How to fix Chrome.exe application error in Windows?

Chrome.exe - Application Error is a Windows dialog, not a Chrome page. Windows shows it when chrome.exe touches memory it may not use, or a file it has no right to open, and then stops the program. Start with Fix 1 and Fix 2 to see which of the two it is.

Facts checked on 16 October 2026. Steps written for Steps read against Windows 11 25H2 and Windows 10 22H2. We did not reproduce the dialog ourselves; the code meanings come from Microsoft's own ntstatus.h file and the Chrome steps from Google's Chrome Help..

What the Chrome.exe application error means

The title bar of the dialog is the name of the program that crashed, followed by Application Error. Here the program is chrome.exe, the file that starts Google Chrome. Windows draws the dialog itself, so it appears even when Chrome never gets as far as opening a window.

The text under the title is a template that Windows fills in: The instruction at 0x... referenced memory at 0x..., and on the next line The memory could not be read. or The memory could not be written. The two addresses are different on every PC and every crash. They are not a fix and not worth searching for.

What causes the Chrome.exe application error, from most to least likely

Google and Microsoft publish no statistics for this dialog, so the order below is ours. It follows what the two codes mean and what Google lists as the usual reasons for Chrome failures: security software, extensions, cookies, low memory and damaged settings. Each cause points to one fix.

How to fix the Chrome.exe application error in Windows

Fix 1 and Fix 2 tell you whether this is a rights problem or a module problem. Fix 3 and Fix 4 cost a few minutes each. Fix 5 helps when the dialog began after a Windows update. Fix 6 and Fix 7 check for malware and damaged Windows files, Fix 8 tidies the browser itself, and Fix 9 replaces Chrome.

Fix 1. Run Chrome as administrator

2 minutesLow riskThe dialog or the code speaks of access denied, or Chrome stopped working after a Windows update changed permissions.

0xC0000022 means a process asked for an object and was not granted the access. Starting Chrome with administrator rights shows at once whether the crash is a rights problem or a problem inside the program.

1. Close every Chrome window. Chrome sometimes keeps running in the background after the last window closes, so also open the arrow in the taskbar tray and exit Chrome there if it is listed.
2. Type Chrome in the Windows search box.
3. Right-click Google Chrome in the results and select Run as administrator.
4. Select Yes when User Account Control asks for permission.
5. Check whether Chrome opens without the application error.

More about this setting and its compatibility tab: How to run a program as administrator or in compatibility mode.

Fix 2. Read which module crashed in Event Viewer

5 minutesNo riskEveryone whose dialog came back after Fix 1. It names the file that actually crashed.

Windows writes every application crash to its Application log, with the name of the program and, usually, the module where it failed. A module inside the Chrome folder points to damaged Chrome files. A module from another folder points to that other program.

1. Right-click Start and select Event Viewer.
2. Open Windows Logs > Application.
3. Select Filter Current Log on the right and tick Error, or just look for the newest entry with the source Application Error.
4. Open the entry from the minute of the crash and read Faulting application name (it should say chrome.exe) and Faulting module name.
5. Write down the module name and the folder of the file if the entry gives it.

Fix 3. Restart Chrome completely and restart the PC

3 minutesNo riskThe dialog appeared once, or after Windows installed updates and has not been restarted since.

A restart clears temporary conflicts in memory and finishes updates that Windows has only half applied. Google's own steps for loading errors in Chrome also start with a full restart of the browser.

1. Close Chrome with the X at the top right of the window, or select the three dots and then Exit.
2. Open Chrome again from the Start menu or the desktop shortcut and check the error.
3. If it is still there, save your work, select Start, select the power icon and then Restart.
4. Wait until Windows has finished starting, then open Chrome once and leave other programs closed for the test.

Fix 4. Update Google Chrome

5 minutesNo riskChrome opens at least for a moment, or you can install the newest version over the old one.

Google's Chrome Help names an outdated browser among the reasons for loading and connection errors. A new Chrome build can also replace a file that no longer fits the current Windows build.

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Select the three dots at the top right to open the menu.
3. Select Help, then About Google Chrome.
4. Wait while Chrome checks for updates. Any update it finds installs by itself.
5. Select Relaunch when the button appears.

