Hi guys. I'm a TOR newb and I'm not good with computers, so I'm struggling to get it working seamlessly (wait, at all) with Chrome.

I'm using the Proxy Switch extension and have followed http://lifehacker.com/5614732/create-a-tor-button-in-chrome-for-on+demand-anonymous-browsing instructions to the letter. I have double checked and all my settings are as they supposedly should be. However, when I try to actually enable the Chrome extension (while "connected to the TOR network" according to Vidalia, green onion and all) I suddenly can't use the internet.

The error message reads "Unable to connect to the proxy server
A proxy server is a server that acts as an intermediary between your computer and other servers. At the moment, your system is configured to use a proxy, but Google Chrome can't connect to it." etc etc.

Is anyone able to help me out? A lot of TOR tutorials around are ancient and not really applicable, and I've followed the available ones to the letter. I really don't want to have to change my Chrome settings every time I want to switch TOR on.

That's a bit odd, as I have went through this guide and it works for me.

First of all, did you try using the firefox that comes with the vidalia bundle? Does it work? If it does, it's likely something's wrong with your chrome settings. I'd suggest following the lifehacker guide again, just in case you did miss something.

Other than that, I've seen that it's possible to actually block your network (and computer) from connecting to the TOR network. Check your firewall port settings. Specifically, you might have to open 8118 for incoming and outgoing traffic.