Credit: Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
- A bug is preventing Windows users from opening Google’s Chrome browser.
- The bug is connected to Microsoft’s Family Safety feature.
- There are a few workarounds, like renaming Chrome.exe to Chrome1.exe.
Microsoft isn’t afraid to deploy tactics to nudge you away from Chrome. For example, earlier this year, Bing users were running into a pop-up that discouraged them from switching browsers. However, the friction between the two isn’t always intentional, which could include the current issue that’s preventing Windows users from opening Chrome.
Spotted by The Verge, a growing number of Windows users are reporting that they are either unable to open Chrome or the browser keeps closing itself. The issue appears to be connected to a bug affecting Microsoft’s Family Safety feature, a set of parental controls and filters for Microsoft 365 subscribers.