Hello Nicolas,
Quite a number of people have been reporting problems connecting to Secure
Web sites (the ones that start with https:// ). There are a number of
possible causes, which in turn have a number of suggested fixes.
You can test your ability to connect to SSL sites using this SSL test site.
Check Firewall/Network Configuration
Make sure that the SSL port (port 443) is open on your network/firewall (if
you have any). There are many different Firewall/Network products, so we
can't give set-by-step instructions. Check the documentation or help file
of the product you use.
Verify that Internet Explorer Is Using 128-Bit Encryption
To check:
In Internet Explorer, on the Help menu, click About Internet Explorer
The level of encryption on your computer appears next to the words Cipher
Strength. Verify that the Cipher Strength value appears as 128-bit
If the Cipher Strength is anything less then 128-bit, download the Internet
Explorer High Encryption Pack to your computer's hard disk, and then
install it.
Delete Temporary Internet Files
There's also a possibility of some corrupted files in your Temporary
Internet Files (TIF) storage. To clear these:
In Internet Explorer, on the Tools menu, click Internet Options, and select
the General tab
Under Temporary Internet files, click Delete Files, and click OK when you
are prompted to confirm the deletion
Configure Internet Explorer Security, Content, and Advanced Settings
Configure Security settings for the Trusted sites zone in Internet
Explorer:
In Internet Explorer, on the Tools menu, click Internet Options, and select
the Security tab
Select Trusted sites, and then click Default Level
Add the secure Web site you are trying to access to the Trusted sites zone.
To do so, click Sites, type the address (URL) of the site in the Add this
Web site to the zone box, click Add, click OK, and then click Apply
Clear the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) slate and AutoComplete history:
In Internet Explorer, on the Tools menu, click Internet Options, and select
the Content tab
Under Certificates, click Clear SSL State
Click OK when you receive the message that the SSL cache was successfully
cleared
Under Personal information, click AutoComplete
Under Clear AutoComplete history, click Clear Forms. Click OK when you are
prompted to confirm the operation.
Verify that Internet Explorer is configured to use SSL 2.0 and SSL 3.0:
In Internet Explorer, on the Tools menu, click Internet Options, and select
the Advanced tab
In the Settings box, under the Security header, click to select the Use SSL
2.0 and Use SSL 3.0 check boxes (if they are not already selected), and
then click OK
Verify that the Date and Time Settings on Your Computer Are Correct
Because SSL certificates have an expiry date, if the date on your computer
isn't correct, it may prevent you from connecting to secure sites. To
verify that your computer is configured with the correct date and time
settings:
Click Start > click Control Panel
Click Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options, and then click Date and
Time
Select the Date & Time tab
Check to make sure that the date and time settings are configured to use
the current date and time, and then click OK
Some Microsoft Knowledge Base Articles dealing with this problem
232012 - Error Message When You Attempt to Install 128-Bit Upgrade
261328 - Cipher Strength Appears as 0-Bit in Internet Explorer
301803 - Error Message When You Try to Connect to Secure Site: Client
Certificate Has Expired or Is Not Yet Valid
303807 - "The Page Cannot Be Displayed" Error Message When You Try to View
Web Page on a Secure Web Site
305217 - Page Cannot Be Displayed Error During SSL 3.0 Server Session
Timeout
811383 - Internet Explorer Connectivity and Certificate Display Issues
813951 - You Cannot Access Your MSN E-mail Account or Authenticate with a
Web Site in Various Programs
821814 - You Receive a "Page Cannot Be Displayed" Error Message When You
Post to a Site That Requires Authentication
Thanks,
(e-mail address removed)
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
