Hmm. We’re having trouble finding that site error message in Firefox [FIX]

Aleksandar Ognjanovic
by Aleksandar Ognjanovic
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fix hmm we're having trouble finding that site

Looking at the current numbers, Mozilla Firefox is the greatest alternative to Google Chrome. After Mozilla revitalized its native browser with the Quantum update, Firefox retook its rightful place.

However, in spite of a myriad of upgrades, Firefox is far from flawless. Some users experienced the “Hmm. We’re having trouble finding that site.” error which, seemingly, occurs frequently.

If you’re seeing this error on a regular basis, make sure to check the solutions we enlisted below.

How to fix the error Hmm. We’re having trouble finding that site

1: Check your connection

First things first. We need to make sure that the Firefox browser is the one to blame for the error. Open an alternative browser and try connecting. If you’re having better luck, than move to the additional steps below.

Otherwise, if you’re still unable to open any website on the alternative browser, too, — we have the connection issues at hand.

Now, these are always difficult to deal with due to a variety of possible reasons why the network is down.

Maybe it’s on your side or maybe is the ISP. Either way, we suggest you take these steps in the order they’re presented and look for resolution:

    • Try using the wired connection instead of the wireless.
    • Restart your router/modem and PC.
    • Flush DNS:
      1. Press Windows key + S to summon the Search bar.
      2. Type cmd, right-click Command prompt and run it as an administrator.fix hmm we're having trouble finding that site
      3. In the command line, type the following commands and press Enter after each:
        •  ipconfig /release
        • ipconfig /renew
      4. After the process ends, type in this command and press Enter:
        • ipconfig /flushdnsfix hmm we're having trouble finding that site
      5. Close the Command Prompt.
    • Run the dedicated Troubleshooter:
      1. Press Windows key + I to open the Settings app.
      2. Choose Update & Security.
      3. Select Troubleshoot from the left pane.
      4. Expand Internet Connections and Run the troubleshooter.fix hmm we're having trouble finding that site
    • Temporarily disable the VPN/Proxy.
    • Update router’s firmware.
    • Reset router to factory settings.

Is Internet connection limited in Windows 10? Solve the problem in no time with our trustworthy guide!

2: Clear Firefox’s cache

Firefox, as any other browser does, collects a lot of cached data. Besides the browsing history, it’ll collect cookies which store the website data.

The intention here is to speed up your surfing experience, but cookies can, when pilled up, cause issues within the browser. What we recommend doing is clearing all browser-stored files and try connecting again.

Just don’t forget to back up your passwords, as this procedure will delete those, too.

Follow these steps to clear the browsing data in Mozilla Firefox:

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete to open the “Clear browsing data” dialog box.
  2. Check all boxes and select “Everything” under the Time range.
  3. Click Clear now.fix hmm we're having trouble finding that site

Did you know that you can fix Firefox corrupted content errors by clearing the cache? Find out more from our article!

3: Disable Add-ons

Even though this is a long shot, disabling Add-ons might help. This especially applies to proxy/VPN extensions which hide your IP address and replace it with the public one.

They are only browser-based, and, in my own experience, free options never worked for me. They either have a low data limit or slow down the bandwidth substantially.

Paid solutions are much better but they still fall short in comparison to VPNs.

Here’s how to disable Add-ons in Mozilla Firefox temporarily:

  1. Open Firefox.
  2. Click on the hamburger menu and expand Help.
  3. Choose Restart with Add-ons disabled.fix hmm we're having trouble finding that site
  4. Click Restart.fix hmm we're having trouble finding that site
  5. Try accessing any sites and look for improvements.

And this is how to disable them for good:

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + A to open the Add-ons menu.
  2. Disable every add-on individually and restart Firefox.fix hmm we're having trouble finding that site
  3. Look for changes.

4: Disable IPv6, Proxy, and DNS Prefetching

Mozilla Firefox works with the IPv6 rather than with the IPv4. If you’re for some reason sticking with the IPv4 protocol solely, we recommend disabling the IPv6 in Mozilla Firefox.

This should avoid further issues and the aforementioned error should be dealt with. In addition, if you don’t use the general Proxy server settings, we suggest disabling this option, too.

And, finally, disable the DNS Prefetching. This feature allows Firefox to load uncached sites faster.

Here’s how to disable IPv6 in Mozilla Firefox:

  1. Open Firefox.
  2. Type about:config in the address bar and press Enter. Accept the risk.
  3. Search for IPv6 in the search bar.
  4. Right-click on network.dns.disableIPv6;false and click Toggle.fix hmm we're having trouble finding that site

And these steps should show you how to disable Proxy:

  1. Click on the hamburger menu and open Options.fix hmm we're having trouble finding that site
  2. Scroll to the bottom and open Settings under the Network Proxy.fix hmm we're having trouble finding that site
  3. Select No proxy and click OK to confirm changes.fix hmm we're having trouble finding that site

Finally, here’s how to disable the DNS Prefetching option:

  1. Repeat the first 2 steps from the IPv6 instructions.
  2. Right-click on the list and select New > Boolean from the contextual menu.fix hmm we're having trouble finding that site
  3. In the preference dialog box, type network.dns.disablePrefetch and press Enter.
  4. Set the preference as True and restart Firefox.

Sometimes, the proxy can’t be disabled no matter what you do. We’ve prepared a simple guide just for such an occasion.

5: Reinstall Mozilla

In the end, the only thing we can think of concerns the clean reinstallation of Mozilla Firefox. This might be the long shot, but there’s always the danger of some hidden error.

Things sometimes tend to go awry after an update, so there’s also that. When we say ‘reinstallation’, we refer to cleaning everything and starting from a scratch.

In order to clean reinstall Mozilla Firefox, follow the steps we provided below:

  1. In the Windows Search bar, type Control and open Control Panel from the list of results.fix hmm we're having trouble finding that site
  2. From the Category view, click Uninstall a program under Programs.fix hmm we're having trouble finding that site
  3. Right-click on Mozilla Firefox and Uninstall it.
  4. Use IObit Uninstaller (suggested) or any other third-party uninstaller to clean all remaining files and registry entries related to Firefox.
  5. Restart your PC.
  6. Download Mozilla Firefox, here. Install it and try connecting again.

You can also try UR browser: secure, user-friendly and it doesn’t ruin your mood! Find out more from our review!

That should do it. In case you’re still unable to address this, we recommend sending a ticket to Mozilla support. On that note, don’t forget to share your questions or alternative solutions with us and our readers in the comments section below.

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