From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system

This PSA is posted to help others....

I use PC privacy browsers, one of which is the "Epic Privacy Browser".
All morning it has been crashing - and I wasted an hour or so debugging.

Therefore I post this to you to be helpful to SAVE YOU TIME debugging!
I've been using Epic for so many years, I don't even know how long.

But today, it just stopped working. Just like that.
1. First it wouldn't "connect to the Internet" (but other browsers did).
2. Then when I debugged & installed the latest, it crashed every time.
3. Wondering if it was just me, I found out it's a widespread issue

*Not Starting / Crashing On Open: Windows & Mac Solutions
<https://blog.epicbrowser.com/2025/07/epic-not-starting-crashing-on-open-windows-mac-solutions/> This article, dated today (July 21, 2025), is the primary source of current information directly from Epic about these issues.

The suggested solution (write to the Epic founder for an "older version")
is odd, but almost everyone on this ng is smart enough to autoarchive older versions (often referred to as the "last known good version) everything
they install so it won't be necessary to contact the founder for one.

My previous autoarchive on Windows is named as follows if you have it.
C:\installers\browsers\chromium-based\epic\.
Name: 20250520_Epic_133.0.6943.127_chrome.7z
Size: 379888313 bytes (362 MiB)
SHA256: EAA3F6AD3D5AC01CA88E70D95CC3817DEEDD6E428A6FDBC856983E395C1597CA

Note all Chromium-based browsers (AFAIK) use "chrome.7z" for installers.
(I'm not sure why though - maybe someone can explain that.)
(Also I'm not sure how the naming changes or is the same for macOS.)

Note: My experience (which isn't reflected in today's blog above), is that
the old version worked fine but it wouldn't connect to *any* Epic proxies.

What has been YOUR experience today with the Epic Privacy Browser?
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system

On Tue, 22 Jul 2025 01:03:15 -0000 (UTC), Marion wrote:

*Not Starting / Crashing On Open: Windows & Mac Solutions
<https://blog.epicbrowser.com/2025/07/epic-not-starting-crashing-on-open-windows-mac-solutions/>

Is epic a new browser in the dozen-strong chromium browser family of brave, chrome, chromium, dragon, internet explorer, iridium, iron, opera,
ungoogled chromium, & vivaldi?

Those are the strangest workarounds I've ever seen for a chromium browser.

Dear Epic Users, July 21, 2025
A few users are reporting issues with our most recent update that Epic
either doesn't open or immediately opens then closes. We have discovered a
few potential solutions to this issue.

If you're using an older version of Windows or OSX, check if the latest Chromium still supports your OS - if it doesn't, you'll need an older
version of Epic (email Alok for a link).

If you're on a reasonably recent OS and you're facing this issue, try these ideas in order:

Open Epic Repeatedly. Open Epic. Epic may crash. Repeat. Re-open Epic.
Epic may crash. Re-open Epic. See if after trying to open Epic 10 to 20
times, it starts working fine.
Delete the "default" folder after backing up passwords & bookmarks.
First backup Passwords & Bookmarks. In Windows, open a window navigator,
then type %localappdata% and press return. Then open the "Epic Privacy
Browser" folder, then open the "User Data" folder, then open the "Default" folder. In Macs, first go to Application Support, then open the
"HiddenReflex" folder, then open the "User Data" folder. Then copy the
files (not the folders) in the "Default" folder - particularly "Bookmarks" "Bookmarks.bak" "Login Data" "Login Data.journal" "TransportSecurity" "Preferences" and any other files there. Copy those files into some safe folder on your system. After Backing up those files, simply delete the "Default" folder in Epic, then re-open Epic. See if that fixes Epic. Upon successful reinstallation of Epic, copy those files back to the same
location in the now working Epic to restore bookmarks & passwords.
Uninstall Epic after backing up passwords & bookmarks. Delete all
registry entries from Epic and the Epic folder in %localappdata% for
Windows or the HiddenReflex folder in Application Support for Macs. Then reinstall Epic.

If none of these 3 solutions gets Epic working on your system again, email
our founder alok at hiddenreflex dot com.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system

On 2025-07-22 01:36:19 +0000, Yusuf Khan said:

On Tue, 22 Jul 2025 01:03:15 -0000 (UTC), Marion wrote:

*Not Starting / Crashing On Open: Windows & Mac Solutions
<https://blog.epicbrowser.com/2025/07/epic-not-starting-crashing-on-open-windows-mac-solutions/>

Is epic a new browser in the dozen-strong chromium browser family of brave, chrome, chromium, dragon, internet explorer, iridium, iron, opera,
ungoogled chromium, & vivaldi?

Those are the strangest workarounds I've ever seen for a chromium browser.

Dear Epic Users, July 21, 2025
A few users are reporting issues with our most recent update that Epic
either doesn't open or immediately opens then closes. We have discovered a few potential solutions to this issue.

If you're using an older version of Windows or OSX, check if the latest Chromium still supports your OS - if it doesn't, you'll need an older
version of Epic (email Alok for a link).

If you're on a reasonably recent OS and you're facing this issue, try these ideas in order:

Open Epic Repeatedly. Open Epic. Epic may crash. Repeat. Re-open Epic. Epic may crash. Re-open Epic. See if after trying to open Epic 10 to 20 times, it starts working fine.
Delete the "default" folder after backing up passwords & bookmarks.
First backup Passwords & Bookmarks. In Windows, open a window navigator, then type %localappdata% and press return. Then open the "Epic Privacy Browser" folder, then open the "User Data" folder, then open the "Default" folder. In Macs, first go to Application Support, then open the "HiddenReflex" folder, then open the "User Data" folder. Then copy the
files (not the folders) in the "Default" folder - particularly "Bookmarks" "Bookmarks.bak" "Login Data" "Login Data.journal" "TransportSecurity" "Preferences" and any other files there. Copy those files into some safe folder on your system. After Backing up those files, simply delete the "Default" folder in Epic, then re-open Epic. See if that fixes Epic. Upon successful reinstallation of Epic, copy those files back to the same
location in the now working Epic to restore bookmarks & passwords.
Uninstall Epic after backing up passwords & bookmarks. Delete all registry entries from Epic and the Epic folder in %localappdata% for
Windows or the HiddenReflex folder in Application Support for Macs. Then reinstall Epic.

