"Your connection is not private" errors for both Safari & Chrome browsers, Mac OS El Capitan (can't upgrade)

No Terminal involved at all. It's just a matter of downloading that certificate , double-clicking on it, double clicking on the ISRG certificate again in your Keychain to open up more options, and Expanding the little carat arrow thing then choosing Alway Trust. Should work immediately by opening up another tab or restarting your browsers. But yeah it was a little involved. Thanks alot Apple

You'll need to update your root certificate store, then.

These directions—I have no way to test this—look pretty good for adding the new root certs on OS X 10.11 and earlier:

https://mjtsai.com/blog/2021/09/24/some-web-sites-will-stop-working-with-el-capitan-and-older/#comment-3538503

I have the same problem now with Safari on my 2013 MacBook Pro, and I have had it at times in the past. In the past, it was due to an incorrect date/time setting. More recently, the problem persisted.

Fortunately, my Firefox browser is working fine.

Sometimes I want or need to use Safari, though. This page gives a quick explanation of the problem and shows you how to fix it: https://browserhow.com/how-to-fix-this-connection-is-not-private-in-safari-mac/

The fix doesn't require any system or application upgrades. I did it just now without even quitting Safari. The new certificate it uses will expire in 3 years, so you still need a new device or an OS upgrade at some point, but it gets you back to work quickly and buys you time to make a planned migration to a newer machine.

The process of getting the new downloaded certificate into the system keychain and designated as "Trusted" was not precisely the same as illustrated in the video, but it was close enough that I was able to figure it out even though I'd never before looked at or made any changes in either personal or system keychains.

If somebody gives you some good reasons not to use the solution described above, listen to them, not me.

Good luck!

Oak415 wrote:

This is obviously an Apple software issue. Just did a clean install of OS X El Capitan 10.11.16 on my Early 2015 macbook pro and I am getting these connection not private errors. So you guys aren’t crazy. To duplicate what I am getting try browsing to ProtonMail.com or slickdeals.net

fix yo **** apple

There is a “this connection is not private” message, which usually means the security checks for the website you’re connecting to have failed. check the certificates. That might or might not be the new root certificate for LetsEncrypt, and you can either upgrade to High Sierra (or technically recently-patched Sierra) if the Mac supports it, or load the new root certificate yourself as was linked earlier.

I’m routinely seeing connections blocks against OS X 10.11 client not related to this certificate too, as the network security present in OS X 10.11 ages out.

As they may or may not see it here, log your feedback with Apple, too: Product Feedback - Apple

Upgrading to High Sierra or newer will resolve this certificate case, yes.

if your iMac 27” is late 2009 or newer, it can be upgraded to High Sierra.

If your iMac is late 2012 or newer, it can be upgraded to Mojave.

If yet newer, yet newer upgrade choices are available.

If you are not sure which model year your iMac 27” is, you can use 🍎 > About This Mac to see that info.

…If you post the Mac model year here, we we tailor upgrade information and info about known wrinkles to your available upgrade options.

Some other background about macOS updates and upgrades: Apple differentiates “updates” from “upgrades”, with updates being smaller fixes and changes not expected to disrupt apps. Upgrades can be and usually are larger changes, and some upgrades can or will disrupt apps or can then require app updates. Software updates are offered easily, while you have to specifically request an upgrade. As a guess here, you’ve probably been checking for software updates on occasion, and there have been few or no updates. But there have been upgrades, with those arriving roughly yearly in recent years.

Have a backup before the upgrade.

Use only Safari to download the macOS version you choose: How to get old versions of macOS - Apple Support

The Adobe tools and Microsoft Office (2011 and earlier, 2016 and newer should work) will probably continue to work as expected through Mojave, but you’re not going to get around not upgrading older apps forever, and will be looking at alternatives for those apps, or for upgrades, or for other approaches (e.g. hypervisor guest), or learning more about how to manage an older OS X version that’s fallen off support.

Reading between the lines, I think you are telling that my Plan B, which is to dust off the Powerbook 1400 stored in my garage, won't save me as my 2013 machine becomes less useful.

Sheesh, it's like those greedy people running Apple expect me to buy a computer every decade. They are going to get a very nasty (and brief) telegram from me about that, you can be sure.

ottnott wrote:

Reading between the lines, I think you are telling that my Plan B, which is to dust off the Powerbook 1400 stored in my garage, won't save me as my 2013 machine becomes less useful.

Sheesh, it's like those greedy people running Apple expect me to buy a computer every decade. They are going to get a very nasty (and brief) telegram from me about that, you can be sure.

You’re expected to have at least one computer of each processor architecture. Says so right in that EULA that we all click past. Luckily for you, Apple just now now has a brand new architecture available, too.

Slightly more seriously, I’d go for at least 16 GB and loaded with storage as you pretty clearly hang onto your computers for a while, and the newer Mac models, and the M1/Pro/Max models are rather less than upgradable after purchase.

This is obviously an Apple software issue. Just did a clean install of OS X El Capitan 10.11.16 on my Early 2015 macbook pro and I am getting these connection not private errors. So you guys aren’t crazy. To duplicate what I am getting try browsing to ProtonMail.com or slickdeals.net

fix yo **** apple

Best keep macOS to a supported version—that’s the three most recent macOS versions, in typical usage—or expect you’ll have to fix stuff in your own.

If you must run ~seven year old OS X El Capitan 10.11 here, load the certificate manually, as linked earlier.

If you allow your hardware and software further back—and five to seven years is about the practical useful limit there with Macs—then the savings of doing no upgrades does accrue for a while, until the “balloon payments” for doing no upgrades come due. The “balloon payments” usually come due on the app bugs’ or app limits’ or failing Mac hardware’s schedule and on not yours, too.

If y’all want to send your El Capitan feedback to the folks at Apple: https://www.apple.com/feedback/

I’m unfollowing this thread, as I am finding this thread is just draining. Have a wonderful day, to each and every one of you.

Worked fine! Thanks a lot! Only importing the certificate did not work with "system" ...