If Chrome crashes before you reach this page, you cannot update it from inside. Go to Fix 9, which installs the newest version fresh.

Fix 5. Remove the Windows update that started it

15 minutesLow riskThe first crash came after Windows installed updates, and Chrome worked before.

An update replaces system files and drivers. If Chrome or a module in it does not agree with the new files, removing that one update shows it in minutes. Microsoft delivers its repair through a later update.

Step by step: How to uninstall a Windows update. Remove only the update that was installed just before the first crash, and note its KB number so you can search for it later.

1. Uninstall the newest update with the procedure above and restart the PC.
2. Open Chrome and check the error.
3. If Chrome works, open Settings > Windows Update and use Pause updates for the shortest period offered.
4. Install updates again once Microsoft has released a newer update. Do not leave a PC unpatched for months.

Fix 6. Scan for malware with Microsoft Defender

20 minutesNo riskChrome changed its start page, shows extra ads, or the faulting module is in a folder you do not recognise.

Malware can inject its own files into a browser, which fits an access violation. An offline scan runs before Windows starts, so the malware is not active to hide itself.

Step by step: How to scan for malware with Microsoft Defender. Choose the offline scan if a quick scan finds nothing and the dialog stays.

1. Open Windows Security and select Virus & threat protection.
2. Select Scan options and choose Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan).
3. Select Scan now. Windows restarts and scans before it loads.
4. When Windows starts again, open Protection history in the same window and read what was removed.

Fix 7. Repair damaged Windows system files

20 minutesNo riskOther programs crash as well, or Event Viewer named a Windows file as the faulting module.

Chrome relies on Windows system files. If one is damaged, the program can crash at the point where it calls it. SFC replaces damaged protected files, and DISM repairs the stored copies SFC takes them from.

Step by step: Run DISM and SFC to repair Windows system files. Run SFC first, DISM second, and restart when both are done.

1. Open Command Prompt as administrator and run sfc /scannow. Wait until it reaches 100 percent.
2. Run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth and wait for it to finish.
3. Restart the PC and open Chrome.

Fix 8. Switch off extensions, free memory and reset Chrome

10 minutesLow riskChrome opens for a short time and the dialog comes later, or the crash happens only on certain pages.

Google lists extensions, cookies, memory use and damaged settings as causes of Chrome failures, and describes reset and reinstall as the last steps. These cost nothing and leave your Google Account data in place.

1. Open a window in Incognito mode. If the problem is gone there, an extension or stored site data is the cause.
2. Open the extensions page and turn all extensions off. If this fixes it, turn them back on one at a time to find the guilty one.
3. Close unused tabs and stop unwanted background tasks, because Google names low memory as a cause of page crashes.
4. Reset Chrome to its defaults as Google describes in its reset instructions.
5. Restart Chrome and test again.

Fix 9. Reinstall Google Chrome

10 minutesRead the warningThe module in the log lies in the Chrome folder, Chrome never opens, or nothing else worked.

A fresh install replaces every program file with the newest version. Google's Chrome Help says that uninstalling and reinstalling fixes most problems.

Step by step: Uninstall a program or app in Windows. Download the installer again from Google's own site, never from a link in an e-mail or an ad, and install it.

1. Uninstall Google Chrome with the procedure above and restart the PC.
2. Download the installer from Google's Chrome page and run it.
3. Open Chrome and sign in to your Google Account to bring your bookmarks and passwords back.
4. Check whether the dialog is gone.

Chrome.exe application error still shows: what to check and who can help

If a fresh Chrome crashes in the same way, the fault is in Windows, a driver, other software or the hardware, not in the browser. Gather the evidence first, then take it to whoever can change that part.

1. In Event Viewer, copy the details of the newest Application Error entry for chrome.exe.
2. Note the Windows version from Settings > System > About.
3. Note the Chrome version from the About Google Chrome page, or the version you installed in Fix 9.
4. Try a second browser, such as Microsoft Edge. If Edge also crashes with a memory error, the fault is not Chrome.