If none of these 3 solutions gets Epic working on your system again, email our founder alok at hiddenreflex dot com.

Sounds as far from "epic" as you can get ... sounds they should rename
it as "Pile of Utter Crap Web Browser". It is no surprise that the
braindead moron troll "Marion" would use such garbage.

--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system

On Tue, 22 Jul 2025 18:25:47 +1200, Your Name wrote:

On 2025-07-22 01:36:19 +0000, Yusuf Khan said:

On Tue, 22 Jul 2025 01:03:15 -0000 (UTC), Marion wrote:

*Not Starting / Crashing On Open: Windows & Mac Solutions
<https://blog.epicbrowser.com/2025/07/epic-not-starting-crashing-on-open-windows-mac-solutions/>

Is epic a new browser in the dozen-strong chromium browser family of brave, >> chrome, chromium, dragon, internet explorer, iridium, iron, opera,
ungoogled chromium, & vivaldi?

Those are the strangest workarounds I've ever seen for a chromium browser. >>
Dear Epic Users, July 21, 2025
A few users are reporting issues with our most recent update that Epic
either doesn't open or immediately opens then closes. We have discovered a >> few potential solutions to this issue.

If you're using an older version of Windows or OSX, check if the latest
Chromium still supports your OS - if it doesn't, you'll need an older
version of Epic (email Alok for a link).

If you're on a reasonably recent OS and you're facing this issue, try these >> ideas in order:

Open Epic Repeatedly. Open Epic. Epic may crash. Repeat. Re-open Epic. >> Epic may crash. Re-open Epic. See if after trying to open Epic 10 to 20
times, it starts working fine.
Delete the "default" folder after backing up passwords & bookmarks.
First backup Passwords & Bookmarks. In Windows, open a window navigator,
then type %localappdata% and press return. Then open the "Epic Privacy
Browser" folder, then open the "User Data" folder, then open the "Default" >> folder. In Macs, first go to Application Support, then open the
"HiddenReflex" folder, then open the "User Data" folder. Then copy the
files (not the folders) in the "Default" folder - particularly "Bookmarks" >> "Bookmarks.bak" "Login Data" "Login Data.journal" "TransportSecurity"
"Preferences" and any other files there. Copy those files into some safe
folder on your system. After Backing up those files, simply delete the
"Default" folder in Epic, then re-open Epic. See if that fixes Epic. Upon
successful reinstallation of Epic, copy those files back to the same
location in the now working Epic to restore bookmarks & passwords.
Uninstall Epic after backing up passwords & bookmarks. Delete all
registry entries from Epic and the Epic folder in %localappdata% for
Windows or the HiddenReflex folder in Application Support for Macs. Then
reinstall Epic.

If none of these 3 solutions gets Epic working on your system again, email >> our founder alok at hiddenreflex dot com.

Sounds as far from "epic" as you can get ... sounds they should rename
it as "Pile of Utter Crap Web Browser".

Which privacy browser with vpn proxies do you use & recommend?
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system

On 2025-07-21 9:03 p.m., Marion wrote:

This PSA is posted to help others....

I use PC privacy browsers, one of which is the "Epic Privacy Browser".
All morning it has been crashing - and I wasted an hour or so debugging.

Therefore I post this to you to be helpful to SAVE YOU TIME debugging!
I've been using Epic for so many years, I don't even know how long.

But today, it just stopped working. Just like that.
1. First it wouldn't "connect to the Internet" (but other browsers did).
2. Then when I debugged & installed the latest, it crashed every time.
3. Wondering if it was just me, I found out it's a widespread issue

*Not Starting / Crashing On Open: Windows & Mac Solutions
<https://blog.epicbrowser.com/2025/07/epic-not-starting-crashing-on-open-windows-mac-solutions/> This article, dated today (July 21, 2025), is the primary source of current information directly from Epic about these issues.

The suggested solution (write to the Epic founder for an "older version")
is odd, but almost everyone on this ng is smart enough to autoarchive older versions (often referred to as the "last known good version) everything
they install so it won't be necessary to contact the founder for one.

My previous autoarchive on Windows is named as follows if you have it.
C:\installers\browsers\chromium-based\epic\.
Name: 20250520_Epic_133.0.6943.127_chrome.7z
Size: 379888313 bytes (362 MiB)
SHA256: EAA3F6AD3D5AC01CA88E70D95CC3817DEEDD6E428A6FDBC856983E395C1597CA

Note all Chromium-based browsers (AFAIK) use "chrome.7z" for installers.
(I'm not sure why though - maybe someone can explain that.)
(Also I'm not sure how the naming changes or is the same for macOS.)

Note: My experience (which isn't reflected in today's blog above), is that the old version worked fine but it wouldn't connect to *any* Epic proxies.

What has been YOUR experience today with the Epic Privacy Browser?

Thanks for letting us know that this browser exists.

Nevertheless, I'm sticking to Edge because I'm sick of websites not
working right because I'm blocking things.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system

On Tue, 22 Jul 2025 10:12:07 -0400, CrudeSausage wrote :

What has been YOUR experience today with the Epic Privacy Browser?

Thanks for letting us know that this browser exists.

Nevertheless, I'm sticking to Edge because I'm sick of websites not
working right because I'm blocking things.

I not aware Edge runs on macOS so you're probably talking about Windows.

