A few weeks ago, we reported a conspicuous Google Chrome bug that was causing the browser to crash on multiple surfaces. It was later found that it was Microsoft’s Family Safety that was blocking Google Chrome from functioning properly.
Now, Chrome seems to be experiencing widespread issues again, with users reporting that the browser refuses to open. If it does, it constantly freezes.
Reports about Reports started emerging roughly a week ago on Reddit and Google’s official community support forum, right after Chrome stable channel was updated to version 138.0.7204.100/.101. The bug seems to be limited to Windows and Mac machines, with no reported cases of it affecting Android users (via TechIssuesToday).
“I updated chrome and it never re-opened, and I was unable to get it to launch. I restarted my PC and it still wouldn’t launch. so I uninstalled it and re-installed it and it still won’t launch. I can’t find an older version to install,” wrote a user on Google’s support forum, while a different user questioned whether other were facing issues like lag, black screen, and freezing after the update.
Even though the issue is being reported by multiple users, it doesn’t seem to be universal. I am currently on Chrome version 138.0.7204.101, and I have yet to experience any of these problems myself.
Google knows of the issue
For Windows users, the issue primarily manifests as the browser not launching at all. For Mac users, on the other hand, Chrome tends to launch but then freezes or becomes unresponsive.
The exact cause of the bug is currently unknown, though it is safe to say that it stems from the new Chrome build, especially since a user facing the issue in stable reported that “Chrome Canary is working fine.” Chrome Canary, for reference, is currently on version 139.
Elsewhere, Google is reportedly aware of the issue. According to a Platinum Product Expert on Google’s Support Forum, this is a “known issue” and has been added to a list for the “Community Manger to look into.” There’s no clear timeline for the fix just yet, but some users have suggested that unchecking ‘Run as administrator’ offers temporary relief. To do so, right click on Chrome on your Windows home screen → Properties → Shortcut → Advanced → Uncheck Run as administrator.
