Google Chrome Not Responding or Keeps Crashing? Try These Fixes

As a browser, Google Chrome holds a large market share. In addition to allowing you to surf the Internet, it is also an important piece of software on our computers (as attested by the fact that Google built an entire operating system based on it for Chromebooks). If Chrome stops responding or keeps crashing, what do you do? Don’t panic, don’t call 9-1-1, just scroll down, and read our list of fixes for the most common of problems.

Good to know: stay safe online by enabling Strict Site Isolation in Google’s Chrome browser.

Basic Troubleshooting

Before we go on to detail more complex fixes, we suggest you first try this list of basic solutions that may be all it takes to get your Chrome browser working again.

• Check your Internet connection: Double check that you have access to the Internet. Open another browser, and navigate to a Web address. If it doesn’t load, your Internet connection may not be working properly. You may want to contact your IPS or try some of the other fixes detailed below.
• Restart your router: switch off your router, then turn it back on. Wait a few minutes, and see whether your Internet connection is back up and running.
• Refresh the page: if the connection was interrupted while loading, try refreshing the page to see whether it loads this time around. Sometimes opening a new tab and browsing to another page helps revive the affected tab.
• Restart Chrome: another simple fix is to close and reopen Chrome, then try to reload the problematic page.
• Restart your PC: a reboot quickly fixes any bugs that could cause your Chrome browser not to respond or crash.
• Update Chrome: make sure Chrome is updated to the latest version by clicking on the three dots in the upper-right corner of the display and selecting “Help -> About Google Chrome.”
• Scan for malware: the existence of viruses or malware on your PC may cause issues, such as Chrome crashing or not working. Run a malware or virus scan using your system’s built-in security utility to find and remove any threats. Alternatively, use your third-party antivirus of choice.

If these suggestions haven’t improved the situation with your Chrome browser, continue on with the more advanced fixes.

1. Kill Chrome

Sometimes something on a web page – an advert, video, or bad piece of coding – can cause Chrome to seize up and the window to become unresponsive. In these situations, you can’t even click the cross to close Chrome or Alt + F4 your way out of it. The best way out of this is to go through Task Manager (on Windows) or Activity Monitor (on Mac).

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to bring up the utility.
2. When Task Manager opens in the “Processes” tab, click on “Google Chrome” to select it.

3. Select the “End task” button at the top.
4. In the future, you may want to have your Task Manager appear “Always on top” so that it doesn’t get hidden behind the unresponsive Chrome window. Click on “Settings” in the lower-left corner of Task Manager to do this.

5. Press on the “Always on top” option to place a tick next to it.

6. On Mac, go to “Finder -> Go -> Utilities,” and open “Activity Monitor” from there.

7. Select Chrome, and click the “X” button at the top to end the process.

Tip: learn how to save a Chrome extension as a CRX file, and easily send it to someone.

2. Disable Extensions One by One

Chrome extensions can be a fickle bunch, and one dodgy extension running in the background can send the whole browser out of whack. If Chrome is regularly becoming unresponsive or crashing, follow these steps to start disabling extensions.

1. Click the hamburger-shaped menu icon at the top right, and select “Extensions -> Manage extensions.”

2. Toggle off the switch at the bottom of one extension to disable it, then continue using Chrome.

3. If you still have the problem, re-enable that extension, then disable another, and repeat this process until Chrome starts working properly. At that point, you’ll know you’ve found your culprit and can remove it right away.

3. Change Your Proxy Settings

A proxy server acts as an intermediary between your browser and the Internet, giving you more anonymity when you go online. Chrome uses the built-in proxy settings of Windows or Mac by default, but if these are giving you trouble, you may want to switch off the option that automatically detects your proxy setting.

1. Go to “Settings” in Chrome.

2. Scroll to the bottom, and click “System” in the left side menu.

3. Scroll to the bottom again, and click “Open your computer’s proxy settings.”

4. Toggle off the “Automatically detect settings” option. You can always re-enable it later.

5. Alternatively, if you have your own proxy address you’d like to run, click the “Set up” button next to the “Use a proxy server” box, and enter it there.

FYI: want to check out some great Chrome extensions that can make you laugh? Check out our list of the best Chrome extensions to prank your friends.

