Safari cannot connect to the server

[Betty LaRue]

15 hours ago, Panthera tigris said:

Safari caches quite aggressively, it causes me many issues especially with dynamic sites. The keystroke command (I know by heart) is OPT+CMD+E

What do I do with that? Tell me step by step, what to open, where to do those keystrokes. Maybe I can fix Safari without calling Apple.

[M.Chapman]

First try the simply quitting Safari and restarting it

 - Whilst in Safari, hit Command+Q, wait for it to close, then restart it.

 

If that doesn't work then try clearing Safari's cache

 - Whilst in Safari, hit Option+Command+E

 - Then quit Safari and Restart it (as above)

 

Mark

 

 

Edited September 14, 2021 by M.Chapman

[M.Chapman]

17 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said:

I just got off the phone with my provider. We checked many things, but what isn’t working is WiFi. Looking at that on the iMac, it should have a check mark, but all it showed was a locked lock.

 

A closed lock is normal, it shows your Wi-Fi network is password protected.

If you want to get more info on the Wi-Fi status hold down Option key and then click the Wireless icon on the top menu bar. There's an option to run diagnostics if needed too.

 

Mark

Edited September 14, 2021 by M.Chapman

[Betty LaRue]

That didn’t work. But while clicking around in Safari, I clicked on “extensions” and there’s only a blank page. Is that normal?

[M.Chapman]

1 hour ago, Betty LaRue said:

That didn’t work. But while clicking around in Safari, I clicked on “extensions” and there’s only a blank page. Is that normal?

 

Possibly if you haven't added any extensions and also Safari is unable to access the internet to see the extension (app) store.

 

So to recap.

Firefox works on your iMac

Safari doesn't work on your iMac - even after clearing cache and restarting

Do you have email set up on your iMac - if so does that work?

Can you run Wireless/internet diagnostics on your iMac and see if it gives any clues. Instructions here

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/mac-help/mchlf4de377f/mac

 

Mark

 

[Betty LaRue]

7 minutes ago, M.Chapman said:

 

Possibly if you haven't added any extensions and also Safari is unable to access the internet to see the extension (app) store.

 

So to recap.

Firefox works on your iMac

Safari doesn't work on your iMac - even after clearing cache and restarting

Do you have email set up on your iMac - if so does that work?

Can you run Wireless/internet diagnostics on your iMac and see if it gives any clues. Instructions here

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/mac-help/mchlf4de377f/mac

 

Mark

 

Email works. Firefox works. Safari doesn’t. I’m running diagnostics now.

[Betty LaRue]

Diagnostics said my router originated from a country which conflicts with current settings. (Country Code) which puzzles me because it’s worked until now.
I did pick up a new router, my son-in-law is coming to install it and set up my password and user name on it. I’m using cellular data at the moment, so shall get off here (iPad) until later.

I’ll see if the new router solves anything. I’ve been out in the yard raking up the dead thatch from when the armyworms killed large patches of grass. I want to reseed soon. I can only work 5 minutes at a time. I almost wasn’t able to walk back in the house. Persistence and doing it in small pieces will win the day.

 

[M.Chapman]

Because Firefox and email work, but Safari doesn't, my guess is that the problem lies with Safari. A software setting has possibly become corrupted.

 

If the new router makes no difference, then there are several options I can think of.

 

1) Check your copy of MacOS and Safari are up to date, if not, and you're already running Big Sur, then update it to the latest version (11.6). This may well fix the problem.

System Preferences>Software Update

 

If no updates are currently available or the above doesn't fix it

 

2) Use Firefox instead of Safari (until the next update arrives - then do step 1)

 

3) Try a full reset of Safari. I found some instructions here, but I can't vouch for their accuracy or effectiveness

https://www.makeuseof.com/reset-safari-default-mac/

 

4) Restore your mac to an earlier date using a Time machine backup (if you have one which was taken just before problems arose)

https://www.howtogeek.com/356063/how-to-fully-restore-macos-from-a-time-machine-backup-in-recovery-mode/

 

Maybe MDM has some other ideas? It's possibly just a simple setting somewhere that's been altered/corrupted - but how to find it?

 

Mark

 

Edited September 15, 2021 by M.Chapman

[MDM]

3 hours ago, M.Chapman said:

Maybe MDM has some other ideas? It's possibly just a simple setting somewhere that's been altered/corrupted - but how to find it?

 

Mark

 

 

I have lots of ideas Mark but not the faintest idea of what is up with Betty's Safari.  Not something I have ever experienced. Maybe it is a hangover from her migration installation?

[Ed Rooney]

 

And with the newest Apple iPad tech stuff announced yesterday, should I be buying an entire new costly system . . . or maybe I should just drop in at Zara and get another grey pullover, if they're still on sale? 

[spacecadet]

8 minutes ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

And with the newest Apple iPad tech stuff announced yesterday, should I be buying an entire new costly system . . . or maybe I should just drop in at Zara and get another grey pullover, if they're still on sale? 

You live in Liverpool, Ed. It's September. Pullover.

