Solved Computer not secure error says it's from Mozilla Firefox

[loninappleton]

I simply don't know where to ask about this. Mozilla message logins and even their answers don't work well.

Two things.

A message appears that says Computer Not Secure even for google
and asks thent o send a message with a button. It still hangs on the next attempt

I ran Mozbackup to save my settings in preparation to reinstall a newer Firefox.

In do this the process of saving things took longer than usual.
I was able to pick out something called telemetry pings being saved as part of the backup
process. What are telemetry pings and are these some form of malware?

Malwarebyes could not be run either since it goes to look for updates.

I have not tried Hijack this yet, but I think I'll run into the same thing.

The whole text of the error message is:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Your connection is not secure

The owner of Google has configured their website improperly. To protect your information from being stolen, Firefox has not connected to this website.

This site uses HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) to specify that Firefox only connect to it securely. As a result, it is not possible to add an exception for this certificate.

Learn more…

Report errors like this to help Mozilla identify misconfigured sites"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It has to be bogus. I am dealing with another problem and using a backup disk
so whatever is going on is going on today Saturday Aug13

I will see if I can get a full string location of 'telemetry pings' that are being saved.

 

[Mellon Head]

You could try MSERT:

https://www.microsoft.com/security/scanner/en-us/default.aspx

But you would have to download it from another computer and run it from a USB flashdrive.

I've never heard of that sort of thing from Mozilla and Firefox. It's possible that your browser has been hijacked, or you have a virus.

More knowledgeable members may have other ideas, however.

 

[loninappleton]

Well this try seemed to get through. I am writing from the error machine

For others information I've run Spybot S&D and Hijack this.

I had a brief success with removing Mozilla Maintenance from Hijack this but the error returned. I'm not good at handling HJT. The same checked items come back all the time. This time I put those in the 'Ignore" category.

The problem is aggravated by the fact I have hardware problems on this board and a restart or cold boot takes it down then seemingly by chance I get it going after many tries. That problem resides somewhere in onboard video. But enough on that.

I'll report back if I have solved the problem but please anyone who can add more advice, it is welcome. I'll see if I can get Malwarebytes going.

Not going to mark this solved yet.

There is still that business of telemetry pings to get out of my profile. Perhaps a purge can be done in Mozbackup by deleting some options? There's just no one stop place to go for all this.

 

[torchwood]

Hi Ion,

I DONT believe your hacked, that is a standard message regarding the Security Certificates ON YOUR FF profile.
its saying the >> google<< certificate is wrong, (basically out of date) you need to update your Certificate file, in Firefox
(you have multiple search engines try another ie Yahoo/duckduckgo/Wiki/ try 1 if NO error that confirm my thoughts

Mozilla maintainance is the updater service for FF.
im assuming its set to autoUpdate.
Go into MS control panel >> Admin Tools >> services >> scroll to mozilla maintance >>right click> properties >> set to manual.
(note you can turn it of in system config)

If i remember correctly another setting in FF sends crash reports back to Mozilla.

Roy

 

[loninappleton]

This sounds like good advice and targets the problem.

If you set that to manual, what happens? It just doesn't ask anymore?

The whole business of cookies, certificates and whatnot I never understood well.

I'll report back on the change to 'manual' in Win7.

 

[MoxieMomma]

Hi:

Quick question: are your computer's DATE and TIME correct?

MM

 

[loninappleton]

This sounds like good advice and targets the problem.

If you set that to manual, what happens? It just doesn't ask anymore?

The whole business of cookies, certificates and whatnot I never understood well.

I'll report back on the change to 'manual' in Win7.

I used your direction and the status was in manual already.

There's some start/stop info below that but I'm leaving thet whole screen as it is. It says service stopped. Perhaps because I took Mozilla maintenance out of Hijack This.

That's my progress.

I think there's some things garbaging up the system yet--If Mozbackup saves things it must be a profile where all these telemetry things are. As they flashed by there was another long string of something as well-- not anything familiar.

 

[MoxieMomma]

Hi:

Quick question: are your computer's DATE and TIME correct?

MM

Incorrect system data/time can cause certificate errors in Firefox and other browsers....

That's why I asked.

MM

 

[wasnotwas]

A few years ago I saw a pc that wouldn't connect to Google (and others), claiming the website security certificate was wrong. Turned out the mobo battery was kaput and the time/date had defaulted to 1990 (or something). I guess the pc time didn't match the website cert time. A new battery and setting the BIOS time fixed it. So check your clock - just a long shot.

edit > great minds think alike . . .

 

[torchwood]

Did you try and use another search engine??

Roy

 

[loninappleton]

Hi:

Quick question: are your computer's DATE and TIME correct?

MM

Incorrect system data/time can cause certificate errors in Firefox and other browsers....

That's why I asked.

MM

Fixed the time. One of the mobo issues seemed to straighten with resetting the CMOS and I"ve had to do that repeatedly until I get something new. Didn't know that time and date could effect things.
I know there is a prompt to do this at setup screen but that would throw the video out. Lots of
things to juggle.

I'll try to keep that in mind as well but that's tough to do.

 

[loninappleton]

Just a thought in passing. It wouldn't kill them to add a message saying check date and time and prevent all this grief if the error is tied directly to it.

 

[MoxieMomma]

Fixed the time. One of the mobo issues seemed to straighten with resetting the CMOS and I"ve had to do that repeatedly until I get something new.

It sounds as if you need a new CMOS battery on your motherboard.
They are very cheap.
Plenty of videos on YT about how to do it.

Didn't know that time and date could effect things.

Yes, they can cause the browser security certificate issues you reported, as well as all sorts of problems, especially with security applications (anti-virus and anti-malware), Windows Updates, other programs that "phone home" for updates, lots of things.

I know there is a prompt to do this at setup screen but that would throw the video out. Lots of
things to juggle.

Not sure what you mean -- have you been getting errors from programs at startup because of incorrect system date and time?? If so, that is not unexpected.

Cheers,
MM

 

[loninappleton]

We are talking about too many different things.

As to batteries I've swapped those around in this computer problem. As well as power supplies.


The continuing problem is this:

After a reset or shut down, a restart has a hard time 'getting to' the video.
Many tries are necessary hoping that one will catch as it usually does eventually.
It presents the screen to use F2 without going to the BIOS for the clock fix etc.

The monitor will say "failed to get the signal' or some such.

Once going it will stay on for weeks.

 

[MoxieMomma]

Hi:

If I understand your post correctly, replacing the CMOS battery and correcting the system time fixed the browser security certificate issue?

If so, then perhaps it might be less confusing to mark this thread as "solved" and to continue discussion of your hardware/video issues in one of your other threads (such as this one or this one)?

Thanks,
MM

 

[loninappleton]

We can mark this solved by fixing the time and date to current for the present
problem.

But all that other hardware business (and I understand there might be some
inadvertent duplication in my panic) is separate.

Thanks for helping me through his part. I had not seen the issue come up before and
have had this time set skew from time to time in the past.

 

[MoxieMomma]

No problem.
Computer issues can be nerve-wracking.

It might be advisable to continue discussion of your hardware/video issues in one of your other threads (such as this one or this one)?

Cheers,
MM