Thanks for saying you like Edge, which, well, which is, um, er, ah, a bit unusual for anyone to say good things about it on any Windows newsgroup. :)

With respect to Edge, I still have both running concurrently (old & new), although I long ago forgot how I managed to get both running side by side.
<https://i.postimg.cc/hjjVXkq5/taskbarmenu07.jpg>

Since my browser methodology is extremely well thought out ahead of time, I
use all the browsers for what they're best for - but only one task each.

But it gets confusing sometimes since that's a *lot* of web browsers!
<https://i.postimg.cc/fT2J40RD/windows-cascade-menu.jpg>

Back to adding value for people to learn & discuss privacy browsing
the Windows "privacy" oriented web browsers I know of, offhand, are:
1. Tor (Mozilla based)
2. Opera (Chromium based)
3. Epic (Chromium based)
4. Brave (Chromium based)

And maybe these (which don't have the proxy built in though)...
5. LibreWolf (Mozilla based)
6. Ungoogled Chromium (Chromium based)
7. Mullvad (Mozilla based)

With everyone pitching in to be purposefully helpful, are there any other privacy based browsers for macOS or Windows that others know of?
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system

On Tue, 22 Jul 2025 14:50:38 -0000 (UTC), Marion wrote:

With everyone pitching in to be purposefully helpful, are there any other privacy based browsers for macOS or Windows that others know of?

To help out, I just wrote up this table for interested users to correct. +--------------------+--------------+-------------------------------+
| Browser | Base | Key Privacy Features | +--------------------+--------------+-------------------------------+
| Tor Browser | Firefox | Routes via Tor; anti-tracking |
| | | and anti-fingerprinting; |
| | | HTTPS Everywhere | +--------------------+--------------+-------------------------------+
| Opera | Chromium | Built-in VPN (proxy); ad/trac |
| | | ker blocker; crypto wallet | +--------------------+--------------+-------------------------------+
| Epic Browser | Chromium | Always private mode; built-in |
| | | encrypted proxy; no tracking | +--------------------+--------------+-------------------------------+
| Brave | Chromium | Ad/tracker blocker; Tor tabs; |
| | | optional private ads (BAT) | +--------------------+--------------+-------------------------------+
| LibreWolf | Firefox | No telemetry; hardened |
| | | privacy defaults; open source | +--------------------+--------------+-------------------------------+
| Ungoogled Chromium | Chromium | Fully de-Googled; no telemetry|
| | | or auto-updates; minimal UI | +--------------------+--------------+-------------------------------+
| Mullvad Browser | Firefox | Built with Tor Project; no |
| | | telemetry; VPN-focused | +--------------------+--------------+-------------------------------+

On the mac there is also Orion Browser which blocks ads and trackers by
default but I think it's still in deep development but I'm not sure.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system

On Tue, 7/22/2025 10:50 AM, Marion wrote:

On Tue, 22 Jul 2025 10:12:07 -0400, CrudeSausage wrote :

What has been YOUR experience today with the Epic Privacy Browser?

Thanks for letting us know that this browser exists.

Nevertheless, I'm sticking to Edge because I'm sick of websites not
working right because I'm blocking things.

I not aware Edge runs on macOS so you're probably talking about Windows.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge/download?form=MA13FJ

Windows (Windows 10 or Windows 11) [May have been Windows 7 at one time, but Chromium rolled out of scope]

macOS (delivered as .dmg , doesn't say what OS range, Intel, or ARM)

iOS
Android

Linux (.deb) microsoft-edge-stable_138.0.3351.95-1_amd64.deb

If Chromium runs on your platform, there is a good chance
MSEdge could too. Once Chromium rolls out of scope on your
platform, MSEdge should do the same. If Chromium won't run
on your windows 7 any more, then there is no reason
for MSEdge to do anything different than that, as Chromium
code would still be getting imported before MSFT changes
are added to it.

Paul
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system

On 2025-07-22 14:58:14 +0000, Yusuf Khan said:

On Tue, 22 Jul 2025 14:50:38 -0000 (UTC), Marion wrote:

With everyone pitching in to be purposefully helpful, are there any other
privacy based browsers for macOS or Windows that others know of?

To help out, I just wrote up this table for interested users to correct. +--------------------+--------------+-------------------------------+
| Browser | Base | Key Privacy Features | +--------------------+--------------+-------------------------------+
| Tor Browser | Firefox | Routes via Tor; anti-tracking |
| | | and anti-fingerprinting; |
| | | HTTPS Everywhere | +--------------------+--------------+-------------------------------+
| Opera | Chromium | Built-in VPN (proxy); ad/trac |
| | | ker blocker; crypto wallet | +--------------------+--------------+-------------------------------+
| Epic Browser | Chromium | Always private mode; built-in |
| | | encrypted proxy; no tracking | +--------------------+--------------+-------------------------------+
| Brave | Chromium | Ad/tracker blocker; Tor tabs; |
| | | optional private ads (BAT) | +--------------------+--------------+-------------------------------+
| LibreWolf | Firefox | No telemetry; hardened |
| | | privacy defaults; open source | +--------------------+--------------+-------------------------------+
| Ungoogled Chromium | Chromium | Fully de-Googled; no telemetry|
| | | or auto-updates; minimal UI | +--------------------+--------------+-------------------------------+
| Mullvad Browser | Firefox | Built with Tor Project; no |
| | | telemetry; VPN-focused | +--------------------+--------------+-------------------------------+

On the mac there is also Orion Browser which blocks ads and trackers by default but I think it's still in deep development but I'm not sure.

