Mark Sealey

Q: Only for Google links: Safari Can't Open the Page

Safari Can't Open the Page "https:/www.gogle.com/url?xyz" because the server where this page is located isn't responding.

 

Of course the page is perfectly reachable; and always appears when I dismiss this error and reload.

 

This disappeared for a while, but now is back :-(

 

Only in Safari, only when clicking on links which are the result of Google searches.

 

GoogleError.jpg

 

Anyone any ideas, please?

 

TIA…

iMac with Retina 5K display, OS X Yosemite (10.10.5), Clean machine... no haxies; no Microsoft etc

Posted on Oct 29, 2015 4:06 PM

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Q: Only for Google links: Safari Can't Open the Page

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  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Oct 29, 2015 5:43 PM in response to Mark Sealey
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Oct 29, 2015 5:43 PM in response to Mark Sealey

    From the Safari menu bar, select

              Safari Preferences... Privacy Remove All Website Data...

    and confirm. Test.

  • by Mark Sealey,

    Mark Sealey Mark Sealey Oct 29, 2015 6:31 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 2 (362 points)
    Desktops
    Oct 29, 2015 6:31 PM in response to Linc Davis

    Thanks, Linc.

     

    I actually searched for 'Googl*' and removed only those dozen or so that were left by Google.

     

    Shall report back if it fixes it. Appreciated…

  • by Mark Sealey,

    Mark Sealey Mark Sealey Oct 31, 2015 2:44 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 2 (362 points)
    Desktops
    Oct 31, 2015 2:44 PM in response to Linc Davis

    It did work for almost two days… from the time I removed that data (around 6:30 PDT on Thursday) until this afternoon.

     

    Now I get the error on every single link I click on after a Google search again :-(((

  • by Jonathan Payne1,

    Jonathan Payne1 Jonathan Payne1 Nov 1, 2015 12:54 PM in response to Mark Sealey
    Level 1 (44 points)
    Mac OS X
    Nov 1, 2015 12:54 PM in response to Mark Sealey

    I am having the same problem with https://t.co/... links from twitter. They hanging for a long time in safari, but seem to open instantly with Chrome.

     

    Eventually they time out in safari and then if I reload in safari it works.

     

    Not even sure where to begin, except maybe by downloading safari from scratch and seeing if that helps...

  • by Mark Sealey,

    Mark Sealey Mark Sealey Nov 1, 2015 1:12 PM in response to Jonathan Payne1
    Level 2 (362 points)
    Desktops
    Nov 1, 2015 1:12 PM in response to Jonathan Payne1

    Thanks for adding, Jonathan.

     

    This first began for me at the beginning of this year (2015). Apple was very helpful. I did all the usual Capture Data uploads; their engineers diagnosed it as a problem with AT&T (we have U-verse). I confess, I was skeptical… only in Safari, only with Google results pages; networking?

     

    AT&T came, checked the line, and said they made minor adjustments at the 'box' (on the street).

     

    The problem did appear to go away - from May/June until last week.

     

    Now it's become more than a minor annoyance; it makes Google totally unusable.

     

    In FF etc it's fine. Other search engines all work; I'm contemplating switching to DuckDuckGo.

     

    But it does look - with all due respect to those who know a great deal more about networking than I do - as though these specific combinations of circumstances, like the one you mention, warrant close investigation on the grounds that there are apparently software-specific problems afoot.

  • by Jonathan Payne1,

    Jonathan Payne1 Jonathan Payne1 Nov 1, 2015 1:40 PM in response to Mark Sealey
    Level 1 (44 points)
    Mac OS X
    Nov 1, 2015 1:40 PM in response to Mark Sealey

    Apple has been very helpful with me in the past in serious issues as well.

     

    Blaming it on your ISP seems rather ridiculous though. A simple test for that is to see if other computers exhibit the same issue.


    I stopped using Safari as my main browser in May of 2015 and I just switched back to Safari late last week, which is when I noticed this problem. So I think it's safari related, especially since as far as I can tell, I can open the links immediately with Chrome.


    Which I suggest you switch to, unless you have some reason not to. So don't switch search engines, just switch to any browser other than Safari.

     

    And meanwhile I am going to see what, if anything, I can do about this problem. I have had issues with networking in the past, but I reset my system configuration and a bunch of problems that nobody else but me had seemed to go away. However, I just reset my system configuration not long ago and I am not sure why I should have to do it again OR whether it will have any impact at all.

     

    I guess I am glad I am not alone even if this seems to be exceedingly rare.

  • by Mark Sealey,

    Mark Sealey Mark Sealey Nov 1, 2015 1:42 PM in response to Jonathan Payne1
    Level 2 (362 points)
    Desktops
    Nov 1, 2015 1:42 PM in response to Jonathan Payne1

    Yes, Jonathan, I agree :-)

     

    This does seem to be a specific not-network-related fault. Good luck!

