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Firefox keeps asking for security exceptions for many websites after resetting the browser after Yahoo hijacked my search engine toolbar

  • 5 respostas
  • 7 have this problem
  • 20 views
  • Last reply by cor-el

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Yahoo hijacked my search bar where I couldn't search for anything other than that site. I resetted Firefox, and now MANY websites keep asking for a security exception. From amazon, gmail, to google, and to every google search. Even after I confirm my security exception for gmail, gmail messenger will not work and my themed picture template for my gmail. I deleted the cert8 and certoverride files in my profile. I also have SSL and TSL checked under Option > Advanced > Encryption. Please help. I want to use Firefox.

Yahoo hijacked my search bar where I couldn't search for anything other than that site. I resetted Firefox, and now MANY websites keep asking for a security exception. From amazon, gmail, to google, and to every google search. Even after I confirm my security exception for gmail, gmail messenger will not work and my themed picture template for my gmail. I deleted the cert8 and certoverride files in my profile. I also have SSL and TSL checked under Option > Advanced > Encryption. Please help. I want to use Firefox.

Gillyh86 modificouno o

Chosen solution

Certain Firefox problems can be solved by performing a Clean reinstall. This means you remove Firefox and any leftover program files and then reinstall Firefox. Please follow these steps one by one:

  1. Download the latest Desktop version of Firefox from http://www.mozilla.org and save the setup file to your computer.
  2. After the download finishes, close all Firefox windows (click Exit from the Firefox or File menu) and confirm all upcoming messages.
  3. Now, uninstall Firefox by following the steps mentioned in the Uninstall Firefox article.

IMPORTANT: On Windows, the uninstaller has the option to remove your personal data and settings. Make sure that you do not check this option; otherwise all of your bookmarks, passwords, extensions, user customizations and other Firefox user profile data will be removed from your computer.

After uninstalling Firefox on Windows, delete the "Mozilla Firefox" program folder, located by default in one of these locations:

  • (On 32-bit Windows) C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox
  • (On 64-bit Windows) C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox
  1. Go to the Windows Start menu and click on "Computer".
  2. In the Explorer window that opens, double click Local Disk (C:) to open the C:\ drive.
  3. Find the "Program Files (x86)" folder or "Program Files" folder.
    • On 32-bit Windows, double-click the Program Files folder to open it.
    • On 64-bit Windows, you will see a "Program Files (x86)" folder AND a "Program Files" folder. Open the Program Files (x86) folder.
  4. Look for a Mozilla Firefox folder. If you find one, right-click it and select Delete and confirm that you want to move the folder to the Recycle Bin.

Now, go ahead and reinstall Firefox:

  1. Double-click the downloaded installation file and go through the steps of the installation wizard.
  2. Once the wizard is finished, choose to directly open Firefox after clicking the Finish button.

Please report back to see if this helped you!

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All Replies (5)

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Chosen Solution

Certain Firefox problems can be solved by performing a Clean reinstall. This means you remove Firefox and any leftover program files and then reinstall Firefox. Please follow these steps one by one:

  1. Download the latest Desktop version of Firefox from http://www.mozilla.org and save the setup file to your computer.
  2. After the download finishes, close all Firefox windows (click Exit from the Firefox or File menu) and confirm all upcoming messages.
  3. Now, uninstall Firefox by following the steps mentioned in the Uninstall Firefox article.

IMPORTANT: On Windows, the uninstaller has the option to remove your personal data and settings. Make sure that you do not check this option; otherwise all of your bookmarks, passwords, extensions, user customizations and other Firefox user profile data will be removed from your computer.

After uninstalling Firefox on Windows, delete the "Mozilla Firefox" program folder, located by default in one of these locations:

  • (On 32-bit Windows) C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox
  • (On 64-bit Windows) C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox
  1. Go to the Windows Start menu and click on "Computer".
  2. In the Explorer window that opens, double click Local Disk (C:) to open the C:\ drive.
  3. Find the "Program Files (x86)" folder or "Program Files" folder.
    • On 32-bit Windows, double-click the Program Files folder to open it.
    • On 64-bit Windows, you will see a "Program Files (x86)" folder AND a "Program Files" folder. Open the Program Files (x86) folder.
  4. Look for a Mozilla Firefox folder. If you find one, right-click it and select Delete and confirm that you want to move the folder to the Recycle Bin.

Now, go ahead and reinstall Firefox:

  1. Double-click the downloaded installation file and go through the steps of the installation wizard.
  2. Once the wizard is finished, choose to directly open Firefox after clicking the Finish button.

Please report back to see if this helped you!

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Did this and did not work. I could not find the Program Files FireFox folder to delete. Thanks for the reply. Help please

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This appears to have solved the problem. I had to restart my computer after the reinstallation and I am no longer receiving security exceptions for everything. Thank you very much

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This did not fix the problem. Why doesn't mozilla have an option to stop programs from hijacking the home page? Even Windows IE offers this option. and No I don't want to go back to IE. I would just like to be able to open pages, including bookmarked pages without them redirecting to a https page which won't allow me to open.

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Which security software (firewall, anti-virus) do you have?

Check out why the site is untrusted (click "Technical Details to expand that section) and if this is caused by a missing intermediate certificate then see if you can install this intermediate certificate from another source.

You can retrieve the certificate and check details like who issued certificates and expiration dates of certificates.

  • Click the link at the bottom of the error page: "I Understand the Risks"

Let Firefox retrieve the certificate: "Add Exception" -> "Get Certificate".

  • Click the "View..." button and inspect the certificate and check who is the issuer.

You can see more Details like intermediate certificates that are used in the Details pane.

If "I Understand the Risks" is missing then this page may be opened in an (i)frame and in that case try the right-click context menu and use "This Frame: Open Frame in New Tab".


Some firewalls monitor secure (https) connections and send their own certificate instead of the website's certificate.

  • ESET setup -> advanced setup -> extend web and email tree -> SSL
  • SSL protocol: Do not scan SSL protocol