[CAROL SAUNDERS]

3 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

And with the newest Apple iPad tech stuff announced yesterday, should I be buying an entire new costly system . . . or maybe I should just drop in at Zara and get another grey pullover, if they're still on sale? 

Definately Apple, it's still warm 😄ish

 

Carol

[Ed Rooney]

 

Don't need either, but then shopping is always fun. 😉

[Betty LaRue]

1 hour ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

Don't need either, but then shopping is always fun. 😉

I took a look at the iPad, nice!

[CAROL SAUNDERS]

1 hour ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

Don't need either, but then shopping is always fun. 😉

Agree, and I have shopped today - I think I need to start a separate post😄

 

Carol

[M.Chapman]

7 hours ago, MDM said:

 

I have lots of ideas Mark but not the faintest idea of what is up with Betty's Safari.  Not something I have ever experienced. Maybe it is a hangover from her migration installation?

Ditto. Whenever I've ever experienced browser problems, I've found that clearing the cache and/or quitting and restarting the browser has always fixed it. But there are so many settings (proxies, DNS servers etc) that I don't know anything about that could be causing Betty's problem.

 

Mark

[Betty LaRue]

4 hours ago, M.Chapman said:

Ditto. Whenever I've ever experienced browser problems, I've found that clearing the cache and/or quitting and restarting the browser has always fixed it. But there are so many settings (proxies, DNS servers etc) that I don't know anything about that could be causing Betty's problem.

 

Mark

Okay, Mark. I fixed it. I found a site that suggested this:

Apple Menu/System Preferences/Network

 Click on Location

Click on “Edit Location”

At the bottom click the + button

Type in a new location, such as Home or whatever you want to name it.

Click “Done”

Click “Apply”

From what I read, the string connected with the original location, which on mine was “Automatic” can get corrupted.

When you set up the new location, the computer will put a new string in that’s not corrupted.

It worked, and I have Safari back!!

👍👏💃⚡️💥

If this hadn’t worked, Mark, I was going to check out your suggestions above. This fix was short, quick and even I could follow it.

Thank you for hanging in. As always, you guys are the best.

Edited September 15, 2021 by Betty LaRue
Correction

[CAROL SAUNDERS]

Wow that's great news Betty well done, you should be very pleased indeed😁

 

Carol

[Betty LaRue]

1 hour ago, CAROL SAUNDERS said:

Wow that's great news Betty well done, you should be very pleased indeed😁

 

Carol

Probably as pleased as you can imagine!

[M.Chapman]

3 hours ago, Betty LaRue said:

Okay, Mark. I fixed it. I found a site that suggested this:

Apple Menu/System Preferences/Network

 Click on Location

At the bottom click the + button

Type in a new location, such as Home or whatever you want to name it.

Click “Done”

Click “Apply”

From what I read, the string connected with the original location, which on mine was “Automatic” can get corrupted.

When you set up the new location, the computer will put a new string in that’s not corrupted.

It worked, and I have Safari back!!

👍👏💃⚡️💥

If this hadn’t worked, Mark, I was going to check out your suggestions above. This fix was short, quick and even I could follow it.

Thank you for hanging in. As always, you guys are the best.

Excellent, thanks for letting us know.

 

Mark

[Betty LaRue]

1 minute ago, M.Chapman said:

Excellent, thanks for letting us know.

 

Mark

Mark it’s rare as hen’s teeth for me to solve a technical problem. It feels good to have something I can share for a change.
 

Funny thing, though. When I was on the phone with the provider technician, (yesterday? Day before?). I said something about being horrible with technology. He said, “Hey, you know more than you think you do. When I said “do this”, you said you’d already done it twice. When I said “do that” you told me you’d done it multiple times already, and so on, over about 6 things. So quit putting yourself down, you’re more hands on than most of the people I talk to.” That was nice to hear. That’s when he told me he thought it was an Apple problem because everything else to try was exhausted and to call them. I’m happy to have dodged that bullet, because I hate being on hold for ages.

If I’m getting better with technology, it’s because you, Michael (MDM) and others have given me an education.

[Betty LaRue]

I edited the directions to fix above. I left out a step.  After choosing Location, then choose “Edit Location”

[M.Chapman]

17 hours ago, Betty LaRue said:

I edited the directions to fix above. I left out a step.  After choosing Location, then choose “Edit Location”

It's interesting. I'd found the "trick" of adding a new network location to get a fresh set of settings, but dismissed it because your Firefox was working. Anyway the important thing is you're now up and running. 

 

Mark

[Betty LaRue]

1 hour ago, M.Chapman said:

It's interesting. I'd found the "trick" of adding a new network location to get a fresh set of settings, but dismissed it because your Firefox was working. Anyway the important thing is you're now up and running. 

 

Mark

It must’ve just been a Safari thing, Mark. I admit I know nothing about how it works. If the fix works across the board, Safari and Firefox, it supplied new code which Firefox didn’t need, but the fix didn’t hurt, but fixed Safari.

[Ed Rooney]

In the middle of all this techno messing about, I learned that I could put my virtual books on my old iPad mini with my personal hotspot. 😀