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Firefox forces HTTPS

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I have tried every trick I could find but FF keeps forcing HTTPS and will not load HTTP unless I try it in a private window

Im running IIS on my local box using a sub domain ...

I have tried every trick I could find but FF keeps forcing HTTPS and will not load HTTP unless I try it in a private window Im running IIS on my local box using a sub domain ...

All Replies (6)

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I deleted all profiles ... deleted FF and mozilla from my registry ... re installed ... still having the issue

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What sub domain are you using ?

Some domains like .dev are in the HSTS preload list and thus can only be accessed via HTTPS.

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my production site is https://www.(domain).com in the data center my dev box sitting on my desk is http://jeff2016.(domain).com

(same domain name) both .com

Modified by jeff82

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Start Firefox in Safe Mode to check if one of the extensions ("3-bar" menu button or Tools -> Add-ons -> Extensions) or if hardware acceleration is causing the problem.

  • switch to the DEFAULT theme: "3-bar" menu button or Tools -> Add-ons -> Themes
  • do NOT click the "Refresh Firefox" button on the Safe Mode start window

You can try to rename/remove SiteSecurityServiceState.txt in the Firefox profile folder with Firefox closed.

You can use the button on the "Help -> Troubleshooting Information" (about:support) page to go to the current Firefox profile folder or use the about:profiles page.

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jeff82 said

my production site is https://www.(domain).com in the data center
my dev box sitting on my desk is http://jeff2016.(domain).com

Does your production site force HTTPS? Firefox may not distinguish among subdomains (www vs jeff2016) when it comes to HSTS.

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You could consider creating an additional profile as a workaround. I have an extra profile for screenshots and demos, and seeing how Firefox works without all my modifications. You can use a different theme for the toolbar area of the new profile to distinguish them when you switch windows.

New Profile Setup

This takes about 1 minute to set up, but time to customize is very variable.

Inside Firefox, type or paste about:profiles in the address bar and press Enter/Return to load it.

Click the "Create a New Profile" button, then click Next. Assign a name like DEV, ignore the option to relocate the profile folder, and click the Finish button.

After creating the profile, scroll down to it and click the Launch profile in new browser button.

Firefox should open a new window that looks like a brand new, uncustomized installation. (Your existing Firefox window(s) should not be affected.) Please ignore any tabs enticing you to connect to a Sync account if you don't want to duplicate settings between profiles.

(Experiment as desired.)

When you are done with this profile, you can close the extra window without affecting your regular Firefox profile. (May2020 will remain available for future testing.)

Note: if this changed your default profile, use the Set as Default Profile button for your regular profile to set it back to normal.