Google Chrome is one of the best browsers that has been around for more than 10 years. It has shown its dominance in the internet world. However, more than 80% of users use Chrome to surf the internet.
Additionally, you can see that the web is evolving swiftly, from text-based sites to more connecting and catchy web-based apps like YouTube. But, it is not like Chrome is free from errors.
For example, many Google Chrome users reported that they could not restore their data, and sometimes the Chrome browser didn’t shut down correctly.
If a user is facing this kind of error, ensure that you have performed the below-listed solutions to restore and fix the “Chrome didn’t shut down correctly” error on Windows.
Let’s get started with 6 easy fixes you can perform to prevent this error of Google Chrome from crashing repeatedly.
1. Restore the Closed Tabs in Chrome Browser
There are many possible ways to restore the closed tabs due to force closure. The restore of the closed tabs only works in normal mode and not in incognito mode. If you are browsing in incognito mode, restoring the abruptly closed tabs is technically impossible.
While Google Chrome also offers the button to Restore the closed tabs after relaunching the web browser, TechNinjaPro has three other ways.
- Google Chrome has a built-in restore tabs feature that automatically restores recently closed tabs. If the Chrome browser has crashed, you can use this option.
- You can also visit the Chrome browser’s history tab using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + H and look at all the websites you had opened and tick on them to reopen the closed websites.
- If you find the above-listed solution a bit of hassle, you can press Ctrl + Shift + T and open the tabs again.
2. Allow Chrome Applications to Run in Background
By default, if Google Chrome is not up and running, its associated applications or extensions are not allowed to run in the background. However, you may disable the restrictive environment and let the applications function at their full capacity, even if the Chrome browser is not running in the background. Possibly, this will create Google Chrome to become slow and unresponsive, but the error will be fixed.
Follow the below-listed steps to let Chrome applications run in the background:
- Open the Google Chrome.
- Click on three dots in the upper right side of the screen and choose the Settings menu from the list.
- Scroll down to the Advanced section and tick System.
- Enable the “Continue running background applications when the Google Chrome browser is closed” option.
This workaround is an exchange with performance. However, since it is identified to fix the primary error, you might have to give up some MBs of your RAM to get the Chrome browser up and running.
3. Rename the Google Chrome's Default Folder
Chrome browser’s Default folder holds data related to cookies, sessions, and cache related to your profile. In this regard, most users can fix this error by renaming this Default browser folder. The caveat of using this solution is that your user profile will be removed, and you have to re-login the Chrome browser.
Follow the instructions to rename the user data folder of the Chrome browser:
- Open File Explorer and go to the below location (replace UserName accordingly).
C: > Users > UserName > AppData > Local > Google > Chrome > User Data |
- If you cannot view the AppData folder, there is a possibility that the AppData folder might be hidden. So tick on the View menu on the top menu bar and enable the Hidden items option.
- The default folder will be visible under User Data.
- Right-tick on the folder and pick the Rename command.
- Name it, say Default_old, and press the Enter button.
Once the Default folder renaming is complete, relaunch the Chrome browser, and it might now create a new atmosphere to store its default settings and files. This, in turn, should fix the error as well.
4. Tweak the Google Chrome's Preferences File
If you get the “Chrome didn’t shut down correctly” error after every Google Chrome reboot, it could be attributed to Chrome’s Preference file. Manually making the needed changes to the Preference file should normally make the Chrome browser launch at the next boot. Follow the steps to modify the preference files in Google Chrome:
- Open File Explorer and access Google Chrome’s Default folder via the following location:
C: > Users > UserName > AppData > Local > Google > Chrome > User Data > Default |
- Scroll down to the Preference file and open it via a text editor like Notepad.
- Now use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + F to bring up the Find dialog box.
- Type in exit_type and press the Enter button to search.
- Modify the exit_type from Crashed to Normal.
- Save the changes using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + S.
This process does involve a few steps; however, if the Chrome browser cannot make changes to its Preference file on its own, then taking the manual approach is the best possible route forward.
5. Reset Chrome Browser
If you have made some modifications to Chrome’s settings, they might conflict with the true functioning of the Chrome browser. In this regard, reverting the Chrome settings to their default state might clarify success.
To reset the Google Chrome settings, follow the below-listed steps:
- Open the Chrome browser.
- Click on the three dots on the upper right side of the window and select the Settings from the list.
- Scroll down to the “Advanced” section and open it.
- Go to the Reset and clean up section.
- Tick on Restore settings to their default command tab.
- Click the Reset Settings button in the confirmation dialog box.
This method will disable the third-party extensions and will also clear temporary data. But together, it will bring all the Google Chrome settings back to their original state. So once the Chrome browser’s settings are back to default, restart the Chrome browser, and the error could have been rectified.
6. Turn off Google Chrome's extensions
A wrong extension can cause Google Chrome to crash. As long as the bad extension stays active, you will struggle with the error. Whether you need to disable all extensions or selectively turn them off, the choice remains with the user. Follow the steps to turn off Google Chrome’s extensions:
- Open Google Chrome and go to settings.
- Scroll down in the list to “More tools.”
- Hover on it to see a list of all the added extensions on your Chrome browser.
- Simply slide the bar below it to deactivate all the extensions at once.
- Open the Chrome once more to see if it can work workout crashing. If the error persists, turn on the extension files to identify the bad extensions and disable them.
So Google Chrome > Settings > More Tools > Extensions > Slide to disable
Conclusion
Related: Learn about the Best Password Managers for Chrome