  • by Jonathan Payne1,

    Jonathan Payne1 Jonathan Payne1 Nov 1, 2015 1:44 PM in response to Mark Sealey
    Level 1 (44 points)
    Mac OS X
    Nov 1, 2015 1:44 PM in response to Mark Sealey

    One more thing: disable all your extensions.

     

    I haven't done that yet because I really need them.

     

    But I once got really upset with Apple only to discover it was one of my safari extensions.

     

    JP

  • by Mark Sealey,

    Mark Sealey Mark Sealey Nov 1, 2015 1:48 PM in response to Jonathan Payne1
    Level 2 (362 points)
    Desktops
    Nov 1, 2015 1:48 PM in response to Jonathan Payne1

    I may be able to save you the trouble here: I only have one; and disabling it made no difference whatsoever.

     

    It literally is only ever links beginning, "https://www.google.com?url=…" !!

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Nov 1, 2015 2:39 PM in response to Mark Sealey
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Nov 1, 2015 2:39 PM in response to Mark Sealey

    Start up in Recovery mode. In the OS X Utilities screen, select Get Help Online. A clean copy of Safari will launch. No plugins, such as Flash, will be available. While in Recovery, you'll have no access to your saved bookmarks or passwords, so make a note of those before you begin, if they're needed for the test.

    Test. After testing, restart as usual and post the results.

  • by Mark Sealey,

    Mark Sealey Mark Sealey Nov 1, 2015 2:55 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 2 (362 points)
    Desktops
    Nov 1, 2015 2:55 PM in response to Linc Davis

    Thanks so much, Linc; you kindly suggested this once before. So why not make it one of the first things I did this time when the Google problem recurred the other day.

     

    All other sites except Google results links work fine in that environment; I don't store pwds in Safari itself, so wasn't hampered there.

     

    No difference; same timeouts :-(

     

    (I also repeated - this afternoon - your advice to remove all Google cookies. This time - unlike the other day - it made no difference.)

     

    Thanks!

     

    I've also set my default search to DuckDuckGo in Safari 9.0.1 with a 100% success rate.

     

    With one egregious example: DuckDuckGo results always fail (so far) when the URL itself is Google itself.

     

    Could this even be some sort of network throttling of Google?!

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Nov 1, 2015 2:55 PM in response to Mark Sealey
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Nov 1, 2015 2:55 PM in response to Mark Sealey

    Back up all data.

    Unlock the Network preference pane, if necessary, by clicking the lock icon in the lower left corner and entering your password. Cllck Advanced, open the DNS tab, and change the server addresses to the following:

              8.8.8.8

              8.8.4.4

    That's Google DNS. Click OK, then Apply.

    In Safari, select

              Safari ▹ Preferences... Privacy Remove All Website Data

    and confirm. If you’re using another browser, empty the cache. Test. Any difference?

    Notes:

    1. If you lose Internet access after making the above change to your network settings, delete the Google servers in the  Network preference pane, then select the TCP/IP tab and click Renew DHCP Lease. That should restore the original DNS settings; otherwise restore them yourself. Remember that you must click Apply in order for any changes to take effect.

    2. I don't use Google DNS myself, though I have tested it, and I'm not recommending it or any other DNS provider; the server addresses are offered merely for testing purposes. There may be privacy and technical issues involved in using that service, which you should investigate personally before you decide whether to keep the settings. Other public DNS services exist.

  • by Mark Sealey,

    Mark Sealey Mark Sealey Nov 1, 2015 3:08 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 2 (362 points)
    Desktops
    Nov 1, 2015 3:08 PM in response to Linc Davis

    Thanks, Linc. Yes, my default DNS has been OpenDNS for years.

     

    Instead I've actually also tried AT&T's DNS addresses (ISP is U-Verse) because of this (no improvement) - and those of Google that you note here.

     

    Same fault - though only in Safari and only from Google links, and usually only intermittently.

     

    While not being a network expert by any means, I've always assumed that this is not a DNS malfunction since Safari's error message doesn't actually say it can't find the Google server; but that the (resolved?) page on which the content resides has stopped responding after a minute or so.

     

    I take this to mean that URLs in the format, "https://www.google.com?url=…", are resolved, reached and then somehow fail in Safari only.

     

    Just FTR every other site I use is available instantly, I have a fast machine; and never ever experience any other kind of connectivity issues, crashes or hangs etc. Odd, isn't it.

     

    Your help appreciated!

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Nov 1, 2015 4:13 PM in response to Mark Sealey
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Nov 1, 2015 4:13 PM in response to Mark Sealey

    You seem to have ruled out everything except a router or ISP issue. If possible, connect to another network, such as the hotspot created by a mobile phone, and test.

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