Google Chrome incompatible program

Question

Google Chrome will not launch. It tries to launch and goes blank. Run as admin does the same.

During trouble shooting, determined it was an incompatible program.

Uninstall - reinstall didn't fix.

Every trouble shooter option didn't fix.

Watched videos on renaming. Didn't fix.

Not sure what to do.

Answer 1

Hi Nick Gasper

Welcome to Microsoft Community.

Based on your description, I understand that your Chrome browser won't launch and goes blank when you try to launch it, and I know exactly how you feel!

You've tried a few solutions and commend you on your problem solving skills and mindset!

May I ask if you only have this problem with Google Chrome?

Assuming that there is only a single application that is having the problem, I would recommend contacting Chrome support at this point to provide you with a solution specific to that browser.

However, I have personally experienced this issue and I really understand how you feel. So I'm going to do my best to provide you with some options that I hope will help you! I hope you understand that I can only do what I can at a system level to find out what's causing the problem for you, so thank you for your understanding, I really appreciate it!

Option 1: I suspect that the problem may be caused by some software conflict or malware interfering with browser functionality.

Let's look at the situation from different angles.

1. Let's start with anti-virus software and firewalls, as these types of software have policies that prevent the browser from functioning properly.

Therefore, we will try to temporarily disable all types of firewalls and third-party antivirus programs.

(1) Disable all types of firewalls.

Click “WIN key” to open the search bar -> type “Windows Defender Firewall” and open it -> disable all types of firewalls

(2) Disable all services of third-party antivirus programs or uninstall them temporarily.

If you choose to uninstall it, please make sure it is a clean uninstall, otherwise there will be files and registry residues of the third-party antivirus program, which may still cause problems.

Disclaimer: Temporarily turn off antivirus protection. However, keep in mind that if you do so, your device may be vulnerable to threats. So please turn it on immediately once issue fixed.

2. Let's check out some other cases.

Please try to clean boot your computer.

Since clean boot only uses a limited set of files and drivers, it can help us to effectively troubleshoot the possibility of problems due to third-party applications, driver conflicts, and so on.

You can refer to Clean Boot: How to perform a clean boot in Windows - Microsoft Support

After clean boot, please slide down the webpage after opening the link and find “How to determine what is causing the problem after you do a clean boot” This is a dichotomy that can help us pinpoint the service that is causing the problem and disable it!

Disclaimer: A “clean boot” starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs. It helps to determine whether a background service is interfering with your game or program and to isolate the cause of a problem. These steps of "clean boot" might look complicated at first glance. However, to avoid any trouble for you, please follow them in order and step-by step so that it will help you get back on track.

Option 2: Sometimes it is possible that the problem occurs due to corruption or loss of the user account profile we are currently using.

Let's try creating a new local administrator account from the command line and logging in to see if the problem persists. (Creating it in another way is also possible)

Click “Windows Logo Key” to open the search bar -> Type “cmd” in the search bar and open it with administrator privileges -> Please enter the following command

net user USERNAME PASSWORD /add

net localgroup administrators USERNAME /add

Please note: USERNAME PASSWORD can be replaced with your preferred account name and password, if you don't need a password you can leave out the PASSWORD.

Option 3: We try to run Chrome in compatibility mode.

Right-click on the Chrome shortcut or “.exe” executable file -> select “Properties” -> select “Compatibility” in the upper tab -> check “Run this program in compatibility mode” and select different compatible system versions such as “Windows 7”, “Windows 8”, etc.

Option 4: Sometimes it is possible that the problem occurs due to incorrect network configuration. Since we are using a browser, this is possible for browsers.

Click on “Windows Logo Key” to open the search bar -> Type “cmd” in the search bar and open it with administrator privileges -> Please enter the following commands

ipconfig /release 

ipconfig /renew 

ipconfig /flushdns 

ipconfig /registerdns 

netsh int ip reset 

netsh winsock reset 

netsh winhttp reset proxy 

Option 5: Let's try some other versions.

We can try downloading and installing some Beta versions of Chrome, Canary versions, and so on.

Option 6: You can also see if the error is logged in the Event Viewer.

Click “WIN key” to open the search bar -> Type “Event Viewer” and open it -> View warnings and errors related to Chrome browser

This information can also give us a better understanding of the cause of the error.

In addition to this, if you are experiencing problems with only one application, I recommend that you synchronize the situation with Chrome or Google's support team. They are more familiar with their brand of products and it's possible that other users have reported similar issues, and perhaps they've written a more targeted solution.

I sincerely hope that the above solution will solve your problem. Please feel free to contact me if you have any problems or still can't solve them. (Photos related to the question would be great!).

I look forward to hearing back from you. 

Best Regards

Arthur Sheng | Microsoft Community Support Specialist