Windows Family Safety Feature Crashes Google Chrome on Some PCs

Since June 3, 2025, users with Microsoft’s Family Safety feature enabled have reported that Google Chrome crashes or won’t launch on Windows machines. The issue affects only Chrome; other browsers like Firefox and Opera remain unaffected

🧩 Why It’s Happening

This appears to be a bug in the Family Safety tool, which is unintendedly blocking Chrome when the “filter inappropriate websites” option is enabled
Google has confirmed that the problem is specific to Chrome, and Microsoft is expected to release a fix soon .

⚠️ Impact on Users

• Crashes on launch: Chrome briefly opens before crashing when Family Safety is enabled
• Only Chrome affected: Browsers like Firefox and Opera continue to work normally
• Widespread reports: Especially common in family or school PCs where parental controls are active

🛠️ 6 Fixes to Restore Chrome

Here’s how to fix or work around the issue:

1. Unblock Chrome in Family Safety
   Go to Family Safety settings (web or phone), select the child, disable “Filter inappropriate websites” or unblock Chrome.exe under “Apps & Games”
2. Temporarily disable Family Safety
   Turn off Family Safety entirely until Microsoft releases a patch.
3. Rename Chrome.exe
   Some users report Chrome works again if you rename the executable (e.g., to chrome1.exe)
4. Use a different browser
   Switch to alternatives like Firefox or Opera while waiting for a fix.
5. Keep software updated
   Ensure Windows, Chrome, and Family Safety are updated to receive fixes quickly.
6. Monitor for patch
   Check both Windows Update and Microsoft support pages for a permanent solution.

🔭 What to Watch

• Microsoft’s update: A patch is expected soon to resolve the incompatibility.
• Google’s monitoring: Chrome support continues to track the issue and communicate with Microsoft theverge
• Potential escalation: Users are discussing it widely on Reddit, Slashdot, and forums—a sign of growing attention .

✅ Bottom Line

A bug in Microsoft’s Family Safety feature is unintentionally blocking Google Chrome on Windows devices. A fix is expected soon, but users can immediately restore access by disabling the filter, unblocking Chrome, renaming the executable, or switching browsers.