Since early June, Windows users have been complaining about the Google Chrome browser, which has stopped launching or has started to close immediately when opening a window. As it turns out, the problem lies in the Microsoft Family Safety parental control system, which for some reason blocks Chrome. At the same time, other browsers, such as Firefox and Opera, continue to work without interruptions.
The bug affected families and schools using a Microsoft 365 subscription. A temporary solution is to disable the “inappropriate sites” filter in the Family Safety settings. However, this opens up full access to the Internet, which is clearly not good for many parents and administrators. At the same time, some users have noticed that simply renaming the Chrome.exe file helps bypass the block.
At the time of publication, Microsoft had not released an official fix. Google representatives said that the company is aware of the problem, and that Microsoft is currently only offering workarounds. Chromium developers also say that they have not yet received a clear timeline for a fix.
“They offer users who contact them different recommendations on how to get Chrome working again, but I don’t think it will have much effect,” said a Chromium developer.
It’s unclear whether this Chrome blocking error was a pure coincidence or a deliberate move by Microsoft, which has been extremely aggressive in promoting its own Edge browser in the past.
