The browser is a key piece for our day to day on the Internet. Two of the most popular are Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox and in this article we are going to explain how to solve one of the problems that may appear. Let’s see what we should do if Proxy connection errors appear. This is an annoying bug that can mean that we don’t navigate correctly.
Why do I get the Proxy error when browsing?
A Proxy is an intermediary that acts between our device (or browser, in this case) and the server we are trying to access. This allows you to hide the real IP address, for example. It is very useful to connect to a service that may be restricted. It acts somewhat like a VPN.
When a Proxy error appears in Chrome or Firefox it can be due to several reasons. One of them is due to a bad software configuration in the browser itself. In this case, it is most likely enough to change a parameter and the error should be solved, as we will see.
But it may also be due to some error at the system level . Perhaps a proxy server configured previously and that has had a problem or even an update that has not been completed and this has caused our equipment to not work well.
In the latter case, we would have to solve the Proxy error at the system level. However, as we will see, it is a simple and fast process. We should have no trouble starting to navigate properly.
If we encounter this error we will have problems loading web pages. It may affect only a specific website, but it may affect all navigation and we cannot enter any site.
How to fix Proxy error in Chrome or Firefox
We are going to explain the different options we have to correct the Proxy error when browsing with Chrome or Firefox. We are going to see how to solve it directly from each of the browsers and also from the Windows settings. They are all straightforward processes.
Fix the bug from Firefox
First of all we are going to talk about what to do to avoid the Proxy error from the Mozilla Firefox browser. What we have to do is open a new tab and click on the menu at the top right, to later enter Settings.
Once we are here we have to go to the bottom, in Network Configuration, and click on Configuration. A new window will open automatically and the only thing we would have to do is check the option of No proxy , which is the first one that appears on that list.
If it is a problem on the part of the browser, this option may be the solution to the failure. We would only have to restart the browser and see if in this way we can navigate normally, without the Proxy error appearing in Mozilla Firefox.
Avoid this problem in Chrome
It is less frequent that this problem appears when we navigate with Google Chrome , but we will also be able to configure it. However, we will not be able to do it from the browser itself, as we did with Firefox, but we will have to go to the Windows configuration.
If in Chrome we click on the menu at the top right, we go to Settings, Advanced settings, System and click on configure Proxy, we will see that it takes us to the Windows configuration . There we will have to see if there is a proxy configured that may be causing problems. If so, we would just have to delete it.
This we have done, although it works for Google Chrome, it can also be valid for Mozilla Firefox. At the end of the day we are configuring it at the system level and we will be able to see the results in both browsers. We would only have to restart it and see if it has been solved correctly.
Clean the registry in Windows
We must also mention a third method that we can take into account. Again, this could also help to fix the Proxy error in both Chrome and Firefox. It is basically about removing proxy files from the Windows Registry .
We have to go to Start and look for Regedit. We can also open the Windows + R key combination and run Regedit. When we are inside we must look for the path Computer / HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE / SOFTWARE / Microsoft / WindowsCurrentVersion / Internet Settings.
Here, in the right pane, the proxy files would appear. We would have to select each one of them and we give it to delete. Once this is done, you just have to close the windows and restart the browser to check if it has been solved or not.
How to avoid problems with the browser
We have focused on the Proxy error in Chrome and Firefox browsers. It is something that will prevent us from navigating correctly and that, as we have seen, can be solved in a very specific way. However, there are many errors that can appear when browsing. That is why we are going to give some essential tips to avoid them.
Have the browser updated
The first thing is to always have the latest version of the browser . This is essential to protect security. We must install every update that comes out and avoid problems, but also make it work as well as possible, with all the latest news.
In the case of Chrome we would have to go to the menu at the top right, click on Help and go to Google Chrome Information . There it will show us the version we have installed and will install a new one if it is available. In Mozilla Firefox it would be similar.
Use official programs
Another very important issue is to use only official programs and extensions . This will prevent us from installing applications that have been modified by third parties. They could contain malware or even additional plug-ins that are responsible for collecting data.
You always have to install them from official sources. It does not matter which one we are using, be it Chrome, Firefox or any other. We must always go to its official website or guarantee application stores to avoid problems of this type that we mentioned.
Keep safe
Of course we must also maintain the security of our equipment. This will prevent the entry of malware and attackers that could affect the functioning of the systems. A good antivirus, for example, is going to be essential. We can name a few like Windows Defender, Avast or Bitdefender.
But to stay safe, common sense and avoiding mistakes are essential. We must avoid downloading files that may be a threat, for example through emails that we cannot trust.
Review configuration
On the other hand, periodically reviewing the configuration of the browsers and the extensions that we have installed can help us to solve problems and prevent errors from occurring. Not only do we have to focus on the main thing, which would be the browser, but any add-ons that we have installed.
Sometimes hackers can take advantage of bad settings to get into the browser and access the system. They could compromise our security in this way and achieve their goal of sneaking malware or affecting performance.
In short, we have seen in this article what we should do to correct Proxy errors in Chrome and Firefox. We have looked at some available options, as well as general tips to avoid problems in the browser.
