How To Fix PR_END_OF_FILE_ERROR Connection Error

When you browse the internet, many websites use secure connections to keep your information safe. These secure connections are made possible through protocols like Secure Sockets Layers (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS).

SSL and TLS work by encrypting the data sent between your browser and the website, ensuring no one can access or tamper with your personal information. While these protocols are essential for safe browsing, they can sometimes cause unexpected errors.

One such error you may encounter in the Firefox browser is the PR_END_OF_FILE_ERROR. This error usually appears when Firefox fails to establish a secure connection to a website.

While it’s frustrating to see this message, it’s a common issue users encounter. The error typically indicates a problem with the SSL/TLS settings or a conflict within the browser, preventing it from completing the secure connection.

In this tutorial, we’ll explore what err code: PR_END_OF_FILE_ERROR means and the common causes of the PR_END_OF_FILE_ERROR. We also offer five simple methods to fix it. If you understand and address the underlying issue, you can restore your secure browsing experience and avoid interruptions while visiting your favorite websites.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. PR_END_OF_FILE_ERROR in Firefox happens when secure connections fail due to settings or software conflicts.
2. Common fixes include disabling third-party security software, VPNs, or proxies.
3. You can also resolve the end of file error by disabling DNS over HTTPS, resetting Firefox’s SSL settings, and creating a new Firefox profile.
4. Prevent this error by using only necessary security software, keeping VPN/proxy settings updated, and optimizing Firefox regularly.
5. Following these steps helps maintain smooth and secure browsing.

What Is The PR_END_OF_FILE_ERROR?

The PR_END_OF_FILE_ERROR is a browser error message you might see when you access a website using the Firefox browser. This error occurs when Firefox cannot establish a secure connection with the domain name or website you are trying to visit.

To understand this better, imagine trying to converse with someone, but the phone line keeps disconnecting before you can even start talking. In this analogy, the phone line is like a secure connection, and the disconnection happens when this error occurs; Firefox cannot connect and communicate securely.

Secure connections on the internet are established using protocols like SSL and TLS. These protocols ensure that the data exchanged between your browser and the website is encrypted and protected from prying eyes.

When a secure connection is attempted, the browser and the website must agree on a common set of rules or encryption methods called cipher suites. These cipher suites determine how the data will be encrypted and decrypted during the session.

However, if Firefox cannot agree with the website on a cipher suite, or if there’s an issue with how SSL or TLS is being handled, this may trigger the error. Here’s how it appears in Firefox: It says an error occurred during a connection to a domain name.

Furthermore, it says the page you’re trying to view can’t be shown because the authenticity of the received data couldn’t be verified. Moreover, it suggests you contact the website owner to inform them about this problem.

This error is more specific to Firefox because of how it manages secure connections and handles certain encryption methods. Other browsers might handle these situations differently, either by using fallback methods or by handling the negotiation process another way, which is why you might not see this exact error in browsers like Chrome or Edge. However, you may encounter This Site Can’t Provide a Secure Connection Error in other browsers.

Common Causes Of PR_END_OF_FILE_ERROR

One of the main reasons you might see the secure connection failed PR_END_OF_FILE_ERROR in Firefox is due to a corrupt or incorrect Firefox profile. Your Firefox profile stores all your settings, bookmarks, and other personal data. If something goes wrong with your profile, such as corruption or incorrect configurations, it can cause issues with secure connections, leading to this error.

Another possible cause is the use of incorrect or outdated cipher suites. Cipher suites are combinations of encryption algorithms used to secure your connection. If your browser or the website you’re visiting uses outdated or mismatched cipher suites, this can prevent a secure connection from being established, resulting in the end of file error.

Sometimes, misconfigured VPN or proxy settings can also trigger this error. VPNs and proxies are tools used to protect your online privacy by masking or hiding your IP address. However, if these settings are not configured correctly, they can interfere with the SSL/TLS protocols and cause connection errors like this one.

Finally, interference from third-party security software can lead to the end of file error. Security software (e.g., antivirus programs and firewalls) are designed to safeguard your computer, but sometimes they can be too aggressive. They might block certain connections or interfere with Firefox’s ability to establish a secure connection, resulting in this error message.

Now that you know what the error code: PR_END_OF_FILE_ERROR means and why and where it occurs. It’s time to explore various methods to resolve it. So, let’s dive in!

How To Resolve PR_END_OF_FILE_ERROR In Windows

Let’s delve into some solutions to help you fix the end of file error in Firefox. Each step is simple and can get you back to browsing safely in no time.

Disable Third-Party Security Software

Third-party security software, such as antivirus or firewalls, is designed to protect your computer from online threats by monitoring and sometimes interfering with your internet connections.

