What is SSL-HANDSHAKE-FAIL?
SSL handshake failure is a low-severity network adapter issue. The browser or application cannot establish an encrypted HTTPS connection. The usual suspects are bad system time, obsolete root certificates, firewall blocking TLS and antivirus SSL scan. Work through the steps below in order.
Common Causes
- Bad system time
- Obsolete root certificates
- Firewall blocking TLS
- Antivirus SSL scan
Step-by-Step Fix Guide
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1
Check and correct date/time
The highest-success first step is Check and correct date/time, which targets the most common trigger behind SSL-HANDSHAKE-FAIL.
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2
Update the root certificates
Should symptoms return, move on to the next steps — they're written specifically for harder-to-catch network instability causes.
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3
Temporarily disable SSL scanning of antivirus
If earlier steps didn't help, "Temporarily disable SSL scanning of antivirus" directly addresses antivirus SSL scan.
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4
Update Windows
"Update Windows" handles an edge case some users report with SSL-HANDSHAKE-FAIL.
Commands & Diagnostics
w32tm /resync /force
certutil -generateSSTFromWU roots.sst
Frequently Asked Questions
SSL-HANDSHAKE-FAIL is most often triggered by bad system time. Other reports point to obsolete root certificates, firewall blocking TLS and antivirus SSL scan as contributing factors.
The fastest fix is "Check and correct date/time". Only move on to the later steps if SSL-HANDSHAKE-FAIL keeps coming back.
As a low-severity issue, SSL-HANDSHAKE-FAIL is more of a stability annoyance than a hardware risk — the steps above should clear it up.
In most cases, yes — the guide above resolves SSL-HANDSHAKE-FAIL without a clean install. Treat a reinstall as the last resort, not the first move.
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