What to do if Google Chrome slows down?
A slow Google Chrome is a common problem. This is expressed in different ways – a long startup, pauses as it opens and browses Internet pages, lags while watching a video in a browser. Here we will find out why "Chrome" slows down, what exactly causes this behavior, and how to overcome the problem.
Why Google's browser slows down
There are many reasons for such a problem with Google Chrome. In the vast majority of cases, the following factors are responsible for this issue:
· An overflow of search history and the cache;
· Heavy extensions (or a large number of them);
· An outdated version of the browser itself;
· Advertising;
· Corrupted browser files, including those related to the user profile.
Also, do not forget that Google Chrome, like other modern web browsers, is very demanding on computer hardware. True, modern systems are powerful enough to reduces this issue to a minimum.
How to solve the problem
The most common causes for Chrome slowing down are fairly easy to fix. But this is subject to a sufficient amount of RAM (2 or more gigabytes) being available, a modern powerful (at least dual-core) central processor, a large amount of space on the system partition (drive C) and the absence of constantly running programs that actively use the Internet connection, for example, torrent - customers.
Clearing history and cache
The most common reason for slow browser performance is an overflowing history and a large cache. Both are necessary for faster Internet browsing. However, past a certain size the cache negatively affects the speed of the web browser.
A method for clearing history and cache:
1. Go to Chrome settings (the symbol with three dots in the upper right corner).
2. Activate the "Clear history" option in the "Privacy and security" section.
3. Set the range to "All the time".
4. Check "Browser history" and "Pictures and files saved in the cache" ("Cookies" are best left as they are).
5. Click Delete Data.
You may be surprised by the number of history entries (shown in the corresponding line). Depending on the time you have been using the browser, they can reach several thousand or even tens of thousands of lines. The cache size (also indicated in the clear window) can be even more impressive and take up to several gigabytes.
Removing extensions
Numerous or heavy extensions in Chrome can also affect its speed and responsiveness. It is recommended to "catch" add-ons that slow down the browser operation by exclusion. Better yet, disable them all at once (including the official ones) and, by activating them one at a time, identify the problem ones.
Instructions on how to do this:
1. Click "Customize and manage Google Chrome" in the upper right corner of your browser.
2. In the drop-down list, select "More Tools" / "Extensions".
3. Go through the list, disabling all installed add-ons with the appropriate button.
4. Restart your browser and check its operation now (if Chrome has stopped slowing down, it is really a matter of extensions).
5. Include the necessary add-ons one by one. After each, restart the browser and check its performance.
6. Remove problematic and unnecessary extensions in the settings.
In earlier versions of the browser, plugins (flash, PDF, etc.) could be controlled in a similar way, all of which can also slow down the browser. But, unfortunately, this feature is no longer available in modern versions of Chrome.
Browser refresh
If you are using an outdated version of the program, it is quite possible that it does not work well for this very reason. You can identify the problem by a pop-up message that appears from time to time stating that the browser is outdated, or by typing chrome: // version / in the search bar, where the current version of Chrome is indicated.
If auto-update doesn't work, try doing it in a different way:
1. Run Settings and Controls again.
2. In the pop-up window, select Help / About Google Chrome.
3. You will be transferred to the appropriate tab, where a version check and auto-update will take place.
The developers are releasing new versions of the program for a reason. In the browser, errors and bugs are fixed, performance increases, and more. Although the new Chrome takes up to a gigabyte of disk space after installation, without regard to user data, it runs quite fast.
Blocking ads
Banner ads on websites significantly slow down page views. A particular evil is large animated ads. Even one tab with a site with this sort of ad reduces the speed of Google Chrome by half or more, and a few tabs clogged to capacity with such banners are quite capable of provoking a browser crash.
To deal with this, disable ads using AdBlock (or similar extensions):
1. To install the blocker, go to the Chrome Web Store.
2. In the search box, enter the name of the extension.
3. Click the Install button.
The AdBlock add-on is one of the few really useful Chrome extensions. It blocks pop-ups, ads, third-party trackers, and cryptominers. You can configure white and black lists if necessary.
Reinstall the Browser
If the previous options did not give you the desired result, reinstall the browser. But first save your existing bookmarks.
What you need to do:
1. Open "Settings & Management" / "Bookmarks" / "Bookmark Manager".
2. Through the field "Control" go to "Export bookmarks".
3. Save the HTML document to disk.
4. Download the Google Chrome installer from the official site (if you do not have it).
5. Close the browser, launch "Control Panel" / "Programs and Features" / "Uninstall or change programs".
6. Uninstall Google Chrome.
7. Activate the installer, wait for the browser to download and complete the installation.
8. Restore bookmarks by going to "Settings" / "Bookmarks" / "Import bookmarks".
When you customize your browser, remember that many articles on the Internet and advice on forums are mostly outdated information, because "Chrome", being the most progressive and most popular browser, is constantly being improved and changed.
Change user profile
This option is recommended rather as an additional option, if reinstalling the browser did not work. You can add a new user or profile, or change or delete both the first and the second.
Instructions on how to do this:
1. To add a new user in the upper right corner of the browser, click "Profile" / "Add". Choose a name, an image, and click "Add".
2. Now, click "Profile". Select a user or profile from the list. Enter a new name (you can also change the image if you want). Changes will be saved automatically.
3. To delete a user or profile (please note that all related data will also be deleted from your computer), in the upper right corner of the browser, select "Manage users" (gear icon). In the new window, click on the field of the profile you want to get rid of and click "Delete".
In the course of these settings, you will be prompted to enable synchronization with your account. Enable it if desired, or simply ignore this item.
Helper - Chrome Task Manager
To monitor the load on the processor, memory usage and network connection, you can turn to the standard Windows tool, but it is much more convenient to track processes in the task manager built into Google Chrome. This tool shows in some detail the load the system is under with running tabs and add-ons.
How to use it, in the instructions below:
1. Tap Customize & Manage Google Chrome / More Tools / Task Manager.
2. Here you can see all the open pages and processes running in the browser, the consumption of each tab separately by RAM, and the load on the processor and the network.
3. If necessary, you can stop a particular tab or process by highlighting the required one and clicking on the "End process" button.
Particular attention should be paid to processes that heavily load the browser, but keep in mind that, in general, an average site uses 100 MB or more of RAM, and this is quite normal. If the values of the RAM loaded by some process are hundreds of megabytes, and the consumption of CPU resources exceeds 50%, then that is a reason to pay attention to this (the exception is watching high-definition video).
Google Chrome is a very fast browser. It starts to work slowly, as a rule, as a result of a cache overflow, a lot of entries in the history, or a lot of installed extensions. If you experience issues like long browser start-ups, slow website performance, or slow online video, this guide will help you get rid of the problem.
Based on materials from the site https://hidemy.io/