The most common reasons behind this issue are related to corrupted cache files, incompatible extensions, hardware acceleration, compatibility mode, or even a failed update. Renaming the History folder, removing possible malware, editing the destination location, and resetting the browser can serve as diagnostic tools and possible solutions to this problem.
How to fix this Chrome error
Although at first this error that appears on our screen changes the use of the program a bit as such, we have several solutions to use, effective as well as fast. Next, we are going to see different ways that we can go to end the problem of the blank screen when starting Chrome.
Close background processes
The first thing to do when Chrome shows a blank screen is to close the application completely from the Windows Task Manager, which we can access through the Ctrl + Shift + Esc shortcut. In the Task Manager, we must select the Processes tab , select Chrome and then click the End task button. In this way, we make sure that the Google browser has been completely closed on the computer and we can start it again to check if the error has been fixed.
clear cache
The reason for this problem may be caused by the cache that accumulates on a daily basis in our browser, so we can try to clean it to solve it. To do this, click on the icon with the three dots in the upper right (Settings menu) and click on “More tools” and click on “Clear browsing data”.
In the new window at the top we find the “Time” section where we select “Since always”. We then checked the boxes for “Browsing history”, “Cookies and other site data”, and “Cached files and images” along with “Form autofill data”. Finally, we press the Clear data button. Once finished, we close the web browser and reopen Chrome.
Update Google Chrome
The Internet is constantly growing and technologically advanced as far as software is concerned. Hence, on certain occasions we can find ourselves with certain problems that appear suddenly and that did not exist until now. That is precisely where the updates that software developers constantly send us come into play. This is something that directly affects internet browsers like Google Chrome.
Basically this means that the mistake What we are talking about in these lines can be solved directly by simply installing the latest version of the search giant’s program. As with the rest of the software we have installed on our computer, updating Chrome can help us improve the user experience and also avoid this type of failure.
restart the program
As with most of the software solutions that we have installed on our computer, a restart of the Google program can solve a multitude of problems. Therefore, before carrying out other more important or complicated changes to solve this blank screen that we find ourselves, perhaps restarting the program will be enough to solve this error. In the event that we notice that it is blocked and we cannot close it conventionally, the best solution is to use the Windows Task Manager.
Here we find all the programs and processes that are running at that moment, so we locate the entry corresponding to Chrome. By right-clicking on it, we can end the task and run the application again in the conventional way. On many occasions we will see that the problem we are dealing with here is already solved.
Disable hardware acceleration
Chrome has a feature called hardware acceleration that allows it to speed up the browser process by getting help from our computer’s GPU. But its use can also be a possible cause of the blank screen problem, since its configuration may be interrupting its normal operation, so we can try to deactivate it.
This is something that we can do by clicking on the icon with three buttons in the upper right and accessing the “Settings” section. Then click on the “Advanced Settings” option on the left side panel and finally on “System”. Here on the right side we find the option to “Use hardware acceleration when available”which we will disable by clicking on the switch so that it remains blank.
Edit Chrome Shortcut Target
Sometimes we may notice that the address bar or Settings tab is missing when we open Chrome due to the blank screen, something that can be fixed by adding -disable-gpu to the end of the target path of the Chrome shortcut.
To do this, with the browser completely closed we must right-click on its icon and select Properties from the contextual menu. Click on the “Shortcut” tab and within the “Destination” folder we add -disable-gpu in the end. We click “Apply” and “OK” to confirm and save the changes.
Disable extensions
Google’s browser is famous for its wide compatibility with all kinds of extensions to get more functionality. However, some of these plugins can also be the causing the problem. In order to resolve this error, we must go on to verify all the installed extensions and disable them one by one.
We start the browser and click on the three-dot icon in the upper right corner. Later we click on “More tools” in the sidebar and then on “Extensions”. Once on the extensions page, we deactivate the switches that are configured as enabled.
Next, we close Chrome and check if the issue is resolved. If so, we only have to find the extension causing the problem. For this reason, we must reactivate each complement one by one and check if the problem reappears.
If we manage to deactivate the extensions to check if they are the source of the problem, we can start Chrome in incognito mode, so that it deactivates all the extensions by default and in this way, quickly check if the problem is in the extensions or if we have to keep looking. To start Chrome in incognito mode, we must create a shortcut on the desktop of our computer using the following command.
“C:/Program Files/Google/Chrome/Application/chrome.exe” -incognito
We can also edit the shortcut to Chrome that we use and add “-incognito” without the quotes at the end. Next, we go to Settings and click on the Extensions section to disable each and every one of them. Finally, we close Chrome from the Task Manager and open it again as usual to check if it works. If so, the problem is in the extensions, so we must try one by one, until we find the one that causes the blank screen problem on the computer.
Try another account in Chrome
On most occasions, and more so if we have been using this web browser by default for several years, we do so through our own personal account. Many times we use the account that we created at the time in Google to take advantage of all the platforms and applications of the search giant. This means that we can take advantage of multiple Google applications together using the same account that, as we tell you, is the one we use in Chrome.
At the same time, it must be taken into account that the use of this account will allow us to synchronize our data and navigation on multiple devices. However, on certain occasions if there is a problem with that account, all this can translate into a malfunction of any of the associated programs or platforms. How could it be otherwise, this is something that could have a negative impact on the aforementioned Google Chrome.
Therefore, if when starting the application as such we find a blank screen, a problem that we cannot solve, we can try deactivating data synchronization, connect the default account that we use and try another. This is something that we can carry out easily from the Chrome configuration window, specifically in the You and Google section. Here we just have to click on the button that says Deactivate and try with the credentials of another account to see if the problem is solved.
Rename History folder
The problem can arise in cases where the history folder is damaged, so changing its name can help us solve the problem. To do this, from the address bar of the browser we write chrome://version and press Enter. Next, we copy the path that appears in “Profile path” (Ctrl+C).
Later we access the File Explorer and the address bar, paste the copied path (Ctrl + V) and press Enter. Now we look for the “History” file, click on it with the right mouse button and choose the “Change name” option. We wrote temp as a new name and press Enter to save the changes. Now we only have to open Chrome and check if the error has been resolved.
Turn off compatibility mode
Chrome has its own compatibility mode for older versions of Windows. Sometimes if we have compatibility mode activated it can be the cause of the problem, so we can try to disable it. To do this we must click with the right mouse button on the Chrome icon. Within the contextual menu we select the Properties and later the Compatibility tab. Now in the Compatibility mode section, we uncheck the option to Run this program in compatibility mode for… Finally, we click Apply and OK to confirm and save the changes made.
Delete files from the Local Storage folder
Another way to try to solve the problem whereby Chrome starts with a blank screen is to enable the view of hidden files on our PC to later delete all the files found in the Chrome Local Storage folder. To do this we must open the Windows File Explorer. Later we click on View and show hidden items.
Next we close all the open instances of Google Chrome, for which we press Ctrl + Alt + Del and start the Task Manager. In the Processes tab we select all the instances related to Chrome that are running (Chrome.exe, Chrome.exe *32, etc) and click on…
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