Error loading web sites


This article contains information on diagnosing and fixing error messages that display when you try to view websites in Firefox.

Connection errors

Error messages that indicate connection problems:
  • Unable to connect
  • Server not found
If you experience one of these errors intermittently, check your Internet connection. If you connect wirelessly, make sure you are connected to the nearest access point and that the signal is strong.
If you experience one of these errors on some or all websites, see the following articles:

Errors loading secure sites

If you experience an error accessing a website over a secure (HTTPS) connection, see the articles below that correspond to the error message you see:

Interrupted or reset connection

The following error can occur if the website you're visiting is experiencing problems:
  • The connection was interrupted
  • The connection was reset
  • The connection has timed out
If you can visit the website in other browsers but not in Firefox:
  1. At the top of the Firefox window, click on the Firefox button, go over to the History menu and select Clear Recent History....
    For Windows XP: At the top of the Firefox window, click on the Tools menu and select Clear Recent History....    On the menu bar, click on the Tools menu, and select Clear Recent History....At the top of the Firefox window, click on the Tools menu, and select Clear Recent History....    At the top of the Firefox window, click on the Tools menu, and select Clear Recent History....On the menu bar, click on the Tools menu, and select Clear Recent History....
  2. In the Time Range to clear: drop-down, select Everything.
  3. Click the arrow next to Details to display the list of items that can be cleared.
  4. Select both Cookies and Cache.
  5. Click Clear Now.

Proxy errors

Error messages that indicate proxy problems:
  • The proxy server is refusing connections
  • Unable to find the proxy server
This error indicates that Firefox is trying to access the Internet through a proxy server. To check your proxy settings:
  1. At the top of the Firefox window, click on the Firefox button (Tools menu in Windows XP) and then clickOptionsOn the menu bar, click on the Firefox menu and select Preferences...At the top of the Firefox window, click on the Edit menu and select PreferencesAt the top of the Firefox window, click on the Toolsmenu and select Options...On the menu bar, click on the Firefox menu and select Preferences...At the top of the Firefox window, click on the Edit menu and select Preferences...
  2. Select the Advanced panel.
  3. Select the Network tab.
  4. In the Connection section, click Settings....
  5. Change your proxy settings:
    • If you don't connect to the Internet through a proxy (or don't know whether you connect through a proxy), select No Proxy.
    • If you connect to the Internet through a proxy, compare Firefox's settings to another browser's (Such as Internet Explorer. See Microsoft's guide to proxy settings)(Such as Safari. See Apple's guide to proxy settings).
  6. Close the Connection Settings window.
  7. Click OK to close the Options windowClick Close to close the Preferences windowClose the Preferences window

Malicious website errors

If you receive one of the following errors, Firefox has blocked access to the website you're visiting to protect you from malware or web forgery (phishing).
  • Suspected Attack Site!
  • Suspected Web Forgery!

Other error messages

The ... plugin has crashed

This means that a plugin which is being used to display content on the current page has unexpectedly quit.

Offline mode

Your operating system indicates to Firefox whether it is connected to the Internet. If it reports that it is not connected, Firefox will go into offline mode.If you see a message about offline mode, you may have set Firefox not to use your network connection. Make sure your computer has a network connection and then:
  • At the top of the Firefox window,On the menu bar, click on the File menu and make sure that Work Offline is unchecked.
  • At the top of the Firefox window,On the menu bar, click on the File menu and make sure that Work Offline is unchecked.Press the Alt key to temporarily turn on the Menu Bar, click on the File menu (Windows XP, just click on the File menu) and make sure that Work Offline is unchecked.

The page isn't redirecting properly

This problem can be caused by problems with cookies:

File not found

If you experience this error when trying to access a local file (with a file:// URL), the path you are trying to access is either incorrect or inaccessible - verify the path.
If you experience this error trying to access a website, see:

Content Encoding Error

The following error messages indicate a content encoding problem:
  • Content Encoding Error
  • The page you are trying to view cannot be shown because it uses an invalid or unsupported form of compression
Several problems can result in a content encoding error message. To diagnose and fix:
  1. Check the settings of any Internet security applications you use (including firewalls, anti-virus or anti-spyware programs, and privacy protection programs). You should try to remove any permissions those applications have for Firefox, and then add them again. For program-specific instructions for a number of applications, seeFirewalls.
  2. Follow the Standard troubleshooting steps.

This address is restricted

This error occurs when you are attempting to connect to a web server on a port that is reserved for another application.
If the web address (URL) you are trying to visit contains a colon followed by a number (e.g.http://webserver.tld:23), try removing that portion (e.g. http://webserver.tld) or replacing it with :80 (e.g.http://webserver.tld:80)
If specifying a different port does not work, you may have been given an incorrect web address.
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