Chrome Not Working Properly on Windows? A Practical Troubleshooting Guide

In Chrome, not working properly can mean very different things, and each one has a different cause. Pick the description that matches your problem, then jump to the right section.

• A page shows an error such as ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED or ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT: usually a network, DNS, proxy, VPN or clock problem. See the network section and the list of error messages.
• Pages load slowly or the browser feels sluggish: extensions, stored site data, or the graphics setting. See the extensions and the graphics sections.
• Only one website misbehaves: stored data for that site, or an extension that changes the page. Try the clean browser test first.
• Videos stutter, flicker or show a black screen: the graphics acceleration setting or the graphics driver.
• Pop-ups, a changed home page or search engine, or notifications you did not allow: hijacked settings or unwanted software. See the section on unwanted software.
• Chrome closes by itself, freezes, or will not open at all: that is a different problem. Follow our guide on what to do when Chrome stops working.

Before you start, check your Chrome version (three-dot menu → Help → About Google Chrome) and note whether the problem affects every website or only some. That one detail saves a lot of time later.

The quickest way to learn whether the problem is Chrome itself, one of your add-ons, or something outside Chrome is to change one thing at a time and compare.

1. Close extra Chrome windows and open Chrome again.
2. Open an Incognito window with Ctrl + Shift + N and load the page that has the problem. Incognito starts without your extensions (unless you allowed them) and without the stored site data from your normal window.
3. Open the same page in another browser, such as Microsoft Edge or Firefox.
4. Open the same page on another device, for example your phone using mobile data instead of Wi-Fi.

Now read the results:

• Works in Incognito, fails in a normal window: an extension or stored site data is the likely cause. Go to the extensions and site data section.
• Fails in Incognito but works in another browser: the problem is in the settings or the installation of Chrome. Go to the update, graphics and reset sections.
• Fails in every browser on this PC: Chrome is not the problem. Go to the network and Windows section.
• Works on mobile data but fails on your home Wi-Fi: the problem is the router or the internet connection, not the PC. Go to the network and Windows section.

If the problem shows up in more than one browser, or on other devices that use the same Wi-Fi, stop changing Chrome and check the connection and Windows settings instead.

1. Restart the router. Unplug it for about 30 seconds, plug it back in, and give it a few minutes to reconnect to the internet before you test again.
2. Turn off any VPN and test again. VPNs and some security programs can break connections or slow them down.
3. Check the date and time. Open Settings → Time & language → Date & time, turn on Set time automatically, and click Sync now. A wrong clock breaks secure (HTTPS) connections and causes certificate errors.
4. Check for a proxy you did not set up. Open Settings → Network & internet → Proxy. If you do not use a proxy on purpose, turn off Use a proxy server. On a work or school PC a proxy is often required, so do not change it without asking your IT department.
5. Flush the DNS cache. Click Start, type cmd, open Command Prompt, type ipconfig /flushdns and press Enter.
6. Try a different DNS server. In Windows 11, open Settings → Network & internet → Wi-Fi (or Ethernet), select your network, choose Hardware properties or Properties, find DNS server assignment, click Edit, choose Manual, turn on IPv4, and enter 1.1.1.1 as the preferred DNS and 8.8.8.8 as the alternate. Menu names are slightly different in Windows 10. Write down your old setting first so you can go back to it.

A DNS problem is a common reason when only some websites fail on one internet provider while they work on mobile data. If every device on your network has the problem even after the router restart, contact your internet provider and tell them the error message and the time it happened.

The error text on the page is a clue. Match it with the list below, but remember that a message can have more than one cause.

A safety note about certificate warnings: if Chrome shows a full-page warning that the connection is not private, do not click through it on a banking, shopping or login page. Fix the clock first, then try another network. If the warning stays on the same site, do not enter passwords or card details there.

Extensions and stored site data are the two most common reasons why a website works in Incognito but not in a normal Chrome window.

Test your extensions.

1. Type chrome://extensions in the address bar and press Enter, or open the three-dot menu and choose Extensions → Manage Extensions.
2. Turn off every extension you do not need, restart Chrome, and test the affected site again.
3. If the problem is gone, turn the extensions back on one at a time and test after each one. The last one you turned on when the problem returns is the cause. Update it, replace it, or remove it.

Ad blockers, coupon tools, download helpers, VPN extensions and tools that change the look of pages are the usual suspects. Remove any extension you do not recognize.

Clear the data of one site, not everything.

1. Open the affected site and click the icon at the left of the address bar (it shows site information).
2. Choose Cookies and site data and look for the option to manage the stored data of the site, then delete the entries for that site. The labels change a little between Chrome versions. If you cannot find it, open Settings → Privacy and security → Site settings → View permissions and data stored across sites, search for the site, and delete its data.
3. Reload the page with Ctrl + Shift + R. This reloads it without using the cached copy.

