Member Avatar for dandimmitt

hello folks
I have a problem with a laptop with windows xp sp 2.
whenever I try to add something to the cart and go to checkout,
I find out that there is nothing in the cart. I have the pop up window blocker turned off.
I am using the firefox browser with norton internet security. I called somebody at one site, and was told to turn off the pop blocker. that wasn't the problem.
I am suspicious of the sp2 update, but i really don't know what is going on.
thanks for any help or suggestions .
dan

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by caperjack

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Generated

nailed the cause: the checkout failure was an OS-level problem with HTTPS/SSL handling, not a browser pop-up blocker. Briefly, secure carts rely on a successful TLS/SSL handshake and certificate processing so session cookies and secure requests can be created and sent. If the OS or a security product interrupts certificate handling or encrypted connections, the site can appear to lose the cart at checkout.

Practical checklist for anyone hitting the same symptom:

  • Verify system date/time is correct — certificate validation will fail if the clock is wrong.
  • Try a different browser (for example Internet Explorer vs Firefox) to see if the problem is browser-specific.
  • Clear cookies/cache and ensure session cookies are allowed for the shopping site (secure cookies only travel over HTTPS).
  • Check Windows services that support certificate/crypto functions and restart them if disabled.
  • Temporarily disable third-party security features that inspect or proxy HTTPS (antivirus/web protection/SSL inspection) and retest.
  • If needed, capture client-side errors (browser console or TLS handshake failures) to pinpoint whether the handshake or certificate chain is being disrupted.

A long-term note for readers returning years later: Windows XP/SP2 only supports older TLS versions (SSL 3.0/TLS 1.0). Many modern e-commerce sites require TLS 1.2 or higher, so upgrading to a supported OS or using a modern supported browser is important for both compatibility and security.

Credit to for documenting the fix; and for the quick followups.

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Member Avatar for dandimmitt

ok
I found the service, https ssl, which was disabled. enabled that and now everything works.

commented: Thanks for sharing! -- dlh +2
Member Avatar for dlh6213

Thanks for sharing the fix, Dan :)

Member Avatar for caperjack

now to remember the Fix! lol

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