If you don’t know what Proxy Server is then it is a redirect via an IP to the external site, usually used for anonymous surfing. If the IP / Proxy is down, or if it is configured incorrectly then you will get the error “Unable to connect to Proxy Server“. You do not need to turn the proxy settings on unless you intentionally set it up to browse anonymous if that is the case then you would need to check with your Proxy Provider otherwise your PC/SYSTEM can work without proxy. If it has been turned on for some reason then it is most likely due to a third party program you may have installed or by an anti-virus software that has tried to restrict access to other websites while it scanned your system for infections. So to fix this; proceed with the steps/methods below.
Check Internet Properties
Hold the Windows Key and Press R. Type inetcpl.cpl and Click OK. (it needs to run as administrator) – You can also click Start and type iexplore.exe ; right click internet explorer and choose Run As Administrator.
Go to the Connections tab, and choose LAN Settings. Make sure “Use a Proxy Server for your LAN” is unchecked. If it checked, uncheck it, click OK / Apply and OK.
Once done, reboot the PC and TEST. If it still won’t work, move to the Registry Editor Method below.
Change Proxy Settings via Registry Editor
It is important to back up your registry settings before changing it. Hold the Windows Key and Press R. Type regedit in the run dialog and click OK. To backup registry, after opening it, Click File-> Export, name the registry file, eg: backupreg and click Save. To import / restore from backup, open registry editor again, click File -> Import, and select the file you exported earlier which is your back up. After it has been backed up; Navigate to the following path:
Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings
In the right pane, locate the ProxyEnable string. Right Click on it and choose Delete. If there is a ProxyServer string, Migrate Proxy, and Proxy Override, right click on it and delete them as well.
Now reboot the PC and TEST.
Also check out Windows could not automatically detect this Network’s Proxy settings