guns already!! Keep your fingers crossed for me at lunchtime please!! lol Eleanor xx

If you go to tools /internet options/security in the box that appears with for icons, internet, local intranet ,trusted sites and restricted sites. On clicking trusted sites you can enter the site (copy from address bar. You may have to turn off “require server verification”. you can then set the security level to low for these sites only. However Margaret, I am not happy about all this as I, like you , have XP on a new computer and deleted files plus defragged recently (and ran ad-aware) with no problems. If you are really having problems with say the AOL home page you might like to try it with that first only. You can always undo it. I would hang back however until we have any other input from Judy or others perhaps. (we all don't know everything) Bob

Bob Thank you for your comments. As you can see Eleanor is having the same problems. I will wait to see if Judy comments anymore. I don't like to email her as she has been so helpful to people on here and don't want to take advantage of her kindness. Margaret

Margaret (nudge) In internet options /content/ certificates / "intermediate certificates" and "trusted root certificates" do you have lists of certificates? Also when you click to allow access to a site(say AOL) does it ask again next time round? Bob

Aol users....while connected to the internet, can minimize your screen, click on Internet Explorer icon, and access sites this way. On my own family website, at www(.)coskey(.)net, I can't access parts of the site using AOL....one being the family tree section of the site when it is password protected....(which at the moment it's not due to upgrades of the system.) When I access through Internet Explorer browser, I have no problem. Judy

Bob I have tried putting the address into the trusted sites bit and setting the level to low. No luck. Your other question about a list of certificates in those other sections. Yes, they are, lots of them. When I click Yes to allow a site, it allows me in again during that log in time on the PC, but once I have restarted the PC it starts allover again. Judy I tried your suggestion of minimising the AOL browser and going through Internet Explorer instead, It still happens. Both of you Would it help, do you think if I did system restore to an earlier date on the PC? As I said before, this has only been happening for a short while and only on the PC, not the laptop. They both have the same settings and use the same ISP. Margaret

Thank to all who have tried to help on this. I have found what the problem was. When I went on the Microsoft website to check the Windows updates. It said to check the settings on my clock. The year was set at 2002 instead of 2004. Don't know how this happened, but now I have corrected it the problem has gone. Margaret