trouble with web access

[rlstum]

I am a relative neophyte in approaching this problem. I just reinstalled Windows 7 on a new laptop hard drive, but now have a problem that affect many programs. I think it may have to do with SSL or accessing https sites ont he web. For instance it affects Outlook by telling me that my imap client server does not have a valid certificate. It won't allow me to re-register my Quickwen software (can't connect to the server). Cannot use Google Chrome as I can't even access the help pages. Is there perhaps some service or feature of windows 7 that is turned off or missing?

[caperjack]

check the time zone, time and date setting of the computer

[rlstum]

That was the first thing I found online, and have checked that all of those are fine. Yet the problem persists.

[caperjack]

open Internet explorer , go to tools ,internet options /advanced and check off ,reset ,and restore advanced settings .this I have seen fix problems similar to yours .

[rlstum]

Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately I tried it and no change. I have even had to go back to Firefox and abandopn Chrome since even the help pages for chrome it could not open. Still looking for help.

[rlstum]

I am learning that I was not entirely accurate in the original post. I have noticed that in Firefox and in Internet Explorer I can acces some https websites, yet not the ones I mentione din the original post. I also cannot even access the Google chrome help pages from Chrome or other browsers either. I hope that extra tidbitmight help in finding a solution.

[JorgeM]

It would help if you can clearly reproduce the issue so you can indicate exactly what the problem is and what it affects on your computer.

While you are unable to access certain site, do you know if maybe yu just lost Internet connectivity? Do you have access to some sites.

Have you ruled out malware?

[rlstum]

I have been trying to clearly reproduce the problem, or at least document and demonstrate exactly when I can and cannot reach the web. In the meantime, today everything started working correctly. I have tried to think of what I had inadvertantly changed that could have affected the problem and I have come up with only one thing. I finally realized I need to have access to banking through Quicken and access to secure information for my job through another private access program, so I moved those files to my desktop where I had that access. In the process I had to mark my new hard drive as a shared drive to have access to draw files across my home network. It was a half day or more before I realized that the access I didn't have before was now working. Why this owrked I don't know, but I have apprecited the suggestions.

[caperjack]

not a good idea to store files on the desktop
good reasons given here

so I moved those files to my desktop where I had that access

[rlstum]

I appreciate the admonition. They were stored there only a few days, are now back on the laptop in appropriate places and removed from the desktop. It was more for short term convenience only until the problem was solved.