Windows 11's Family Safety feature, designed to help parents manage their children's online activities, has recently been implicated in causing Google's Chrome browser to crash or fail to open. This issue emerged around June 3, 2025, with users reporting that Chrome would either not launch or crash shortly after opening. Attempts to resolve the problem through standard troubleshooting methods, such as restarting the computer or reinstalling Chrome, proved ineffective. Notably, other browsers like Firefox and Opera remained unaffected, suggesting a specific conflict between Chrome and the Family Safety feature.
Google's investigation into these reports identified the root cause as Microsoft's Family Safety feature. This optional tool is primarily used by parents and educational institutions to monitor and control children's screen time, filter web content, and oversee online activities. The issue appears to stem from the web filtering component of Family Safety, which is designed to work seamlessly with Microsoft's Edge browser. However, when enabled, this feature inadvertently blocks or disrupts the functionality of non-Microsoft browsers like Chrome. This design flaw has led to widespread disruptions, particularly in educational settings where Chrome is often the preferred browser for classroom activities.
Despite the problem persisting for several weeks, Microsoft has yet to release an official fix. A Chromium engineer noted on June 10 that there had been no communication from Microsoft regarding a forthcoming solution. While Microsoft has provided guidance to users who contact them directly, these measures have not significantly mitigated the issue on a larger scale. This lack of prompt resolution has raised concerns, especially given Microsoft's history of implementing measures that favor its own products over competitors. The current situation, where a Microsoft feature disrupts a competing browser, has understandably led to skepticism about the company's intentions.
In the interim, users have discovered two primary workarounds to address the issue:
- Disabling the "Filter Inappropriate Websites" Setting: By turning off this setting within the Family Safety app or web portal, users can restore Chrome's functionality. However, this action removes web filtering protections, potentially exposing children to inappropriate content.
- Renaming the Chrome Executable File: Some users have found that changing the name of Chrome's executable file (e.g., from "chrome.exe" to "chrome1.exe") allows the browser to function normally, even with Family Safety enabled. This workaround suggests that the blocking mechanism may be tied to the specific file name.
In conclusion, the conflict between Windows 11's Family Safety feature and Google's Chrome browser highlights the challenges of integrating parental control tools with third-party applications. While workarounds exist, they come with their own set of drawbacks. It is imperative for Microsoft to develop a comprehensive solution that allows users to benefit from robust parental controls without compromising the functionality of widely used software.
Source: Tom's Guide Windows parental controls are crashing Chrome — here's the workaround
