amynicole – Microsoft’s Family Safety feature is currently preventing Chrome from launching on certain Windows systems. Since early June, users have reported that Chrome crashes immediately on startup without displaying any error messages. The issue does not appear to affect other browsers or apps. While Microsoft has yet to acknowledge or resolve the problem, Google has already identified the cause. The issue is linked directly to Family Safety’s web filtering settings, specifically the feature that filters inappropriate websites.
Affected users often find that Chrome only flashes briefly on screen before closing itself. This behavior was first discussed by Reddit users on June 3, who noticed the problem on Windows 11. In some cases, school IT departments have seen multiple students report the issue within hours. Although Family Safety is designed to help families and schools manage screen time and internet usage, it currently blocks Chrome entirely for certain users.
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Reddit and Google Confirm the Source of the Issue
Reddit users first reported the issue, with u/Witty-Discount-2906 describing how Chrome failed to open on their system. The post quickly attracted attention. Soon after, u/duk242 suggested that parental controls might be causing the problem. They noted that nine students had already visited their school’s IT desk within an hour to report the same issue.
Google responded soon after. A community manager, Ellen T., shared an official update in the Google Help forums. According to her post, Google’s engineering team investigated the issue and confirmed that Microsoft Family Safety is the cause. When this Windows feature is enabled with content filtering turned on, it prevents Chrome from launching altogether.
Microsoft Has Not Responded or Released a Fix
As of June 22, Microsoft has not issued a public statement or released a fix for the problem. The bug has remained unresolved for over two weeks, leaving parents, students, and IT administrators frustrated. Microsoft’s silence is especially notable given that this issue affects one of the most widely used browsers in the world.
Family Safety is an optional tool that allows guardians to limit screen time, filter online content, and monitor children’s digital activity. While useful in theory, the feature is currently disrupting the ability to use Chrome entirely. Users and administrators are left either disabling the content filters or using temporary workarounds to restore functionality.
Workarounds Offer Temporary Relief for Affected Users
In the absence of an official patch from Microsoft, users have discovered a couple of workarounds. One option is to turn off the “Filter Inappropriate Websites” feature within Family Safety. This allows Chrome to run again but removes important protections for younger users.
A second workaround involves manually renaming Chrome’s executable file. Users can navigate to Chrome’s installation folder and rename chrome.exe to chrome1.exe. This trick bypasses the Family Safety filter and lets Chrome open normally. However, it is not an ideal solution, especially for families relying on robust content filtering.
Microsoft Faces Renewed Criticism for Chrome Compatibility Issues
This latest bug adds to Microsoft’s long history of complicating the use of Chrome on Windows. The company has previously displayed pop-ups discouraging users from switching to Chrome and promoting its own Edge browser aggressively. These tactics have drawn criticism for being anti-competitive.
Although this specific issue may be unintentional, it reinforces the perception that Microsoft creates unnecessary barriers for competing software. European regulators have already pressured Microsoft to ease such behavior under local compliance rules. Until Microsoft addresses the current bug, users must rely on temporary solutions to keep Chrome running on Windows devices.