There's also the DuckDuckGo web browser, but I've never used it so
can't say if it is any good or not. The browser itself is free, but for
the extra VPN services it costs a monthly fee. <https://duckduckgo.com/duckduckgo-help-pages/get-duckduckgo/does-duckduckgo-make-a-browser>



--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system

On 2025-07-22 12:39:55 +0000, Yusuf Khan said:

On Tue, 22 Jul 2025 18:25:47 +1200, Your Name wrote:

On 2025-07-22 01:36:19 +0000, Yusuf Khan said:

On Tue, 22 Jul 2025 01:03:15 -0000 (UTC), Marion wrote:

*Not Starting / Crashing On Open: Windows & Mac Solutions
<https://blog.epicbrowser.com/2025/07/epic-not-starting-crashing-on-open-windows-mac-solutions/>

Is epic a new browser in the dozen-strong chromium browser family of brave, >>> chrome, chromium, dragon, internet explorer, iridium, iron, opera,
ungoogled chromium, & vivaldi?

Those are the strangest workarounds I've ever seen for a chromium browser. >>>
Dear Epic Users, July 21, 2025
A few users are reporting issues with our most recent update that Epic
either doesn't open or immediately opens then closes. We have discovered a >>> few potential solutions to this issue.

If you're using an older version of Windows or OSX, check if the latest
Chromium still supports your OS - if it doesn't, you'll need an older
version of Epic (email Alok for a link).

If you're on a reasonably recent OS and you're facing this issue, try these >>> ideas in order:

Open Epic Repeatedly. Open Epic. Epic may crash. Repeat. Re-open Epic.
Epic may crash. Re-open Epic. See if after trying to open Epic 10 to 20
times, it starts working fine.
Delete the "default" folder after backing up passwords & bookmarks.
First backup Passwords & Bookmarks. In Windows, open a window navigator, >>> then type %localappdata% and press return. Then open the "Epic Privacy
Browser" folder, then open the "User Data" folder, then open the "Default" >>> folder. In Macs, first go to Application Support, then open the
"HiddenReflex" folder, then open the "User Data" folder. Then copy the
files (not the folders) in the "Default" folder - particularly "Bookmarks" >>> "Bookmarks.bak" "Login Data" "Login Data.journal" "TransportSecurity"
"Preferences" and any other files there. Copy those files into some safe >>> folder on your system. After Backing up those files, simply delete the
"Default" folder in Epic, then re-open Epic. See if that fixes Epic. Upon >>> successful reinstallation of Epic, copy those files back to the same
location in the now working Epic to restore bookmarks & passwords.
Uninstall Epic after backing up passwords & bookmarks. Delete all
registry entries from Epic and the Epic folder in %localappdata% for
Windows or the HiddenReflex folder in Application Support for Macs. Then >>> reinstall Epic.

If none of these 3 solutions gets Epic working on your system again, email >>> our founder alok at hiddenreflex dot com.

Sounds as far from "epic" as you can get ... sounds they should rename
it as "Pile of Utter Crap Web Browser".

Which privacy browser with vpn proxies do you use & recommend?

I just use a normal Mac web browsers: Safari, Firefox, and very
occasionally horrible Chrome if I really have to ... it saves having
issues with websites not working properly. Plus I'm not a conspiracy
theorist nutter who thinks everybody is out to get me.

--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system

On Jul 22, 2025 at 10:50:38 AM EDT, "Marion" <marion@facts.com> wrote:

On Tue, 22 Jul 2025 10:12:07 -0400, CrudeSausage wrote :

What has been YOUR experience today with the Epic Privacy Browser?

Thanks for letting us know that this browser exists.

Nevertheless, I'm sticking to Edge because I'm sick of websites not
working right because I'm blocking things.

I not aware Edge runs on macOS so you're probably talking about Windows.

Edge exists for MacOS. Has for many years. So you're probably talking out of your ass again.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system

On Jul 22, 2025 at 2:25:47 AM EDT, "Your Name" <YourName@YourISP.com> wrote:

On 2025-07-22 01:36:19 +0000, Yusuf Khan said:

On Tue, 22 Jul 2025 01:03:15 -0000 (UTC), Marion wrote:

*Not Starting / Crashing On Open: Windows & Mac Solutions
<https://blog.epicbrowser.com/2025/07/epic-not-starting-crashing-on-open-windows-mac-solutions/>

Is epic a new browser in the dozen-strong chromium browser family of brave, >> chrome, chromium, dragon, internet explorer, iridium, iron, opera,
ungoogled chromium, & vivaldi?

Those are the strangest workarounds I've ever seen for a chromium browser. >>
Dear Epic Users, July 21, 2025
A few users are reporting issues with our most recent update that Epic
either doesn't open or immediately opens then closes. We have discovered a >> few potential solutions to this issue.

If you're using an older version of Windows or OSX, check if the latest
Chromium still supports your OS - if it doesn't, you'll need an older
version of Epic (email Alok for a link).

If you're on a reasonably recent OS and you're facing this issue, try these >> ideas in order:

Open Epic Repeatedly. Open Epic. Epic may crash. Repeat. Re-open Epic. >> Epic may crash. Re-open Epic. See if after trying to open Epic 10 to 20
times, it starts working fine.
Delete the "default" folder after backing up passwords & bookmarks.
First backup Passwords & Bookmarks. In Windows, open a window navigator,
then type %localappdata% and press return. Then open the "Epic Privacy
Browser" folder, then open the "User Data" folder, then open the "Default" >> folder. In Macs, first go to Application Support, then open the
"HiddenReflex" folder, then open the "User Data" folder. Then copy the
files (not the folders) in the "Default" folder - particularly "Bookmarks" >> "Bookmarks.bak" "Login Data" "Login Data.journal" "TransportSecurity"
"Preferences" and any other files there. Copy those files into some safe
folder on your system. After Backing up those files, simply delete the
"Default" folder in Epic, then re-open Epic. See if that fixes Epic. Upon
successful reinstallation of Epic, copy those files back to the same
location in the now working Epic to restore bookmarks & passwords.
Uninstall Epic after backing up passwords & bookmarks. Delete all
registry entries from Epic and the Epic folder in %localappdata% for
Windows or the HiddenReflex folder in Application Support for Macs. Then
reinstall Epic.

