Chrome Not Responding or Slow? Fixes That Work (Step by Step)
When Chrome freezes, shows “Page Unresponsive” or feels slow, the cause can be one tab, one extension or stale browser data, and the fixes below go from the least disruptive to the most. Try them in order, and test after each one so you know which step helped. Steps that delete data say so, because cookies and saved site data can sign you out of websites.
Step 1: find the tab that is causing it
Chrome has its own task manager that shows how much memory and processor time each tab and extension uses. On Windows, press Shift + Esc inside Chrome, or open the menu and go to More tools, then Task manager. Select the heavy item and choose End process. Save your work first: other tabs that share the same process may stop too, and unsaved changes in them are lost.
Step 2: update Chrome
Open the three-dot menu, choose Help, then About Google Chrome. Chrome checks for an update and installs it, and then shows a Relaunch button. Save your work before you relaunch, because unsaved form entries can be lost. Crashes and slowdowns are often fixed in newer versions.
Step 3: test without extensions
Extensions can slow Chrome down, especially ones that run on every page. A quick test is to open an Incognito window with Ctrl + Shift + N. Extensions do not run in Incognito unless you have allowed them there, and Incognito also starts without your normal cookies and sign-ins. If the same site is faster there, an extension or your normal profile’s stored data may be involved, and the next test narrows it down.
To find the culprit, open the menu, choose Extensions, then Manage extensions (or type chrome://extensions in the address bar). Switch extensions off one at a time and test after each one. Remove the ones you do not need.
Step 4: clear the cache
Cached files can become stale or corrupt and cause strange behaviour on one site. Google’s steps for a desktop computer:
- Open the three-dot menu and select Delete browsing data.
- Choose a time range, such as Last hour or All time.
- Tick Cached images and files and make sure the other boxes are unticked for this first test. Tick Cookies and other site data only if you also want to clear those.
- Select Delete data.
Clearing cookies and site data signs you out of most sites and can remove data that some sites keep locally, so if the cache alone is the suspect, leave that box empty first.
Step 5: check graphics acceleration
Chrome can use the graphics card to draw pages. On some computers, an old or faulty graphics driver causes freezes or blank pages, and turning acceleration off is a known workaround. Go to Settings, then System, and switch off Use graphics acceleration when available (the label has changed between versions; it used to say hardware acceleration), then select Relaunch. You can also open chrome://settings/system directly. If it makes no difference, turn it back on, and consider updating your graphics driver.
Step 6: reset Chrome’s settings
If the earlier steps do not help, reset the settings. Be aware that this clears cookies and site data, so you will be signed out of websites, and Google says the changes apply on all devices where you are signed in to Chrome. Open the menu, then Settings, then Reset settings, then Restore settings to their original defaults, and confirm with Reset settings. According to Google’s help page, this resets the default search engine, homepage and startup tabs, the new tab page, pinned tabs, content settings such as pop-up and microphone permissions, cookies and site data, and extensions and themes. Google says saved bookmarks and passwords are not deleted or changed, and that some settings, such as fonts and accessibility, are not reset. Because extensions are among the things reset, you will need to turn on the ones you want again.
Step 7: try a fresh profile
If Chrome is still slow, the problem may be tied to your profile. Create a new profile from the profile icon at the top right of the window and test there. If the new profile is fast, the old profile’s data or extensions are probably involved. Test the new profile before you turn on sync, because syncing can bring the same extensions and settings back.
Make Chrome the default browser on Windows
This is a separate task, but people often ask it next. On Windows 11, open Settings, go to Apps, then Default apps. Under Set defaults for applications, select Google Chrome and use the Set default button. Microsoft’s article uses Edge as its example and says to pick the browser you want instead.
Common questions
Will resetting Chrome delete my bookmarks or passwords?
Google says the reset does not remove bookmarks or saved passwords. It does clear cookies and site data, so you will have to sign in to websites again.
Chrome still freezes on just one website
Test that site in Incognito and in another browser. If it fails everywhere, the problem is probably the website. If it fails only in your normal Chrome window, go back to the extensions and cache steps.
Chrome uses a lot of memory. Is that a fault?
Not by itself. Chrome runs separate processes for tabs and extensions, so the task manager often shows many entries. Judge it by whether the computer stays responsive and whether one entry keeps growing; a single large tab is not automatically a fault.
