Google Chrome is an amazing web browser, but it occasionally crashes, freezes, or totally stops functioning. While these types of crashes are common, they can leave you high and dry by placing your vital, unsaved data in danger. In such instances, there are various things you can do to restore Chrome to its former state and achieve a flawless surfing experience.
In this article, I’ll show you how to fix Google Chrome not responding so you can get your browser back to normal. There are numerous causes for these issues; therefore, it’s critical to be thorough when troubleshooting and attempting to resolve the problem.
How Do I Fix Google Chrome Not Responding?
Chrome is frustrating when it crashes constantly, and you wouldn’t be wrong to want to use a different browser if this keeps happening. However before you do that, described below are useful ways to fix Google Chrome not responding. Try them first, and I’m sure you’ll find at least one method that helps restore proper function to your Google Chrome browser.
Restart Chrome
When Chrome crashes or freezes, try restarting it fully first. To do this, click the three dots in the top-right corner of Chrome and choose Exit. Then, after a few moments, reopen Chrome after a few moments to see if it helps to fix Google Chrome not responding.
Close Unused Tabs
Also check how many tabs you have open in Chrome. Websites may crash if your computer’s RAM is low (which is frequently the case due to Chrome’s high memory utilization). Close any tabs that aren’t in use, pause any Chrome downloads, and exit any extra programs that are active on your computer. This usually helps to fix Google Chrome not responding, or when it crashes and freezes.
To access the Task manager in Chrome, press the Shift + Esc. You’ll see a rundown of everything that is running in Chrome, allowing you to close the most active users.
Restart your Computer
If none of the above methods appear to be effective, restart your computer. As you are probably aware, restarting resolves many different issues and may also resolve any problems with Chrome.
Update Chrome
Chances are, Google has already released an update to fix Google Chrome not responding if there are any known bugs that can cause Chrome to crash or freeze, including those that affect memory use.
To check for Chrome updates, go to Menu > Help > About Google Chrome. Continue to other suggestions below if the simpler ones above didn’t work to fix Google Chrome not responding.
Disable Extensions
It’s also worth disabling some extensions when you’re trying to fix Google Chrome not responding or get it to stop crashing or freezing. Go to the Menu > More tools > Extensions page to check your installed extensions. Deactivate or remove whatever you are not actively using. Excessive extension use might cause your browser to slow down, and malicious extensions can interrupt Chrome’s normal operation.
If you have many extensions and don’t want to manually disable all of them, open an incognito window by going to Menu > New incognito window or by using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + N. Extensions are by default incompatible with incognito windows. As a result, browsing incognito can let you see if it’s an extension that is causing Chrome to freeze or crash.
Try a Different Browser
If Chrome seems to stop working only when loading a specific site, check if the problem is limited to Chrome or other browsers are affected. Open another browser, such as Firefox or Microsoft Edge, and see if the same error occurs.
If the page does not load in the other browser, the site is most likely having problems. There’s nothing to do but wait for the site owners to resolve the issue; consider contacting the website admin via social media to notify them.
If the website loads properly in other browsers, then you’ll know that the problem is with Chrome. Proceed with the instructions below to fix Google Chrome not responding.
Run a Malware Scan
Even if malware isn’t always to blame for Chrome crashes, it’s something to rule out in an attempt to fix Google Chrome not responding. Malicious software could tamper with your browser’s network or security settings and disrupt connections.
Chrome comes with a basic malware scanner. However, for a more thorough check, scan with your computer’s antivirus suite and Malwarebytes.
Disable Hardware Acceleration
Hardware acceleration is a feature that transfers heavy graphical duties from your CPU to your GPU. It makes Chrome run faster when enabled, but it could also cause the browser to malfunction sometimes.
After attempting all the fixes above and Google Chrome still doesn’t stop malfunctioning, you should switch off hardware acceleration and see if it helps to fix Google Chrome not responding. To do this, select Menu > Settings > Advanced. Locate the Use hardware acceleration when available toggle and click the switch.
Reset or Reinstall Chrome
If you’ve gotten this far and nothing has worked, reset or reinstall the browser to fix Google Chrome not responding. To start, you can use Chrome’s built-in reset feature to return to a brand-new state without having to reinstall.
Go to Menu > Settings > Advanced > Reset and Clean up > Restore settings to their factory defaults. Everything will be reset, with the exception of Bookmarks, History, and Saved passwords, as stated by Chrome.
If Chrome still freezes even after a restart, you should completely uninstall it and then reinstall it. Go to Settings > Apps > Apps & Features and select Google Chrome from the list. Select Uninstall by clicking it. Next, download a brand-new version of Google Chrome. Chrome should function normally once it has been fully reinstalled.
It’s upsetting when a browser doesn’t respond properly since we use browsers for so many different functions. As such, I hope these troubleshooting tips help you fix Google Chrome not responding, no matter its root cause.