While these programs are meant to keep you safe, they can sometimes conflict with your browser’s ability to create secure connections using SSL or TLS protocols. When this occurs, you can see the end of file error in Firefox.

This error occurs because the security software is blocking or modifying the secure connection, preventing Firefox from completing the process. If you suspect your third-party security software is causing the PR_END_OF_FILE_ERROR, you can temporarily disable it to see if the error disappears. Here’s how to do it:

Find the icon for your security software in the system tray (usually at the bottom-right corner of your screen, near the clock). Right click on the security software icon to open a menu of options.

Then, look for an option that says something similar to Disable, Turn off protection, or Pause protection. Select this option. You may be prompted to choose how long you wish to disable it; select a short duration, like 10 or 15 minutes. You may have to confirm your choice by clicking Yes or OK in a dialog box.

After disabling the security software, restart your computer, then go back to Firefox and revisit the page that showed the PR_END_OF_FILE_ERROR. If the page loads without any issues, the security software was likely the cause of the error. Now, you may have to seek an alternative way to fulfill your needs.

However, if you’re wondering, we previously discussed how to disable the firewall and Avast antivirus in detail. So, you may refer to the following sections for that:

– How to Disable Windows Defender Firewall

– How to Disable Avast Antivirus Software

Important:

After testing, don’t forget to re-enable your security software by following the same steps and selecting the option to turn protection back on. If you use Linux or macOS, this solution might not be applicable, since these operating systems typically do not rely on the same third-party security software common on Windows. However, if you have antivirus or firewall software installed on Linux or macOS, the steps to disable them will be similar; however, exact instructions may vary depending on the software you use.

Disable Virtual Private Network (VPN) Or Proxy

Employing a VPN or proxy can sometimes cause the secure connection failed PR_END_OF_FILE_ERROR error in Firefox. This happens as VPNs and proxies reroute your internet connection through different servers to protect your privacy.

While this can be useful for security, it can also interfere with the SSL/TLS protocols used by the website you’re trying to access. When Firefox detects this interference, it may fail to complete the connection and display the PR_END_OF_FILE_ERROR.

To fix this issue, it’s important to temporarily disable your VPN or proxy to see if it resolves the error. Disabling these tools allows your browser to connect directly to the website without any interruptions or rerouting; this makes it easier to establish a secure connection.

Here’s how to disable VPN:

Press Windows + I hot key combination to open the Settings menu. Click on Network & Internet.

Select VPN from the left-hand menu. Choose your active VPN and click Disconnect. You may also click the Remove button if you find your VPN culprit and don’t want to use it.

However, to disable the proxy, go to the Start menu → Settings → Network & Internet menu and select Proxy from the left-hand menu. Under Manual proxy setup, toggle the Use a proxy server option to Off.

After disabling your VPN and proxy, restart your computer to apply the changes. Open Firefox and revisit the website to see if the PR_END_OF_FILE_ERROR has been resolved.

When you disable your VPN or proxy, you allow Firefox to connect to websites more directly; this often solves the end of file error. If the error disappears after you have followed these steps, you’ll know that your VPN or proxy was causing the issue.

Reset Firefox’s SSL Settings

Firefox’s Secure Socket Layer (SSL) settings control how the browser handles secure website connections. Over time, these settings might be altered due to updates, security software, or other changes, which can cause issues when Firefox tries to establish a secure connection.

Therefore, you may encounter the error code: PR_END_OF_FILE_ERROR when there’s a problem with these SSL settings. For example, if Firefox is configured to use outdated or incompatible encryption protocols, it may fail to connect securely to certain websites, triggering this error.

Here’s how to refresh Firefox settings to default:

Open your Firefox browser on your PC. Click on the three horizontal lines (≡) in the upper-right of the browser window. From the dropdown menu, select Help.

In the Help menu, click on More troubleshooting information.

On the Troubleshooting Information page, you’ll see a button labeled Refresh Firefox on the right-hand side. Click this button, then confirm your choice in the pop-up that appears. Firefox will close and reset its settings to Default.

After the reset is complete, Firefox will restart automatically. Now, try visiting the website and see if the PR_END_OF_FILE_ERROR error persists. If the issue was related to incorrect SSL settings or conflicting configurations, the error should no longer appear and you will be able to browse securely. If the error prevails, you may move to the next solution.

Disable DNS Over HTTPS

Before we dive into the solution, let’s understand what DNS, HTTPS, and DNS over HTTPS mean. Domain Name System (DNS) helps your browser translate website names (like www.hosted.com) into IP addresses – numerical addresses used to find websites. Without DNS, you’d have to remember complex numbers instead of simple domain names whenever you want to visit a website.