If none of these 3 solutions gets Epic working on your system again, email >> our founder alok at hiddenreflex dot com.

Sounds as far from "epic" as you can get ... sounds they should rename
it as "Pile of Utter Crap Web Browser". It is no surprise that the
braindead moron troll "Marion" would use such garbage.

Note that "Marion the Apple expert" did not know that MS Edge runs on MacOS.
So we can add "Knows nothing about Macs" to the ever-growing list of things
he knows nothing about.

As for Epic, never heard of it and don't care. I use Safari and Edge on Macs.
I use Edge on Windows. I use Edge at Work (Windows of course). I use Safari
on iOS. I have no need for anything else.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system

On 2025-07-22 22:28:47 +0000, Tyrone said:

On Jul 22, 2025 at 2:25:47 AM EDT, "Your Name" <YourName@YourISP.com> wrote:

On 2025-07-22 01:36:19 +0000, Yusuf Khan said:

On Tue, 22 Jul 2025 01:03:15 -0000 (UTC), Marion wrote:

*Not Starting / Crashing On Open: Windows & Mac Solutions
<https://blog.epicbrowser.com/2025/07/epic-not-starting-crashing-on-open-windows-mac-solutions/>

Is epic a new browser in the dozen-strong chromium browser family of
brave, chrome, chromium, dragon, internet explorer, iridium, iron,
opera,
ungoogled chromium, & vivaldi?

Those are the strangest workarounds I've ever seen for a chromium browser. >>>
Dear Epic Users, July 21, 2025
A few users are reporting issues with our most recent update that Epic
either doesn't open or immediately opens then closes. We have discovered a >>> few potential solutions to this issue.

If you're using an older version of Windows or OSX, check if the latest
Chromium still supports your OS - if it doesn't, you'll need an older
version of Epic (email Alok for a link).

If you're on a reasonably recent OS and you're facing this issue, try
these ideas in order:

Open Epic Repeatedly. Open Epic. Epic may crash. Repeat. Re-open Epic.
Epic may crash. Re-open Epic. See if after trying to open Epic 10 to 20
times, it starts working fine.
Delete the "default" folder after backing up passwords & bookmarks.
First backup Passwords & Bookmarks. In Windows, open a window navigator, >>> then type %localappdata% and press return. Then open the "Epic Privacy
Browser" folder, then open the "User Data" folder, then open the "Default" >>> folder. In Macs, first go to Application Support, then open the
"HiddenReflex" folder, then open the "User Data" folder. Then copy the
files (not the folders) in the "Default" folder - particularly "Bookmarks" >>> "Bookmarks.bak" "Login Data" "Login Data.journal" "TransportSecurity"
"Preferences" and any other files there. Copy those files into some safe >>> folder on your system. After Backing up those files, simply delete the
"Default" folder in Epic, then re-open Epic. See if that fixes Epic. Upon >>> successful reinstallation of Epic, copy those files back to the same
location in the now working Epic to restore bookmarks & passwords.
Uninstall Epic after backing up passwords & bookmarks. Delete all
registry entries from Epic and the Epic folder in %localappdata% for
Windows or the HiddenReflex folder in Application Support for Macs. Then >>> reinstall Epic.

If none of these 3 solutions gets Epic working on your system again, email >>> our founder alok at hiddenreflex dot com.

Sounds as far from "epic" as you can get ... sounds they should rename
it as "Pile of Utter Crap Web Browser". It is no surprise that the
braindead moron troll "Marion" would use such garbage.

Note that "Marion the Apple expert" did not know that MS Edge runs on MacOS.
So we can add "Knows nothing about Macs" to the ever-growing list of things he knows nothing about.

It was already known *years* ago that the moron knows absolutely
nothing about Apple devices or anything else - every single post that
village idiot makes simply proves even more.

As for Epic, never heard of it and don't care. I use Safari and Edge on Macs.
I use Edge on Windows. I use Edge at Work (Windows of course). I use Safari on iOS. I have no need for anything else.

--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system

On Wed, 23 Jul 2025 08:41:40 +1200, Your Name wrote:

Which privacy browser with vpn proxies do you use & recommend?

I just use a normal Mac web browsers: Safari, Firefox, and very
occasionally horrible Chrome if I really have to ... it saves having
issues with websites not working properly. Plus I'm not a conspiracy theorist nutter who thinks everybody is out to get me.

Have you ever used a privacy (proxy/vpn) based browser on the mac?
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system

On Jul 22, 2025 at 6:10:08 PM EDT, "Tyrone" <none@none.none> wrote:

On Jul 22, 2025 at 10:50:38 AM EDT, "Marion" <marion@facts.com> wrote:

On Tue, 22 Jul 2025 10:12:07 -0400, CrudeSausage wrote :

What has been YOUR experience today with the Epic Privacy Browser?

Thanks for letting us know that this browser exists.

Nevertheless, I'm sticking to Edge because I'm sick of websites not
working right because I'm blocking things.

I not aware Edge runs on macOS so you're probably talking about Windows.

Edge exists for MacOS. Has for many years. So you're probably talking out of your ass again.

He is an expert on everything. Just ask him. The new Edge browser for the Mac was introduced in Jan 2020. But Arlen's on top of everything Mac and iOS.

YK
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system

On Wed, 23 Jul 2025 01:00:01 -0000 (UTC), You're kidding wrote :

Edge exists for MacOS. Has for many years. So you're probably talking out of
your ass again.

He is an expert on everything. Just ask him. The new Edge browser for the Mac was introduced in Jan 2020. But Arlen's on top of everything Mac and iOS.

Heh heh heh... yet another Alan Baker nym I see... a new one perhaps.
For decades, you Apple trolls have been strangely odd religious zealots.