Windows has a free test for memory: How to test your RAM with Windows Memory Diagnostic. We found no Google or Microsoft page that ties this dialog to faulty RAM, but an access violation in several unrelated programs is a reason to test it. Google also gives the Chrome Help Forum as the place to ask when its steps fail.

How to stop the Chrome.exe application error from coming back

Frequently asked questions

What does "Chrome.exe - Application Error" mean?

It is a Windows dialog that appears when the program chrome.exe breaks a memory or access rule and Windows ends it. The text under the title is a template: the instruction at one address referenced memory at another address, and the memory could not be read or written. That is the 0xC0000005 case. The addresses differ on every PC and carry no fix. What matters is which file caused the break, which Event Viewer shows (Fix 2).

What do 0xC0000005 and 0xC0000022 mean?

Microsoft's ntstatus.h file names 0xC0000005 STATUS_ACCESS_VIOLATION: an instruction referenced memory that could not be read or written. It names 0xC0000022 STATUS_ACCESS_DENIED: a process requested access to an object but was not granted the rights. The first points to a bad or conflicting module, the second to permissions. Both can show up in this dialog, which is why Fix 1 tests rights and Fix 2 looks for the module.

Can a Windows update cause the Chrome.exe application error?

Users report that the dialog appeared right after an automatic update, and an update does replace system files and drivers. We found no Microsoft statement that a given update breaks Chrome, so treat the update as a possible trigger. Uninstall only the newest one (Fix 5), pause updates for a short time, and install updates again once Microsoft ships a newer one. A PC left unpatched for months is at risk.

Will reinstalling Chrome delete my bookmarks and passwords?

Not if you are signed in and sync is on. Google's Chrome Help says that the info saved to your Google Account is still there after you reinstall and sign in. Data that was never synced can be lost, especially if you tick the option to delete browsing data when you uninstall. Check sync first, and if Chrome does not open, leave that option unticked so the profile folder stays on the disk.

Chrome exe application error unable to start correctly: is it the same?

No. The message "The application was unable to start correctly" comes with its own code, and it is a different dialog from the memory one on this page. If your message ends in a code such as 0xc0000141, read our guide to error 0xc0000141 instead. Fix 4, Fix 7 and Fix 9 here still apply, because a damaged program or Windows file can cause either message.

What if Windows cannot find chrome.exe or shows a chrome.exe system error?

These are different messages from the Application Error dialog. "Windows cannot find chrome.exe" usually means the shortcut points to a file that is no longer there, and a fresh install in Fix 9 puts the file back. A "System Error" dialog tells you what is missing, often a named DLL file, so follow that message. In both cases Fix 7 and Fix 9 are sensible first steps.

Should I add chrome.exe to the DEP exception list?

We do not recommend it. The old version of this page listed it, but no Google or Microsoft page we read connects Data Execution Prevention to this dialog, and the settings window we could not verify for Chrome. DEP is a system-wide protection against code running from memory areas that should hold only data. Weakening it for one program is a security change for a cause nobody has confirmed, so this guide leaves it out.

Is chrome.exe itself a virus?

No. chrome.exe is the file that starts Google Chrome, and it is normally in the Chrome folder under Program Files. Malware can use the same name from another folder, so the file location matters more than the name. Right-click the Chrome shortcut, select Open file location, and compare. A chrome.exe in Temp, Downloads or a random folder under your user profile is a reason to run the scan in Fix 6.

Are the Korean "chrome.exe 응용 프로그램 오류" and the Japanese "chrome アプリケーションエラー" the same error?

Yes. Both are Windows' own translations of Application Error, so the dialog is the same and the fixes in this guide apply in the same order. The code and the memory text in the dialog may appear in Korean or Japanese, but the codes 0xC0000005 and 0xC0000022 and the module name in Event Viewer stay the same. Use them when you search for help or contact support.

Is this the same as "Application error: a client-side exception has occurred" in Chrome?

No. That message appears inside a web page and comes from the site's code, not from Windows or chrome.exe. Our guide to that error covers it. This page is only about the Windows dialog with chrome.exe in its title. For other errors on uGetFix, search the site by the code you see.