Hi Dave. Maybe you can help me with this problem. Whenever I try to go on a site that requires secure log-in, eg. bank, ebay etc. I get a security warning pop-up saying there is a problem with the sites security certificate. It says “the security certificate has expired or is not yet valid” and gives me options to continue yes/no or view certificate. I am operating Windows ME and IE 6, all updated and I also run AVG free anti-virus and spybot regularly. I have searched the web for answers to this and also asked several PPL including my bank’s IT helpline. I have done everything suggested but still get the warning!
After thinking about this for a while, I wasn’t sure that I had any particularly great solution to propose. My standard response would be to check the security preferences of the Web browser and to try visiting one or more of the sites using a different browser like Firefox.
In a private dialog, however, I was pleased to hear that the chap who sent in this question figured out the problem on his own, and it’s a beauty:
Dave, just so you know, I’ve figured out my problem with the expired or not yet valid security certificates: the date on my computer was set wrong and it thought I was years in the past! Once I fixed the date and time, all of these problems vanished.
This is a simple solution to a vexing problem and, as Sherlock Holmes shared with his colleague Dr. Watson, once you eliminate all other possibilities, what’s left, however improbable, must be the solution.
Indeed.
I have an old Certificate of Authenticity and software cd for Microsoft Works, and my new PC will not accept the Product Key!!!! so I can load Works. It’s not a 2010 version, probably right before that date. Can I please use this? I purchased it with the old PC!
Kathie Givens 330-666-5683
The site’s security certificate has expired!
You attempted to reach mail.google.com, but the server presented an expired certificate. No information is available to indicate whether that certificate has been compromised since its expiration. This means Google Chrome cannot guarantee that you are communicating with mail.google.com and not an attacker. Your computer’s clock is currently set to Thursday, March 30, 2073 11:25:05 AM. Does that look right? If not, you should correct the error and refresh this page.
You cannot proceed because the website operator has requested heightened security for this domain.
I fix date and time of my computer, the problems of invalid certificate resolved
Yo check your if you date and times is correct it will solve the problem try it
I LOVE YOU. I have been lookingfor this for weeks
i too had the same problem and when i see the solution for this i’m damn shocked that my date and time were wrong…..thank you
login.yahoo.com uses an invalid security certificate.
Thank you so much for this answer! Solved our problem!!
Dave thanks for your help in fixing my security cdrtificate problem. I have another, my HP Photosmart 7510 printer, prints only the top half of the first page and spits out blank pages there after. I am running Windows Vista Home as my operating system.
What if the time and date are right and you still get a message saying ” This site has not been signed by a valid security certificate”?
hahahah….!! after reading the solution I just looked down on the date and time and felt so stupid hahaha….
thanks a lot
Hi Dave Wow we went from near tears to joy in a couple of minutes, with your check the date advise. Yippee!!! Days of research work is now back! Thanks a heap, Peace and harmony Lance
it’s time problem in your computer check your computer time
This problem came up this weekend. Website security certificate. Went to Best Buys and talked to the Geek Squad. Sure enough they had a simple answer. Your computers date and time are off and does not match the certificate date. For me this worked. If it does not work you need to replace a battery in your computer. Cost at Best Buys about $4.00.
i too had the same problem. while reading each comment about successful solution of date correctness i checked my date each time which was correct. finally i checked my google chrome settings. there i checked “check for server certification revocation” which was at first place unchecked. this worked for me. hope if anybody find such problem which is not fixing even after correcting the time try this. it may work for u as well.
YOU ARE FANTASTIC! BRILLIANT! it really works! thankss!! 😀
I think I shall call you God …. THANK-YOU
SERIOUSLY?
There are that many people out there who have f’ed up system dates on their computer and didn’t know it?
Really? Do their calendars work? Don’t they ever save a file and then go, hey I just saved it why is the date file stamp yesterday?
I don’t believe it!
Hi so so much to this men who help me fix my problem on my lappy which certifate error keep on popping up.when i change my date all the problem really fix and vanished like i am making magic hehehe…thank you so much you brillant =)
masleana mas’od
hey thanks, 🙂 🙂 Really it works!!