It's no longer shocking you ignorant uneducated Apple trolls are
*desperate* to claim I said something I've never said in my life.

I don't own a Mac.
I own plenty of iOS devices - but I wouldn't touch a mac.

The last mac I had was in the mid 1990s, and it was an abomination.
I've never once said I knew anything about the Mac.

Unlike you ignorant uneducated Apple trolls, I have no problem saying I
know nothing about the Mac. I never once said what you claim I said.

It's interesting how *desperate* you ignorant uneducated Apple trolls are.
Your whole life you Apple trolls have been told that you're stupid.

And you keep proving how stupid you Apple trolls are every time you post.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system

On Wed, 23 Jul 2025 05:50:33 +0500, Yusuf Khan wrote :

Which privacy browser with vpn proxies do you use & recommend?

I just use a normal Mac web browsers: Safari, Firefox, and very
occasionally horrible Chrome if I really have to ... it saves having
issues with websites not working properly. Plus I'm not a conspiracy
theorist nutter who thinks everybody is out to get me.

Have you ever used a privacy (proxy/vpn) based browser on the mac?

Don't hold your breath waiting for any of the ignorant uneducated Apple
trolls to respond like an adult as he clearly doesn't know what a proxy is.

Moving forward in being purposefully helpful, I found this forum post.
Index > Epic Privacy Browser - Help & Troubleshooting > Vpn does not work
<https://forum.epicbrowser.com/viewtopic.php?id=65824>

It's dated "2025-07-05 07:29:44", which is very interesting since my Epic Privacy Browser only started having problems yesterday, July 21st 2025.

But I was using an *older* version of Epic Privacy Browser.
So that's likely why the VPN proxy worked up until yesterday.

The post is apparently from the Epic founder, so it should be reliable:
"Sorry about the issues & we're glad so many made excellent use
of it for so many years! It seems the Russian government blocked
our VPN / encrypted proxy network a month or two ago.
It had been otherwise working great for the rest of the world.

With our most recent release the past few days, we have stopped
supporting the VPN / encrypted proxy service to focus on browser
development. Unfortunately supporting the encrypted proxy / VPN
had gotten too time consuming & expensive. There are several fast,
free Chrome VPN extensions you can use in Epic though -- we list
a few such as Proton, WindScribe and others which don't require
any registration like VeePN, TroyWell, VPNly, Anonymox, UltraSurf
and uVPN."

I guess the point is that the built-in selectable-by-country VPN/Proxy
(it's really a proxy & not a VPN) is gone in the Epic Chromium browser.

If we're going to use a VPN/Proxy plugin, I'm not sure if there's any value
in Epic anymore since we could just as well start with ungoogled chromium.

What do you think?

Which VPN/proxy is a good one to add to a chromium-based web browser?
And which Chromium-based web browser would you suggest adding it to?
--
Note that Opera still has a vpn/proxy browser by default.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system

On Wed, 23 Jul 2025 01:47:47 -0000 (UTC), Marion wrote:

Which VPN/proxy is a good one to add to a chromium-based web browser?
And which Chromium-based web browser would you suggest adding it to?

I would suggest either epic or ungoogled chromium as the starting browser.

Of the chromium vpn extensions they mention, these require registration.
Proton VPN
Windscribe

They also mentioned these which I think do not require registration.
VeePN (some features need paid plans)
TroyWell (simple to use but limited in proxy servers)
VPNly (may have ads or speed limits)
ANonymox (some limitations & ads)
UltraSurf (tried and true proxy extension, reliable for basic use)
uVPN (good speeds but smaller server selection)

My suggestion is to try UltraSurf or Anonymox first as they're the most
mature and trusted no-registration VPN extensions in Epic's forum list.

https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/ultrasurf-security-privac/mjnbclmflcpookeapghfhapeffmpodij
https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/anonymox/icpklikeghomkemdellmmkoifgfbakio?hl=en
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system

On 2025-07-22 18:23, Marion wrote:

On Wed, 23 Jul 2025 01:00:01 -0000 (UTC), You're kidding wrote :

Edge exists for MacOS. Has for many years. So you're probably talking out of
your ass again.

He is an expert on everything. Just ask him. The new Edge browser for the Mac
was introduced in Jan 2020. But Arlen's on top of everything Mac and iOS.

Heh heh heh... yet another Alan Baker nym I see... a new one perhaps.

Sorry...while I have occasionally posted using a new email address, I've always identified myself in the body of the message.

So you're just talking out of your ass some more.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system

On Wed, 23 Jul 2025 07:00:34 +0500, Yusuf Khan wrote :

My suggestion is to try UltraSurf or Anonymox first as they're the most mature and trusted no-registration VPN extensions in Epic's forum list.

https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/ultrasurf-security-privac/mjnbclmflcpookeapghfhapeffmpodij
https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/anonymox/icpklikeghomkemdellmmkoifgfbakio?hl=en

Great. Both worked for Epic.
But neither worked for Ungoogled Chromium though.

In Ungoogled Chromium, both UltraSurf & Anonymox reported in red:
Item currently unavailable. Please check the troubleshooting guide.

What no-registration proxy would you suggest for Ungoogled Chromium?
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system

On Wed, 23 Jul 2025 03:24:43 -0000 (UTC), Marion wrote:

What no-registration proxy would you suggest for Ungoogled Chromium?

If you're adding extensions to UC, you'll need to enable developer mode in chrome://extensions & then you can download & drag'n'drop the .crx file to install extensions into UC because background connections to Google
services (including the Chrome Web Store) are disabled by default in UC.

The previous vpn extension list was only covering what epic had suggested. Here's a better list of free no registration chromium vpn extensions.

