Google Chrome is the most widely used browser in the world. Unfortunately, because it is the most widely used browser, problems also arise from using the Chrome browser.
A frequently reported problem is that the Chrome browser does not open anymore. If it fails to open Chrome, you will often see no error messages. Double-clicking the Google Chrome shortcut on the desktop or via the taskbar leads to nothing, no new window, and no error message.
These four tips can help. For example, you can check if Chrome processes are already running in the background. Check for a blockage in antivirus or firewall software, reset the Google Chrome user profile, or reinstall Chrome.
Google Chrome won’t start
The first thing we will do is check if there are already several Google Chrome processes open in the background. You can then close these processes.
Forced shutdown of Chrome processes
After closing the Chrome processes, you can open Google Chrome again.
Click on the Start button. In the search window type: Command Prompt. In the Command Prompt window type the following command:
taskkill /F /IM chrome.exe
The above command will forcefully close all Google Chrome (chrome.exe) processes.
Now check if you can open Google Chrome.
Temporarily disable your antivirus or firewall software
If you are using antivirus software or firewall software, temporarily disable the protection. This works differently in each antivirus software. Unfortunately, I cannot explain how to do this for each antivirus.
Sometimes an antivirus package on your computer detects a website or process as dangerous. The antivirus package then blocks access to an app, Google Chrome. Opening Chrome after this detection can lead to not being able to open the Google Chrome browser.
Google Chrome user profile reset
If any changes have been made to Chrome, such as apps or extensions, these changes are stored in the Chrome user profile. When you try to launch the Chrome browser, the default profile is loaded.
If there are problems in the profile, then Chrome cannot be started correctly. Resetting the Google Chrome user profile can help to relaunch Chrome anyway. Google Chrome will create a new profile with default settings.
Open the File Explorer. In the File Explorer address bar type:
%userprofile%\appdata\Local\Google\Chrome\User data\
Look for a folder called “Default”. Copy this folder and paste this folder into a safe location. So make sure you have a backup of the “Default” folder.
Then right-click on the “Default” folder in the “User data” folder and click “delete” from the menu.
Now check again if you can open the Google Chrome browser. The welcome screen will be displayed if the browser does start now.
Uninstall and reinstall the Google Chrome browser
If nothing else helps, it is time to uninstall and reinstall the Chrome browser. This will restore all settings in the Chrome browser and reinstall all files.
Click on the Start button. Then click on Settings in the menu. In Settings, click on Apps and then “Apps & features”.
In the list of installed apps, search for “Google Chrome”. Then click on the three vertical dots and click on “uninstall” from the menu.
After that, you will get the message, “Are you sure you want to uninstall Google Chrome?” Click “Uninstall” to confirm.
After uninstalling Google Chrome, you can download and install Google Chrome again.
I hope that you were able to start Google Chrome using this guide. Thank you for reading!
Read more:
