Google Chrome is one of the favorite apps when it comes to browsing online. This stands true for whichever device you are currently using like Windows PC, Android, etc. What if Google Chrome has stopped working and you are clueless about what actually happens. Well, in this post, we will discuss the reasons behind such occurrences and ways to fix them.
What causes Chrome to fail while launching/opening?
Chrome might stop responding when one or more of the following conditions meet on your Windows PC –
- Too many tabs opened/running in Google Chrome
- Temporary files such as internet history, cookies, and cache have been overburdened
- Network issues or slow internet speed
- Inadequate memory (RAM), or processor
- Malware or viruses originating from the pages you visited
- Using corrupted or faulty extensions or Google Apps
- Using an obsolete Chrome software
Fix – Google Chrome has stopped responding
There are numerous reasons that may trigger Google Chrome not starting or has stopped responding issue on Windows 11. Below, we have written all such instances and a workaround to them. Try each of these troubleshooting approaches one at a time to see if they solve your problem.
1] Close unnecessarily opened tabs
Chrome may stop responding if you happen to open too many tabs on it. More number of opened tabs means more RAM and system resources being utilized. Chrome is a memory-intensive program, having less RAM or running another similar application on your device can cause the browser to crash, slow down, or not react.
In case you are having sufficient RAM like 8 GB, and a high-end processor, you may run numerous tabs altogether. Chrome is designed to handle numerous tabs, all running simultaneously. However, if you lack sufficient processor or RAM, stick to opening 4 to 5 tabs only.
Note: You may open Task Manager and examine how much system resources Chrome is currently consuming. If it’s too much, you better close all unwanted opened tabs, as well as other programs that are running in the background. Restart your browser and see if this resolves the Chrome hanging issue.
2] Restart your PC
If the preceding method does not work, restart your computer next. When you reboot your device, it closes down all programs and thus frees up extra system resources. Too many programs running in the background may interfere with Chrome’s process and make it slow. Reboot your PC and check if this resolves the “Chrome has stopped working ” issue on Windows 11.
3] Exit all Google Chrome processes and restart them
As compared to similar browsers like Firefox or Brave, Chrome opens several processes for a single tab. Even when you close a particular tab, the related processes might still be running in the background. As Chrome is crashing/freezing, you may consider existing all these processes and restart them. To do so, use these steps –
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to launch Task Manager.
- Locate “Google Chrome” in the Task Manager Window’s App area.
- Right-click on it and select the “End task” option.
- Go to the Background processes section next and look for “Google Chrome“.
- Right-click on each one of the Chrome processes and hit “End task“.
- Repeat this step for all running processes of Chrome.
When you have closed all such entries on Task Manager, restart Chrome.
4] Reset Network settings
Chrome may fail to start when there are some issues with the network settings as well. Go and reset the network settings on your Windows 11 PC by following these easy steps –
- Press Win + I to launch Settings.
- Click Network & Internet on the left navigation.
- On the right pane, scroll down and click Advanced network settings.
- Under More Settings, click Network reset.
- When it expands, hit the button – Reset now.
Wait while the system is resetting the network on your PC. Once this is over, restart Windows 11. The Chrome should work just fine from the next logon.
5] Flush DNS
The DNS cache stores information about recent website visits and other internet domains. While this information is meant to be helpful, it may at times get corrupted and crashes the opening of a web browser. To resolve this, you may flush the stored DNS on your PC. Here’s how to do this –
- Press “Windows Key + X” and select “Windows Terminal (Admin)” from the list.
- When the UAC window prompts, hit Yes.
- Windows Terminal will default land into Windows PowerShell.
- Press Ctrl + Shift + 2 to open Command Prompts (Admin).
- Now, copy/paste the command below, and press Enter –
ipconfig /flushdns
- After this is over, you need to re-connect to your Router or Modem again.
