Cannot connect to the fulfillment server

Report · Nov 15, 2021

I can't download books using Digital Editions. I get connection error. can not connect to the fulfillment server, it used to work and now it doesn't.

So I installed on a separate laptop (same O.S. windows 7) connecting to my hub through wifi. Digital Editions 3.0 same problem. Authorize computer check without I.D. "Connection Error - Digital editions could not connect to the activation server. Please make sure you are connected to the internet" would not work for the life of me. Grabbed the info from the initial laptop of my Adobe I.D. and tried Authorizing computer still get the same error. Tried again many times no luck. uninstalled 3.0 and installed 4.5.11 same problem.

I used Firefox and it worked before (although that should have no bearing on how it connects)

I tried my initial laptop a few tries and it did go to an authorize page but it seemd like it was frozen doing nothing like it was just sitting there spinning it's wheels.

Is there a resolution for this

Report · Nov 23, 2021

I also suddenly started having problems on with adobe digital editions "Digital Editions could not connect to the fulfillment server. Please make sure you are connected to the internet" when I try to download overdrive titles on my Mac running OS 10.10. This happens with all libraries and only on my desktop - my laptop running OS 11 is OK. I tried all the common solutions on the internet, i.e. reinstalling ADE and reauthorizing the computer. I also tried authorizing the computer without an adobe ID and with a new adobe ID I created as a test. I know from past experience that contacting Adobe is useless b/c they don't support free products. Has anyone else come up with another solution?

Report · Nov 23, 2021

I bumbled into the problem and solution (at least for owners of older Macs). The problem is an expired DST Root CA X3 certificate that verifies the identity of the Adobe fulfillment server (it expired Sept 30, which explains why "all of a sudden I've been having problems"). For some reason when I download the acsm file using Firefox, I do not get a warning that the certificate expired. But when I switched to Safari (which I almost never use) I got a warning that the certificate expired. Since on my machine the only server the certificate verifies is the Adobe fulfillment surver, I overrode the security settings and changed the trust level to "always trust" and now my OS 10.10 computer can download Overdrive books from the public library again. If you visit sites that rely on DST Root CA X3 and are running anything lower than El Capitan, you will have to try another solution, e.g. here: https://macresearch.org/dst-root-ca-x3-expired-mac/

Report · Nov 23, 2021

oops. Should have said "if you are running El Capitan or below" you will have to try another solution. BTW, for practical purposes, for unlucky folks who can't find their way around the Mac keychain, this means that for practical purposes ADE requires Mac OS 10.12 or above even though the Adobe website says earlier Mac OS versions are supported.

Report · Feb 14, 2022

Hi hmom I have the same problem - suddenly unable to download library books from overdrive. I'm using a mac 10.10. How did you change your security settings to always trust ..could you be so kind as to let me know the steps? Thank you!

Report · Nov 23, 2021

Chris, I am not a Windows person, but I saw this - maybe it will help you: https://techglimpse.com/dst-root-ca-x3-expired-certificate-error/

Report · Dec 28, 2021

Million thanks to you. This worked for me.