4. Add Chrome to Firewall

Another thing you need to check is whether your firewall is blocking Chrome. If you recently fiddled with your firewall’s settings, you may want to make sure Chrome has the necessary access.

1. On a Windows PC, type “Defender Firewall” in the Search bar. Click the “Windows Defender Firewall” option and not the best match.

2. Click on “Allow an app or feature through the Windows Defender Firewall” on the left side of the window.

3. Check the list for Google Chrome.

4. If it isn’t, click “Change settings,” then the “Allow another app” button.

5. Select “Google Chrome” by clicking “Browse,” then hit “Add.”

6. On a Mac, go to “Apple menu -> System Settings.”

7. Access “Network -> Firewall.”

8. Click the “Options” button on the next screen.

9. Find “Google Chrome” in the list at the top, and check whether it says, “Allow incoming connections,” next to a green dot.

10. If it has a red dot instead, click on it to change its status.

5. Flush DNS

Sometimes users may get the “Web took too long to respond” message. This indicates the DNS cache is outdated, so the solution to this problem would be to flush the DNS. Check out our tutorials on how to reset the DNS on Windows or Mac.

Tip: learn how to easily pin extensions to your Google Chrome toolbar.

6. Check for Hardware Acceleration Issues

Hardware acceleration is a feature in Chrome that hands graphical tasks to a different component other than your computer’s CPU, usually the GPU, thus allowing the browser to run smoother. If you’re experiencing frequent Chrome crashes, disabling the feature may help resolve the situation.

1. Go to “Settings -> System” in Chrome.

2. Toggle off the “Use hardware acceleration when available” option.

7. Switch to a New Profile

A simple solution to bypass any crashing issues with Chrome could be switching to a new profile. If you have one already set up, open Chrome again, and select the new profile. If you don’t have one already, our tutorial explains how to set up a new profile in Chrome.

8. Check for Software Conflicts

Sometimes Chrome can conflict with other software or Chrome itself and cause it not to work or just crash altogether. This can be anything from network-related software to malware and any others that interfere with the browser.

To know which software conflicts with Chrome, type chrome://conflicts in your browser’s address bar, and press Enter. Check the list carefully for any third-party apps, then update them. If the problem continues to persist, proceed to disable or uninstall the app(s) in question and see whether Chrome continues to crash.

9. Use the No-Sandbox Flag

If you’re using the 64-bit version of Chrome and experiencing crashes, it could be due to the Sandbox mode (which provides protection against online attacks). You could try turning it off, but keep in mind that doing so can be quite risky, as your online activities will become more exposed. As an alternative to this solution, consider installing the 32-bit version of Chrome.

1. Find and right-click on the Chrome icon on your desktop.
2. Select “Properties.”

3. Check that you’re in the “Shortcut” tab. Look for the “Target” field, and add “no-sandbox” at the end of the input field.

4. Tap “Apply.”

Tip: check out this list of great Chrome flags that are all set to boost your browsing.

10. Reset Chrome

If none of these solutions work, the nuclear option is to reset Chrome. Thankfully, this doesn’t mean you have to reinstall the whole thing, as there’s a button in Chrome’s Settings menu that does this for you.

1. In Chrome Settings, go to “Reset settings.”
2. Click on “Restore settings to their original defaults” on the right.

3. Click “Reset settings” again to confirm.

11. Reinstall Chrome

An alternative to the option above is to reinstall Chrome altogether. First, uninstall the app. On Windows, go to “Settings -> Apps -> Installed apps” to find Chrome. Press the three dots next to it, and select “Uninstall.”

Go to the official Google Chrome download page, get the latest version, and install it on your PC.

Tip: did you know that Chrome has its own Task Manager? Learn how to use it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it possible to unfreeze Chrome tabs without closing the browser?

If you can still access the browser’s address bar or open a new tab, try typing chrome://restart to get the browser to shut down and open again. This should have the effect of restoring all your previously opened tabs.

Why is Chrome so laggy?

Chrome collects a lot of your data while you’re browsing the Internet, with the stated vague purpose of “improving your experience.” This includes data, cookies, cached images, files, etc., which will add up over time. Occasionally clearing this data can potentially improve your experience using Chrome. In some cases, it may even fix Chrome not responding to issues.

Image credit: Pexels. All screenshots by Alexandra Arici.