6] Remove Chrome extensions
If you have an excessive number of extensions or malicious ones running inside Chrome, they might also be the reason behind Chrome not responding issue. To make Chrome work as before, you must disable or get rid of the unnecessarily running extensions. Here are the steps to follow upon –
- Launch Google Chrome first and head over to the top-right corner.
- Here, you will find three verticle dots.
- Click on it, hover the mouse over More tools, and select Extensions.
- You will see a list of extensions already running on Google Chrome.
- Turn off the toggle switch next to an extension (that you rarely use).
- Remove unwanted extensions from Chrome by clicking the Remove button.
Note: To delete all extensions at once open the Run dialog, type “chrome.exe –disable-extensions“, and hit OK.
7] Disable Chrome Apps
If you had installed a corrupt application on Google Chrome, this may also prevent the browser from responding. In order to fix this issue then, you must get rid of the recently installed applications.
Here are the steps to do so –
- Launch Google Chrome, type chrome:/apps in the URL bar, and hit Enter.
- Right-click on the recently installed application, and choose the option – “Remove from Chrome…“.
- A pop-up window might appear confirming if you really want to remove this app. Well, click the Remove button again.
Note: Check the ‘Report abuse’ box before clicking the ‘Remove’ button if you believe the software is malicious.
8] Rename Google Chrome
If Google Chrome is still not opening, you may rename this application to something else inside the installation directory. Create a shortcut to this and you may use that to start the Chrome browser. Here’s how you can perform this task –
- Launch File Explorer (Win + E), and copy/paste the below path in its address bar.
C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application
- Press Enter and right-click on the Chrome icon.
- Rename this one to your preferred name and press Enter again.
- If the Access Denied window appears, hit Continue.
- Right-click on the Renamed application and choose “Show more options“.
- Choose the “Sent to” option on the context menu and select “Desktop (create shortcut)“.
Go to the desktop and delete any existing Chrome shortcuts. To access Chrome, click the new shortcut icon from now onward.
9] Delete Preference file
If you are facing an error “Chrome has stopped working” in Windows 11, deleting the user preference should resolve this issue. However, do note that deleting the preference file will result in data loss in Chrome including log-in information and saved passwords. To do so, use these steps –
- If an instance of Chrome browser is already running on your PC, close it first.
- Press Win + R, copy/paste the below path, and hit OK.
%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\User Data\
- Double-click on the default folder to open it, and locate the file titled – “Preference‘.
- When found, select it and hit the option – “delete“.
- Restart your PC and check if this resolves the “Chrome not starting” issue on your computer.
10] Update Windows
Pending Windows updates might also result in Chrome not starting or working issues. One may fix this issue by searching/installing the latest security/optional updates on his/her computer. Here’s how to perform this task –
- Right-click the Start button and select Settings’.
- Select Windows Update on the left pane and click Check for updates.
- The system will automatically search for pending updates online. If it does find any pending update, the same will be downloaded and installed instantly.
- Restart your PC next and see if this resolves the “Chrome has stopped working” issue on your computer.
11] Reinstall Chrome
If nothing works, you may need to uninstall Chrome and reinstall it. Proceeding this manner, you can delete any old data linked with Chrome and reinstall it as a fresh application. In case you don’t want to get rid of previously stored data, ensure signing into your Google Account. Once you are signed in, click your profile and hit the option – “Sync in again“. You may find your profile picture at the top-right corner besides three horizontal lines.
After the syncing completes, uninstall Google Chrome, restart your PC, and reinstall Chrome again. Here are the steps that you need to work upon –
- Press Win + I, and the Settings window will pop up.
- Now, reach out to the following path –
Apps > Apps & features
- Locate Google Chrome, and click the three vertical dots available at its right end.
- Select Uninstall and when a confirmation window appears, hit Uninstall again.
- Reboot your PC next so that the system gets rid of any leftover or residual files.
When Windows 11 reloads, you may visit Chrome’s official site, and download/reinstall its latest version. After the installation completes, check if Chrome starts working as usual or not.