Thank you so very much for your suggestions! I have been trying everything possible to fix this problem, and then I realized that my date was set for 2011!!! Now everything is working, and all the sites are available – I can’t thank you enough!
thank you so much, this solved my problem!
thank you so much for sharing your learning to us. It’s been a great help to me, really.. Thank you.. =)
Thanks for the great help. I had this problem for weeks on my desktop. I had to use my notebook for other sites. No where could I find any help until I read this. I did it and in 2 minutes it was resolved. I’m bookmarking this site for further use. Thanks again.
When I am logged into pinterest (there’s an option to log in using your facebook account, but I do not use that option), I receive a pop up box: Safari can’t verify the identity of the website “s-static.ak.facebook.com”. It has the options: 1)Show cert 2) Cancel 3) Continue. I’ve tried all 3 but lately have been pressing “cancel” until I load the next page and it pops up again. I use an imac and I’m not even on facebook. Other times “Invalid URl” page comes up and I can’t even get to the website at all. This happens with pinterest or facebook mostly. Do you know what it could be?
I am SOOOOOO grateful for this post. We’ve been having issues with this for months and just kept ‘continuing to website’ unable to fix the problem. Hey presto, following this post we checked the date and discovered eldest son had changed date to make it christmas time in an online game so that santa would come and give him extra presents!!!! He got the extra present of a little talking to about messing with the family computer!!!!
Thanks!
Realities of life never end, just read Dave’s post of the Gent who figured it out on his own and did just that, i was back on track, no more security certificate error. Thanks
thank you 🙂
not open gmail
Thanks for the fix – couldn’t access FB becasue security certificate expired. Googled your solution – found that my computer had the date set as September 2012. Changed it to correct date and fixed problem! thanks once again
I will have a problems with security certificates. l have tried the few tips above and nothing works. This problem started when i today opening gmail,facebook . Any help would be appreciated
i cant access facebook because it says the server presented an invalid certificate, ive looked at my date and its all the right stuff, re synced it anyway and followed pretty much every useful tip in the other comments, still wont work, help me?
this has made me a very popular “newbie” at work… managing to fix a problem that had even driven the boss insane! thank you thank you thank you.
My electricity blinked last night and my computer reset itself to 2004. I never would have thought to check. Now I know why my outlook was so confused and why I was getting invalid security certificate warnings at Hotmail. Thanks!
Thanks Dave!
I can give you 1 tip:
If you want your computer to be safe from malware and heuristic virusses DONT use AVG. That anti-virus doesnt recognise the newest malware/heuristics anymore unless you pay for an advanced version.
Besides that AVG slows down the computer like Norton does since the first 2012 update.
(use Avira or Kaspersky instead to be more satisfied ;))
Thanks for the fix – couldn’t access FB becasue security certificate expired. Googled your solution – found that my computer had the date set as September 2012. Changed it to correct date and fixed problem!
Thanks man.
Thanks A lot
Thank you so much. I was doing everything to solve the problem, looking for the certificate to get rid of the problem, thinking of formatting the system. But when I gone through your notes and changed the year from 2005 to 2012, that’s works. That’s really worked. Thank you my friend.
Thank you so much. I was doing everything to solve the problem, looking for the certificate to get rid of the problem, thinking of formatting the system. But when I gone through your notes, that’s works. Thank you my friend.
Thank you so much for your help Dave. It solved my problem.
The server security certificate is not yet valid .please help me .
The server security certificate is not yet valid
sir please solved it ,
dude u r the man thanks a ton god knows what all would have i tried had i not struck onto this website.thanks a ton man u have saved me from hell lot of work truly thanks from the deepest corner of my heart.
never ever forget u…
thanks!it works!
thank u very much,it really works!I was so tensed!
BAMMMM! problem solved…..
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you…
I just helped a guy in a Starbucks fix this issue with your solution!!!
Big thanks for your help and keeping this post at the top of the search results!!
Bravo! worked like a charm