On the other hand, HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) is a way to keep your information safe when you’re browsing online. When you see “HTTPS” at the beginning of a web address, it tells you the data sent between your web browser and the website is encrypted. This encryption helps protect your personal information, like passwords and credit card numbers, from being seen or stolen by others.

So, DNS over HTTPS (DoH) is a protocol that makes DNS requests more secure by encrypting them using HTTPS-encrypted sessions. Normally, DNS requests are sent over the internet as plain text, which means anyone can see which websites you’re trying to visit. DNS over HTTPS hides these requests by wrapping them in encryption, just like your other internet traffic, to keep your browsing more private and secure.

Therefore, the main goal of DNS over HTTPS is to protect your privacy and security while browsing the web. By encrypting DNS requests, this feature prevents third parties like hackers or even your internet service provider (ISP), from seeing the websites you visit. This adds another layer of privacy, making it harder for anyone to track your online activities.

Now, you might be wondering if the purpose of DoH is to secure your browsing and how it can be the source of the end of file error. This error can occur if there’s a conflict between the DoH settings and the website’s SSL/TLS configuration. For example, if the encrypted DNS request doesn’t match the expected settings or there’s an issue with how Firefox handles these requests, the secure connection might fail, resulting in this error.

In this case, you need to disable DNS over HTTPS in Firefox. Here’s how:

Launch your Firefox browser. Click on ≡ → Settings.

Click on Privacy & Security. Scroll down to the Enable DNS over HTTPS using section and choose Off to disable it.

Now, restart Firefox to apply the new settings. When you disable DNS over HTTPS, you may be able to resolve the PR_END_OF_FILE_ERROR and restore your connection to the website. If this does fix the issue, you can decide whether to keep it disabled or explore other options for resolving the problem.

Create A New Firefox Profile

If other fixes haven’t worked, creating a new Firefox profile can help resolve the error code: PR_END_OF_FILE_ERROR. Creating a new Firefox profile means setting up a fresh environment within Firefox that won’t carry over your current settings, bookmarks, extensions, or preferences.

Each profile in Firefox acts like a separate user account within the browser, allowing you to have different configurations or troubleshoot issues without affecting your main profile.

However, before creating a new Firefox profile, it’s important to back up your current data, especially your bookmarks. This ensures you don’t lose any important information and can restore your data to the new profile.

So, to back up your bookmarks, open Firefox and go to ≡ → Bookmarks → Manage bookmarks.  This will take you to the Library window. Alternatively, press Ctrl + Shift + O to reach the same destination.

In the Library window, select All Bookmarks. Then, click on Import and Backup at the top, and select Export Bookmarks to HTML.

Choose a location to save the HTML file and click Save.

After that, go to your Firefox browser and type about:profiles in the address bar. This will open the Firefox Profile Manager. Click on Create a New Profile.

To begin creating your Firefox profile, click Next.

Enter your new profile name and click Finish. Optionally, you may change the directory to store your user settings, preferences, and other user-related data; in this example, we’re going with the default directory.

Now, go back to the About Profiles page that you opened by navigating to about:profiles. Page down to your new Firefox profile and click Launch profile in new browser.

Now, Firefox is running with the newly created profile. Press Ctrl + Shift + O to go to the Library. Select All Bookmarks from the left. Then, click on Import and Backup → Import Bookmarks from HTML.

Locate and select the HTML file you just saved, and click Open.

Your bookmarks will now be imported into the new profile. To confirm that all bookmarks are imported, open the exported bookmarks file and compare it in the Firefox library as follows:

By following these steps, you can create a new Firefox profile and transfer your bookmarks, giving you a fresh start while keeping your important data intact. Now, test the connection with your new profile to see if you can access the web page. You should now be able to browse without any issues.

Preventive Measures

To avoid running into the PR_END_OF_FILE_ERROR in the future, there are a few simple steps you can take.

Avoid Using Unnecessary Third-Party Security Software:

While security software is important to protect your system, installing too many third-party security programs can cause conflicts with Firefox and other applications. These conflicts might lead to errors, slower performance, or unexpected behavior. Stick to well-known, necessary security solutions and avoid overlapping tools that provide the same function.

Regularly Update Your VPN/Proxy Settings:

VPNs and proxies are useful for privacy and bypassing regional restrictions, but outdated or misconfigured settings can cause connectivity issues, including errors in Firefox. Ensure that your VPN or proxy settings are up-to-date and compatible with Firefox to maintain smooth browsing.

Keep Firefox and Its Settings Optimized:

Regularly update Firefox to the latest version to ensure you have the latest security patches and performance improvements. Also, review and optimize your browser settings periodically to remove unnecessary extensions, clear the browser cache, and ensure that your configurations are aligned with your browsing needs. This helps in preventing errors and maintaining an optimal browsing experience.

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