Windows 11 Suddenly Blocks Google Chrome Due to Microsoft Security

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Users report Chrome automatically closing or freezing after launching, and not being able to reopen. While Microsoft Edge works fine, Chrome is completely disabled. The issue has been primarily reported on Windows 11, but can also appear on Windows 10 and macOS.

On the official Microsoft user forum, member Peter Priestley1 (presumably from an educational institution) describes:

"Since last night, my students have been noticing that Chrome is being blocked by Microsoft Family Safety. This happens to all versions of Chrome - old and new - even though they were released around the same time as the patch for the old vulnerability . "

The post has received 122 upvotes at the time of writing.

Many solutions have been tried (deleting cookies, resetting appdata) and have failed, proving that the security feature is extremely strict but at the same time inconvenient for users. A temporary solution is to rename the chrome.exe file to another name (e.g. chrome1.exe).

Official Fix Guide Chrome Community Admin Ellen T confirms the cause and offers a solution:

1. Go to https://familysafety.microsoft.com or the Family Safety app
2. Select child account
3. Do ONE of two things:
   • Disable "Filter inappropriate websites" in Edge tab
   • Go to Windows tab → Apps & Games → unblock Chrome "

Fred SR. (Chrome community senior member) said that Microsoft has also confirmed similar guidance.