Google Chrome is great. It’s easy to use, fast, and stable. But, occasionally, you might run into issues like Google Chrome not opening.

If you’re experiencing this frustrating issue now, take a deep breath and try the fixes below.

Try these fixes:

You may not have to try them all. Just work your way down the list until you find the one that works.

Restart your PC
Check if Chrome is already running
Free up system memory
Disable your antivirus temporarily
Hard reset Chrome
Reset Chrome in safe mode
Reinstall Chrome

Quick Check: Before trying the fixes below, open Microsoft Edge or Firefox. Can you browse the internet?

If other browsers work: Follow this guide to fix Chrome.
If no browsers work: This is likely an internet issue – you may want to explore our Knowledge Base Network Issues page to troubleshoot.

If you’re experiencing Chrome issues, take a deep breath and try the fixes below.

Fix 1: Restart your PC

Sometimes, certain applications running on your computer may conflict with Google Chrome, causing it to fail.

To see if there’re any programs preventing your browser from working correctly, try restarting your PC. A simple reboot wipes away the current state of the software and fixes issues associated with it.

If your browser still won’t open after the reboot, read on and try the next fix.

Fix 2: Check if Chrome is already running

Sometimes Chrome might be running in the background without you knowing it. Here’s how to check and force close it:

On your keyboard, press the Ctrl, Shift, and Esc keys to bring up Task Manager.
Locate the Google Chrome or chrome.exe processes.
Right-click each one and click End task.
Try opening Chrome again and see if Chrome works properly.

Fix 3: Free up system memory

Chrome can be quite demanding on your system resources. If your computer is running low on memory, Chrome might fail to start.

Here’s how to free up some resources:

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
Click on the Memory column to sort by memory usage, then look for programs using lots of memory and close any you don’t need.

Additional steps to optimize memory:

Close unnecessary programs running in the background
Pause any active downloads
If you can open Chrome, remove unused extensions (you can do this later if Chrome won’t open now)

Fix 4: Disable your antivirus temporarily

Your problem is sometimes caused by interference from antivirus software. To see if that’s the problem for you, temporarily disable your antivirus program and firewall and check if the problem persists. (Consult your antivirus documentation for instructions on disabling it.)

If Chrome works properly after you disable the antivirus software, contact the vendor of your antivirus software and ask them for advice, or install a different antivirus solution.

Be extra careful about what sites you visit, what emails you open, and what files you download when your antivirus is disabled.

Fix 4: Hard reset Chrome

In some cases, Chrome not opening issue happens when certain files are damaged or corrupted. To fix it, try clearing your Chrome profile to hard reset the browser. Here is how to do it:

1) On your keyboard, press the Ctrl, Shift, and Esc keys at the same time to open Task Manager.

Verify there is no Chrome-related process running in the background. If there is, right-click the process and select End task.

3) On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and R at the same time to invoke the Run dialog.

4) Type %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data in the box and click OK.

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5) Copy the Default folder and place the copy in another location to back it up. Then, delete the original Default folder.

Try opening Chrome to test your issue. If you still can’t launch Chrome properly, don’t worry. Move on to fix 4, below.

Fix 5: Reset Chrome in safe mode

Your issue is also probably caused by improper Chrome settings. If that’s the problem for you, resetting Chrome can help fix it. Follow the instructions below:

Reset Chrome in safe mode

Boot your PC into safe mode.
Boot your PC into safe mode. (Click to see how to enter safe mode in Windows 10, 7, 8, 8.1, XP, or Vista.)
Open Chrome, then click the menu button and select Settings.
Open Chrome, then click the menu button and select Settings.
Click Advanced at the bottom.
Click Advanced at the bottom.
Select Restore settings to their original defaults.
Select Restore settings to their original defaults.
Click Reset settings.
Click Reset settings.

This should fix your issue. If your issue persists, then go ahead with the next fix.

Fix 6: Reinstall Chrome

Flash, updates, or other problems can also prevent Chrome from running correctly. In this case, reinstalling Chrome is very likely the solution to your issue.

If you want to keep your bookmarks, settings, passwords, etc., you would want to make sure you’ve logged into your Google account, and you turn on sync. To do so, go to Settings > Sync and Google service > Manage what you sync. Then, select what information you want to sync with checkboxes, or select Sync everything.

1) On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key. Then, type control and click Control Panel.

2) Under View by, click Category, and then select Uninstall a program.

3) Right-click Google Chrome and click Uninstall.

4) Download and install Chrome.

Hopefully, this article helped in resolving your problem. Feel free to leave a comment below if you have any questions and suggestions.

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Google Chrome Not Opening? [SOLVED]