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Hi JerryGSN, Welcome to Microsoft Community. Thank you for posting your inquiry regarding site access issues with your browser.
I can sense your frustration—spending countless hours and trying nearly every solution before the issue shows no sign of abating is incredibly exasperating. From your detailed account, it appears that the problem began after a Windows 11 update and now affects every browser and even file downloads consistently.
Given that you’ve already ruled out typical culprits—by resetting browsers, testing different network connections, clearing certificates and caches, tweaking TLS/SSL options, reconfiguring DNS settings, reinstalling Windows using both Home and Pro editions, trying a new user account, disabling Norton 360, and even swapping out hardware—it seems that the root cause lies deeper within the updated OS. The error messages themselves (particularly the “bad record MAC” alert) indicate that the integrity check of the encrypted data is failing, which is not something a simple local configuration tweak would typically cause.
As a test, we tried accessing Microsoft sites using Microsoft Edge on a device running the exact same version of Windows, but were unable to replicate the issue.
Connecting to a hotspot or USB shared network shared by a mobile device is a common troubleshooting option.
This will directly bypass additional network devices so that you can determine if the problem is only related to the computer itself.
For the Internet Options associated with TLS/SSL you mentioned, in addition to the parameters under the "Advanced" tab, you can also check the contents under the "Security" tab and consider whether you need to restore the security settings to the default values based on your needs. For the Content tab, you can also perform a similar check or Reset/Clear operation. For example, "Clear SSL state".
Clean Boot starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs. It can be used to determine whether a background service or program is interfering or causing a problem.
- These steps of "clean boot" might look complicated at first glance. However, to avoid any trouble for you, please follow them in order and step-by-step.
- Please be careful not to disable any services that may be related to security credentials or security authentication, such as TPM, Security, Credential.
- Disabling services incorrectly will result in inaccessibility to the Windows desktop environment, for example, PIN cannot be verified.
Many devices may have product similar to Armoury Crate, Lenovo Vantage, MSI Center, Dragon Center enabled and installed by default, they are dedicated hardware management tools provided by device manufacturers.
- We can't say arbitrarily that they are the direct cause of the problem, but according to some similar posts, such dedicated hardware management/optimization tools provided by device manufacturers may conflict with the system and cause strange problems.
- If you wish, you can try to check and temporarily disable the options inside these applications before performing further system-level actions or perform a clean uninstall process for similar components.
Norton's product itself may also provide additional network-related management options.
| Disclaimer ***:***Microsoft provides no assurances and/or warranties, implied or otherwise, and is not responsible for the information you receive from the third-party linked sites or any support related to technology. |
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Change the trust level of your network and devices
In some cases, the factors associated with the problem cannot be directly removed by disabling or uninstalling the application itself. If possible, you may need to check the options within the application individually. The following thread describes an example.
How do I resolve this error: ERR_SSL_BAD_RECORD_MAC_ALERT - Microsoft Community
For some hardwares, the driver may contain several different types and versions of files at the same time.
In some cases, you can try to check and switch drivers. To check if the computer has different types of drivers listed.
- Press Win + X and select Device Manager from the menu, or type "Device Manager" in the search bar and select it from the results.
- In Device Manager, locate the category that includes the device you want to update or check, and expand it by clicking the arrow next to it.
- Right-click on the device you want to update or check and select Update driver.
- In the Update Drivers window, select Browse my computer for drivers.
- Next, choose Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer.
- You will see a list of compatible drivers for your device.
- If you see multiple options, you might choose the most recent or appropriate one for your needs, and click Next.
- Then follow the instructions to install it.
If you wish, you can try to perform a "clean uninstall process" of the driver and test an earlier version of the driver to check if the problem persists with an "older version" or "older combination". After the driver "package" is removed from the device, the driver cannot be installed by scanning for hardware changes. Please be careful to back up the driver installation files in advance.
| Disclaimer: Please back up all your important data before performing it. |
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To perform a clean uninstall of a driver using Device Manager:
- Open Device Manager: Press the Windows key, type "Device Manager," and press Enter.
- Locate the Device: In Device Manager, find the device whose driver you want to uninstall. Expand the category if needed.
- Uninstall the Device: Right-click on the device and select "Uninstall device".
- Delete the Driver Software: In the uninstallation window, check the box that says "Delete the driver software for this device" (if available).
- Confirm and Restart: Click "Uninstall" and then restart your computer.
- This process ensures that the driver is completely removed from your system.
- For older versions of the driver, you can visit the device manufacturer's product support site.
- The drivers for some specific models of Bluetooth modules and Wi-Fi network adapter modules may affect each other. If you are using a Bluetooth/WiFi-based device, you can perform similar operations for both at the same time.
| Disclaimer ***:***Microsoft provides no assurances and/or warranties, implied or otherwise, and is not responsible for the information you receive from the third-party linked sites or any support related to technology. |
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Some community members may try disabling IPv6.
- Disable IPv6: Type the following keywords in search box, find and run it.
You will be able to directly access Change adapter settings. Right-click your network connection and select Properties. Uncheck Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6). Click OK to save changes.ncpa.cpl
In addition to the broad level of DNS configuration that can be adjusted in System Settings/Network Adapter, the browser itself may also have built-in options related to DNS and security checks.
If you wish, you can also try to perform a software check or a physical check of the BIOS/motherboard time.
- Windows Clock does not synchronise with the Bios Clock - Microsoft Community
- Time.windows.com is syncing more than usual - Microsoft Community
| Disclaimer*: Microsoft provides no assurances and/or warranties, implied or otherwise, and is not responsible for the information you receive from the third-party linked sites or any support related to technology.*<br>If you are going to modify BIOS Settings, please back up all your personal files first to ensure you do not lose data. |
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On some devices, the system may provide an option called "Fix problems using Windows Update", which is a process similar to "In-place Upgrade" and theoretically does not directly affect the data in the device.
| Disclaimer: Please back up all your important data before performing it. |
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Thanks for your patience and understanding.Best Regards,Kyo.Y - MSFT | Microsoft Community Technical Support