Getting banking sites to work with Safari

Though it's a topic we've covered several times in the past, users continue to inquire regarding fixes for an issue where Safari is not able to access some banking Web sites.

The first thing you should try if your banking Web site is inaccessible with Safari is enabling the debug menu and changing the Safari "user agent" ID.

Enabling the debug menu can be accomplished with a software like TinkerTool and Safari Debugger, or by entering the following command in the Terminal (located in Applications/Utilities) then pressing return:

defaults write com.apple.Safari IncludeDebugMenu 1

You may need to quit then re-launch Safari after issuing this command.

After enabling, and launching Safari, you will see the menu "Debug" on the far right of the menubar. Navigate down to the "User Agent" section of this menu and note the various browsers available as user agents. Try switching to Internet Explorer or Netscape and re-attempting access to your bank

This workaround is not successful for all readers. MacFixIt reader Stuart Hillyer, for instance, writes:

"After a recent storm my internet connection went down and so I drove across town to use the local internet cafe to apply online for my student loan. Surprise! 'www.Teri.org' is incompatible with Safari 2.0.3 (417.9.3) even with the debug menu on and trying all other agents."

In this case, you might want to try removing third-party plug-ins -- which could be causing compatibility problems with your bank -- from the /Library/Internet Plug-Ins directory. For example, the Flash Plyaer plug-in was implicated in some problems with access to the Bank of America Web site.

You may also want to try clearing Safari's cache (go to the "Safari" menu inside the application and select "Empty Cache") and deleting cookies (go to the "Safari" menu, select "Preferences" then clock "Show Cookies"). Problematic data in both of these areas can cause problems logging into some banking Web sites.

Finally, try turning off RSS support. This option is also accessible through the Safari Debug menu. Several readers have reported that doing so allows access to otherwise unreachable banking sites.

Of course, using an alternative browser is always an option when secure sites won't work in Safari. Several readers have reported that Firefox successfully loads secure banking sites that fail in Safari.

Feedback? Late-breakers@macfixit.com.

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