You will be signed out of that one site, but the rest of your logins stay. If you decide to clear the cache for all sites, press Ctrl + Shift + Delete, tick only Cached images and files, and leave Passwords unticked.

An old version of Chrome can fail on modern websites, and a problem with graphics acceleration is the usual reason for flickering pages, stuttering video, or a black or green video area.

Update Chrome. Open the three-dot menu, choose Help → About Google Chrome, wait while Chrome checks, and click Relaunch if an update was installed. Chrome normally updates itself, but it only applies the update after a restart, so a browser that was left open for weeks can be out of date.

Test graphics acceleration.

1. Open Settings → System.
2. Turn Use graphics acceleration when available off, then click Relaunch.
3. Play the video or open the page that had the problem.

If turning it off fixes the problem, your graphics driver is probably the real cause. Update the driver from NVIDIA, AMD or Intel, or from the support page of your laptop maker, and then try turning the setting on again. Leaving it off permanently can make video and scrolling use more CPU power and drain the battery faster.

You can also type chrome://gpu in the address bar and look at Graphics Feature Status. If most of the entries say Software only, hardware acceleration unavailable, Chrome is not using your graphics card, and the setting or the driver is worth checking.

If Chrome opens strange pages, shows pop-ups on every site, or its home page or search engine changed without your permission, an unwanted program or extension may have changed the settings.

1. Check the startup and search settings. In Settings → On startup and Settings → Search engine, make sure you recognize every entry.
2. Check notifications and pop-ups. Open Settings → Privacy and security → Site settings → Notifications, and remove sites that you do not recognize. In the same area, check that Pop-ups and redirects is set to blocked.
3. Remove unknown extensions in chrome://extensions.
4. Check installed programs in Windows. Open Settings → Apps → Installed apps, sort by install date, and uninstall programs that you did not install on purpose, especially anything that appeared around the time the problem began.
5. Run a scan. Open Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Scan options and run a full scan. If the problem comes back, choose Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan), which restarts the PC and scans before Windows loads.
6. Change your passwords if you typed them into a page that looked suspicious, starting with your email and banking accounts.

Be careful with free tools that promise to clean or speed up the browser or the PC. Some of them are the unwanted software you are trying to remove. Use Windows Security and the removal options in Windows and Chrome instead.

Use the reset after the earlier checks did not help. It clears many settings that can cause strange behavior, and you keep your bookmarks, history and saved passwords.

1. Open the three-dot menu and choose Settings.
2. Choose Reset settings in the left menu.
3. Click Restore settings to their original defaults.
4. Read the message, then click Reset settings.

According to Google, this resets the startup page, the new tab page, the search engine and pinned tabs, turns off extensions, and clears temporary data such as cookies. Before you reset, write down any custom settings you really need, such as a home page or a search engine that you chose.

After the reset, test the problem site before you change anything else. Then turn your extensions back on one at a time, so you can tell if one of them brought the problem back.

If Chrome still misbehaves after the reset, test whether the problem is stored in your Chrome profile, which holds your settings, extensions and saved data.

1. Click the profile icon at the top right of Chrome and choose Add Chrome profile (or Add).
2. Choose Continue without an account and open the page that had the problem in the new window.

If it works in the new profile, the old profile is damaged or has a setting that causes the problem. You can sign in to your Google account in the new profile to bring back your bookmarks and passwords through sync, and then stop using the old profile.

If the new profile has the same problem, Chrome itself may be damaged. Before you reinstall, make sure that your bookmarks and passwords are synced to your Google account or exported. Then open Settings → Apps → Installed apps, uninstall Google Chrome, restart Windows, and download the newest installer from the official Google Chrome website. Do not tick the option to delete your browsing data unless you want to remove it. The full uninstall and reinstall steps, with warnings, are in our guide on Chrome when it stops working.

A few habits prevent most of these problems:

• Restart Chrome from time to time so pending updates can install.
• Keep only the extensions you use, and install them only from the Chrome Web Store.
• Do not install browser add-ons that come bundled with free software installers. Read each screen of the installer and untick optional offers.
• Keep Windows and your graphics driver updated.
• Turn on Chrome sync, so a new profile or a reinstall does not cost you your bookmarks and passwords.

If your PC belongs to a company or school, some settings may be locked. Type chrome://policy in the address bar. If it lists policies, your organization manages Chrome, and you should ask your IT department instead of changing settings.

If the problem stays, ask for help in the Google Chrome Help Community and include your Chrome version (from chrome://version), your Windows version, the exact error message, and the steps you already tried.