AnonymoX (free, no registration, ads & usage limits)
Betternet (free, no registration, ads)
Browsec VPN (free, no registration, no ads, free tier has 4 locations)
Hide.me VPN (free, no registration, no ads)
Proton VPN (free, requires registration, no ads)
SetupVPN (free, no registration, may have ads)
TouchVPN (free, no registration, ads)
TroyWell (free, no registration, no ads, limited servers)
UltraSurf (free, no registration, minimal ads)
VPNly (free, no registration, ads & speed limits)
VeePN (free, no registration, some features paid, mostly no ads) Windscribe (free, requires registration, no ads)
uVPN (free, no registration, no ads)

Since you're adding extensions to UC, you'll need to grab the .crx file.

AnonymoX
https://crx.dl/icpklikeghomkemdellmmkoifgfbakio.crx

Betternet
https://crx.dl/betternet.crx

Browsec VPN
https://crx.dl/betternet.crx

Hide.me VPN
https://crx.dl/fcokddhoglkodkdmmemiahbkgnfgbjbj.crx

Proton VPN
No direct CRX (official only via Chrome Web Store)

SetupVPN
https://crx.dl/gmdhipfmbjdhhkmlcnepafiakjfgcbjk.crx

TouchVPN
https://crx.dl/fdcjbclchceohhfpklghpjjjfjgklcmf.crx

TroyWell
(CRX is unavailable, may need manual download)

UltraSurf
https://crx.dl/mjnbclmflcpookeapghfhapeffmpodij.crx

VPNly
https://crx.dl/vpnly.crx

VeePN
https://crx.dl/veepn.crx

Windscribe
No direct CRX (official only via Chrome Web Store)

uVPN
https://crx.dl/uvpn.crx

Of those, if you want free with no registration and no ads but high speed
and good bandwidth (not caring so much about having many server choices)
then the top three I'd probably suggest for beginners would be these.

Hide.me VPN (good speed, actively maintained)
Browsec VPN (good speed, stable, 4 free servers)
uVPN (decent speed, minimal overhead)
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system

On 2025-07-23 00:50:33 +0000, Yusuf Khan said:

On Wed, 23 Jul 2025 08:41:40 +1200, Your Name wrote:

Which privacy browser with vpn proxies do you use & recommend?

I just use a normal Mac web browsers: Safari, Firefox, and very
occasionally horrible Chrome if I really have to ... it saves having
issues with websites not working properly. Plus I'm not a conspiracy
theorist nutter who thinks everybody is out to get me.

Have you ever used a privacy (proxy/vpn) based browser on the mac?

I don't need one because I'm not doing anything illegal and I'm not a conspiracy nutter. :-p

--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system

On Wed, 23 Jul 2025 08:34:41 +0500, Yusuf Khan wrote :

Of those, if you want free with no registration and no ads but high speed
and good bandwidth (not caring so much about having many server choices)
then the top three I'd probably suggest for beginners would be these.

Hide.me VPN (good speed, actively maintained)
Browsec VPN (good speed, stable, 4 free servers)
uVPN (decent speed, minimal overhead)

Before I had seen this recommendation, I had installed the *.crx for
Urban VPN Proxy (free, no registration, no ads)
<https://www.crx4chrome.com/crx/373901/>
But I quickly removed it because Urban says that it funds itself through
data collection. At least they were honest. But I instantly removed it.

After I saw your recommendation, I installed "Hide.Me VPN" but I couldn't
find the *.crx even though I followed these steps in Ungoogled Chromium:
1. Go to crx4chrome.com
2. Search for "Hide.me VPN"
3. Click the 'Download' button to get the .crx file
4. Verify the SHA256 or file size to ensure it matches the source

This direct link also failed for Ungoogled Chromium.
<https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx?response=redirect&acceptformat=crx2,crx3&prodversion=135.0&x=id%3Dfcokddhoglkodkdmmemiahbkgnfgbjbj%26installsource%3Dondemand%26uc>

What eventually worked was to install it in Epic & then backup the unpacked Epic extension folder to install into Ungoogled Chromium using these steps.

1. Open Epic to <https://chrome.google.com/webstore/category/extensions>
2. In Epic at that store, search for "Hide.me VPN"
<https://chromewebstore.google.com/search/Hide.me%20VPN>
3. The correct choice of the options presented was:
<https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/hideme-proxy/ohjocgmpmlfahafbipehkhbaacoemojp>
4. Make a note of the ID "ohjocgmpmlfahafbipehkhbaacoemoj"
5. In Epic, click the "Add to Chrome" button
6. Click "Add extension" or "Install" to proceed.
7. Still in Epic, go to <chrome://extensions>
8. Note Epic won't allow you to enable "Developer mode".
9. Click on the "Hide.me VPN" extension details page
10. Note the URL contains that ID you noted prior.
<chrome://extensions/?id=ohjocgmpmlfahafbipehkhbaacoemojp>
11. Find that ID in the EPic "Extensions" folder
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Epic Privacy Browser\User Data\Default\Extensions
12. Using "dir /b /o:-d", the topmost recent folder will be what you want.
Inside "ohjocgmpmlfahafbipehkhbaacoemojp" is "1.3.0_0"
That version folder should have a "manifest.json" file in it.
13. Copy the unpacked extension version number folder to a safe place
C:\installers\browsers\extensions\hideme\1.3.0_0 (1)
14. Now you can kill Epic & open Ungoogled Chromium.
15. In Ungoogled Chromium, go to <chrome://extensions>
16. Enable "Developer Mode" at the top right corner of the window
17. Click the "Load unpacked" button at the top left corner of the window
18. Select the prior archived version number folder "1.3.0_0"
19. Hide.me VPN should now appear in your list of extensions
20. If desired, pin the extension to your browser GUI.

Note extensions installed this way will not update.
You will need to manually update them in the future.

