Last Friday, a significant issue surfaced for Windows 11 users attempting to launch Google Chrome, prompting a response from Chrome’s support manager, Ellen T. Following an investigation, the team attributed the problem to Microsoft’s Family Safety feature. In lieu of an official fix, users were offered a workaround: either disable the “Filter inappropriate websites” option under Family Safety or, rather curiously, rename the Chrome.exe file to Chrome1.exe.
In a related development, Microsoft acknowledged another complication affecting Google Chrome users on Windows, as detailed in a new entry on Microsoft Learn released on June 24. This bug, also linked to the Family Safety feature, does not cause Chrome to crash outright; instead, it renders the content filtering feature ineffective. Microsoft explained that the Web Content Filtering system relies on a block list to prevent browsers from accessing inappropriate content. If a browser version is not included on this list, it remains unblocked, even with content filtering enabled. The tech giant admitted that the latest version of Chrome, along with several other browsers, had not been added to this block list.
As a result of this oversight, users may find that certain browsers appear unblocked, despite the content filtering settings. Fortunately, Microsoft has confirmed that it is actively working to update the block list. The company also revisited the previously mentioned issue causing Google Chrome and other browsers to shut down unexpectedly. Typically, when Parental Controls are enabled, a prompt appears requiring parental approval to use the app. However, this bug leads to the browser closing immediately without any notification. Microsoft identified that this issue occurs only when the Activity reporting feature is disabled. Users are advised to enable Activity reporting under Windows settings in Family Safety to restore the usual approval requests.
These issues are affecting users on Windows 10 version 22H2 and Windows 11 versions 22H2, 23H2, and 24H2.
Is this another sneaky push toward Microsoft Edge?
Microsoft has confirmed its commitment to resolving both issues and will update the support document with further information as it becomes available. It is noteworthy that the tech giant has finally acknowledged the Google Chrome crashing problem and provided a workaround.
Given Microsoft’s tumultuous history with Google Chrome, it is intriguing that both issues predominantly affect this particular browser. The company has previously taken steps that could be perceived as targeting Chrome, including publishing guides on how to uninstall it, displaying pop-up ads promoting Edge within the Chrome app, and interrupting users searching for Google Chrome through its Edge browser.
This raises questions about the authenticity of these bugs—are they genuine technical issues, or is there a more strategic motive behind them aimed at steering users toward Edge instead of Chrome? The answer remains elusive.
