Google has spent an incredible amount of time and resources developing its Chrome browser, and it shows in the comprehensive user experience the browser brings. However, just like everything tech, it isn’t immune to problems.
In this article, we’re looking at eight fixes you can try out if Chrome isn’t starting on your Windows 10 machine.
Restart your computer
One of the first things you should try out is restarting your machine, regardless of OS and/or device. Restarting your computer can fix a bunch of seemingly random issues that can otherwise cause problems.
So if Chrome isn’t starting your PC, try rebooting it to check if that resolves the issue.
Also read: How to fix the Err_Connection_Aborted error in Chrome?
Check the date and time
If your PC’s clock is set incorrectly, you’re going to face problems using the internet regardless of the browser you use. To fix this, the best way is to set the date and time to automatic.Â
Step 1: Press the Windows key and search for Date and Time. Click on the corresponding search result.

Step 2: Ensure that the Set time automatically option is enabled and that you’ve got the right timezone selected.Â

Reinstall Chrome
Another possible cause for Chrome not starting might be some corrupt program files. Reinstalling the browser should fix the issue.Â
Step 1: Press Windows Key + X to open the Quick Access menu and click on Apps & Features.

Step 2: Find Chrome in the list of apps and use the Uninstall button to remove the browser.

Now you can redownload Chrome and try installing it again to check if that resolves your issue.
Rename the Chrome icon
This is a little bit of a weird fix but can work at times.
Step 1: Navigate to the Chrome installation directory. By default it is
C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application

Step 2: Right-click the chrome.exe file and rename it to something else.

Step 3: Once you’ve renamed the file, create a shortcut for it on the desktop by right-clicking and then choosing Desktop (create shortcut) under Send to.

Step 4: Now on your desktop, change the shortcut’s name back to Chrome.

Restart your PC and try launching the browser again.
Also read: How to fix ‘Chrome ran out of memory’ issue?
Try changing compatibility settings
Although this one’s a little bit of a far shot, you can try changing the compatibility settings for Chrome to check if it works.
Step 1: Right-click the Chrome icon and click Properties.

Step 2: Head over to the Compatibility tab and click the Run Compatibility Troubleshooter button to resolve any issues. Check if the browser runs; if it doesn’t, proceed to the next step.

Step 3: Under Compatibility mode, check the Run this program in compatibility mode for option and select Windows 8 from the dropdown. Check if the browser runs; if it doesn’t, proceed to the next step.

Step 4: Under Settings, enable the Disable fullscreen optimisations and Register this program for restart settings and try again.

Disable taskbar autohide
In some cases, autohiding your taskbar can cause Chrome not to launch. Here’s how to fix this.
Step 1: Press the Windows key and search for Taskbar settings. Click on the corresponding search result.

Step 2: Make sure that the taskbar auto-hide options are disabled.

Also read: How to preview pages on Chrome for Android?
Reset your network settings
Resetting your network settings can also help resolve issues with Chrome.
Step 1: Press Windows Key + I to open Windows Settings. Click on Network & Internet.

Step 2: Under the Status tab, scroll down to find Network reset.

Step 3: Click on Reset now to reset your network stack.

Reset your DNS settings
At times, corrupt or incorrectly set DNS settings can cause problems with browsers. Reset your DNS settings to check if that resolves your issue.
Step 1: Press Windows key + R and type in cmd and hit enter.

Step 2: Type in ipconfig /flushdns to reset DNS settings to default.

If the above command doesn’t help, try entering these commands in the Command Prompt one at a time.
netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset
Also read: How to hard refresh Chrome and other web browsers?