One of the most common web browser errors on the Chrome browser is ‘err_cert_authority_invalid‘. The error message appears with a read screen which reads ‘Your Connection is not private’

If you also get the same error message while visiting your favorite website, it doesn’t necessarily mean the site you are about to visit is risky. The ‘err_cert_authority_invalid’ occurs when the certificate issued is obsolete, the browser is outdated, etc.

In this article, we share a few of the best ways to fix the error message from the Google Chrome browser.

1. Check the Date & Time

The ‘err_cert_authority_invalid’ sometimes occurs due to incorrect date & time settings. Wrong time and date settings create incompatibility issues between the SSL Validation and the System clock, leading to the ‘err_cert_authority_invalid’.

So, before following the next steps, check the date & time settings. Right-click on the Taskbar and select ‘Adjust Date & time’. From there, make the appropriate changes.

2. Disable The Antivirus & Firewall

The SSL Certificate issues mainly occur when the Firewall blocks the incoming traffic. To fix that, users must disable the Antivirus tool and Firewall.

To disable the firewall, go to the Control Panel and disable it from the Firewall Settings. Once you’ve done this, restart your computer, and the error message ‘err_cert_authority_invalid’ will be fixed.

3. Disable Chrome Extensions

If you get the ‘err_cert_authority_invalid’ error message after installing a new Chrome extension, the extension might be the culprit. So, if the above methods have failed to fix your web browser’s error message, you need to turn off all Chrome extensions.

To turn off the Chrome extension, go to Settings > Extension. There, you will see a list of all enabled Chrome extensions. Disable all and restart your Chrome browser.

4. Update Your Web Browser

The next best thing you can do to deal with the NET::ERR_CERT_AUTHORITY_INVALID error is to update the web browser. Since the error message mainly appears on Google Chrome, we have shared the steps to update the Chrome browser. Here’s what you need to do.

1. Open the Google Chrome web browser and click on the three dots at the top right.

2. On the menu that appears, select Settings.

3. On Settings, switch to the About Chrome tab.

4. Now, Google Chrome will automatically check for all available updates. If an update is available, it will be downloaded and installed automatically.

5. Disable the VPN or Proxy Connection

Although VPN or Proxy apps are great for enhancing your online privacy and security, they can also trigger various errors.

Sometimes, this SSL certificate error appears just because you’re masking your actual IP Address.

You can try deactivating the VPN and see if it helps. If the error still appears, you can enable the VPN again.

6. Clear the Web Browser Cookies and Cache

If updating the Chrome browser didn’t help, you can try clearing the browser cache and cookies. Here’s how to clear the web browser cookies and cache in easy steps.

1. Open Google Chrome, click the three dots at the top right corner and select Settings.

2. On Settings, switch to Privacy and Security.

3. On the right side, click on Clear Browsing Data.

4. Switch to the Advanced tab, select Cookies and other site data, and Cached images and files.

5. Once done, click on the Clear Data button.

7. Reset Chrome Browser

As mentioned, incorrect browser settings also lead to several errors, including ‘err_cert_authority_invalid’. So, if the above methods have failed to fix the error message, you might consider resetting the browser settings.

To Reset your Chrome browser, head to Settings > Advanced Options. Under the Advanced options, find the option Restore Settings to their original defaults and click on the Reset Browser Settings. Once done, restart your browser to fix the error code.

8. Change DNS

Well, the err_cert_authority_invalid also occurs due to incorrect DNS Settings. Some Windows users have reported fixing the error message by changing the DNS. So, in this method, users need to change the default DNS to Google DNS to fix the ‘err_cert_authority_invalid’ Chrome error.

1. Head to the Control Panel and click on the Network and Sharing Center.

2. In the next step, click on Change Adapter Settings.

3. Now right-click on the connected network adapter and select Properties.

4. On the Networking tab, select the Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click on Properties.

5. Now click on Use the following DNS Server addresses. You need to fill in the values for Google DNS, 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4.

These are the best methods to fix the ‘err_cert_authority_invalid’ error message. If you have any doubts, please discuss them with us in the comment box below.