Since this is written ad hoc off the cuff, I'll try it again a few times
and then write a purposefully helpful tutorial to help others, given this
is not intuitive how to install an extension into Ungoogled Chromium (given Ungoogled Chromium is designed to not ever backend to Google's servers).
--
I never use plurals, nor long names; but I use them here for readability.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system

On Jul 22, 2025 at 9:23:34 PM EDT, "Marion" <marion@facts.com> wrote:

On Wed, 23 Jul 2025 01:00:01 -0000 (UTC), You're kidding wrote :

Edge exists for MacOS. Has for many years. So you're probably talking out of
your ass again.

He is an expert on everything. Just ask him. The new Edge browser for the Mac
was introduced in Jan 2020. But Arlen's on top of everything Mac and iOS.

Heh heh heh... yet another Alan Baker nym I see... a new one perhaps.
For decades, you Apple trolls have been strangely odd religious zealots.

It's no longer shocking you ignorant uneducated Apple trolls are
*desperate* to claim I said something I've never said in my life.

I don't own a Mac.
I own plenty of iOS devices - but I wouldn't touch a mac.

The last mac I had was in the mid 1990s, and it was an abomination.
I've never once said I knew anything about the Mac.

Unlike you ignorant uneducated Apple trolls, I have no problem saying I
know nothing about the Mac. I never once said what you claim I said.

It's interesting how *desperate* you ignorant uneducated Apple trolls are. Your whole life you Apple trolls have been told that you're stupid.

And you keep proving how stupid you Apple trolls are every time you post.

Yet, you post your BS in Macintosh group as an expert on all things Macintosh?

BTW, I am not Alan Baker. I mostly just lurk, usually ignoring your posts, occasionally reading them to see what you are barfing up. Usually repeating
the same old crap time after time.

YK
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system

On Jul 22, 2025 at 10:13:12 PM EDT, "Alan" <nuh-uh@nope.com> wrote:

On 2025-07-22 18:23, Marion wrote:

On Wed, 23 Jul 2025 01:00:01 -0000 (UTC), You're kidding wrote :

Edge exists for MacOS. Has for many years. So you're probably talking out of
your ass again.

He is an expert on everything. Just ask him. The new Edge browser for the Mac
was introduced in Jan 2020. But Arlen's on top of everything Mac and iOS. >>

Heh heh heh... yet another Alan Baker nym I see... a new one perhaps.

Sorry...while I have occasionally posted using a new email address, I've always identified myself in the body of the message.

So you're just talking out of your ass some more.

He has an obession in proving he is better than anyone who uses an Apple product.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system

On 2025-07-23, Yusuf Khan <yusuf.khan.nospam@ptcl.net.pk> wrote:

On Wed, 23 Jul 2025 08:41:40 +1200, Your Name wrote:

Which privacy browser with vpn proxies do you use & recommend?

I just use a normal Mac web browsers: Safari, Firefox, and very
occasionally horrible Chrome if I really have to ... it saves having
issues with websites not working properly. Plus I'm not a conspiracy
theorist nutter who thinks everybody is out to get me.

Have you ever used a privacy (proxy/vpn) based browser on the mac?

If you think the only way to have privacy is to use a specific browser
with a built-in VPN/proxy, you ain't too bright.
--
E-mail sent to this address may be devoured by my ravenous SPAM filter.
I often ignore posts from Google. Use a real news client instead.

JR
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system

On Wed, 23 Jul 2025 12:04:39 -0000 (UTC), You're kidding wrote :

So you're just talking out of your ass some more.

He has an obession in proving he is better than anyone who uses an Apple product.

I understand you MAGA trolls because I've studied you all for decades.
And I probably have more "Apple product" than you do, but it's all iOS.

The PSA though is regarding a privacy browser that is also on the Mac.
The links to the Epic forums also cover the Mac & Windows at the same time.

So it was definitely related to a purposefully helpful thread on the Mac.
Note that it was only the ignorant uneducated trolls who added the crap.

The technical discussion outside of what the trolls produced was useful.
And the tutorial posted yesterday also covers privacy browsing on the Mac.
*Tutorial: How to Transfer & Install Chrome Web Store Extensions to Ungoogled Chromium*
Message-ID: <105ptvs$2ihi$1@nnrp.usenet.blueworldhosting.com>

Having said that the topic pertains to the Mac, I have never said I'm an
expert on the Mac since I wouldn't touch a Mac with a 100-foot fire hose.

The PSA was written to be helpful.
It's you MAGA trolls who added the negative value just like you did now.

For decades, you MAGA trolls have been different from normal netizens.
You're ignorant herd animals whose only goal is to Make Apple Great Again.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.system

On 23 Jul 2025 15:26:55 GMT, Jolly Roger wrote :

Have you ever used a privacy (proxy/vpn) based browser on the mac?

If you think the only way to have privacy is to use a specific browser
with a built-in VPN/proxy, you ain't too bright.

Even though Epic Privacy Browser was, by far, the best out there, it's apparently no longer working so it behooves us to learn to build our own.

For those who wish to build their own privacy-based web browser out of
common components, I wrote a tutorial here that works on all platforms.

*Tutorial: How to Transfer & Install Chrome Web Store Extensions to Ungoogled Chromium*
<https://al.howardknight.net/?STYPE=msgid&MSGI=%3C105ptvs%242ihi%241%40nnrp.usenet.blueworldhosting.com%3E>

The first part covers how to add well-behaved open source extensions (such
as uBlock Origin) to Ungoogled Chromium, while the second part covers how
to add less-well-behaved proprietary extensions (such as Hide.Me VPN).
<https://al.howardknight.net/?STYPE=msgid&MSGI=%3C105vlel%241r72%241%40nnrp.usenet.blueworldhosting.com%3E>

Note that a third post in that tutorial explains Linux/MacOS/Windows paths.
<https://al.howardknight.net/?STYPE=msgid&MSGI=%3C1061op9%242kch%241%40nnrp.usenet.blueworldhosting.com%3E>

As always, if you know of a better way to build your own privacy
based web browser out of common components, please improve!
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2