7 Ways to Fix Google Chrome Update Failing Issue

Google Chrome is probably one of the most preferred browsers globally due to its features, performance and security. If you are using an outdated version of the Chrome, you could be putting your computer and personal information at risk. For this reason, it is important to update your browser to fix any security bugs as well as enjoy improved features. Besides, you may be unable to access some modern websites as they are designed to use features provided by up-to-date browsers. Being said that, Google updates Chrome browser automatically using Google Update feature. However, you could encounter some problems whenever Google Update couldn’t get the connection to server. In this article, we will help you to resolve some of the common Chrome update issues. If your Chrome app crashes frequently, check out on how to fix Chrome frequently crashing problems.

How to Fix Google Chrome Update Problems?

Chrome checks for available updates whenever you launch the browser app. If you are not closing the app for longer time, Chrome will show an “Update” button in the browser. You can click on the “Update” button to get the latest version. However, there could be many reasons the update may fail in Google Chrome. You can follow the below suggestions and try to fix the issue.

1. Try Manual Update

If Chrome is not updating automatically, you can first try to update it manually.

• Open the browser and click on the menu icon located at the top right corner of the browser window.
• Hover the mouse over “Help” option and select “About Google Chrome”.

• Chrome will look for available updates and install them automatically.

• If there are issues in auto update, Chrome will show the error like below mentioning the update check is failed to start.

This indicates that you have some problems in updating to latest version. In this case, check whether you have proper internet connection and Google services are not blocked. Try to update your browser manually by going to the command URL “chrome://settings/help” in the address bar.

2. Ensure You Haven’t Disabled Auto Update

The real problem with Chrome auto update is that it does not allow downgrading to the previous version in case of issues. When there are major changes to the functionalities, you may get annoyed with the auto updated version. So sometimes people play around with Services and Registry entries on Windows PC to disable the auto update. If you have disabled auto update, enable the services and registry entries back by following the instructions in this article.

3. Check Your Internet Connection

You need to have a stable internet connection for the Chrome update to work. Remember, many countries like China completely blocks Google services. Also, some restricted networks like organizations, schools and colleges block update services. So, if you have travelled to such countries or working inside a restricted network then Chrome update will get time out. In this case, the only solution is to use VPN or connect your computer to the unrestricted network that is not blocking Google updates.

4. Restart Google Chrome

Most of the simply restarting your browser will help to resolve the update problems.

• On Windows PC, navigate the Chrome menu by click the icon (three vertical dots) at the top-right corner of the browser and click “Exit”. On Mac, go to “Chrome > Quit Google Chrome” menu.
• Launch the browser afresh and try the manual update again.

5. Enable Google Update Services

Chrome update check could fail if the Google update services are disabled in your computer. To enable the services:

• Open the Windows Run utility by pressing the “Win + R” keys, then type “services.msc” then click “OK”.

• It will open the Services Manager where you can see all the services running on your PC. Scroll down and find the “Google Update Service (gupdate)”.
• Double click on the service, then click on the arrow under “Startup type” and select either “Automatic” or “Automatic (Delayed Start)” option.
• Click “Apply” and then “Ok” button.

• This will take you back to the services window, double click on the next service “Google Update Service (gupdatem)”.
• Click on the drop-down box against the “Startup type” option and select “Manual” from the list.
• Click “Apply” button and then “OK” button to set the update service to manual startup.

• Now restart your PC and try to update Google Chrome by navigating to “chrome://settings/help” page.

6. Enable Google Updates from Windows Registry Editor

• Press the “Win + R” keyboard shortcuts to open run utility, type “regedit” and click the “Ok” button to open the registry editor.
• Click the “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE” folder to expand it and then navigate to “SOFTWARES > Policies” section.
• Look for “Google > Update” key.

• Double click on the “UpdateDefault” key and enter 1 in the “Value data” field.

• Close the registry editor and restart your PC, then check for Chrome updates.

If you did not see the “Google” folder in registry, simply create the folder and further entries to setup the value as 1.

7. Reset and Reinstall Chrome

If the above options don’t work, it is possible that Chrome app may be missing files or having corrupted files. In this case, you can try resetting the browser by going to “chrome://settings/reset” URL. This will remove all your customizations and restore the browser to factory settings. However, your bookmarks, passwords and history will be retained.

If resetting also did not help, then you can delete the app and install afresh to resolve the issue. Since this will delete all stored data, we recommend login with your Google account and sync the data in Google server before deleting the app. This will help to restore your data from Google server after reinstalling the app.

• On Windows computer, go to control panel by typing “Control” in the Windows Search and select “Control Panel” app.
• Under “Programs” click on “Uninstall a program”.
• From the list of the installed programs, click on Google Chrome and click “Uninstall” at the top of the list.
• Wait for the program to uninstall and once uninstalled successfully, restart your computer.

On Mac, you can simply drag and drop the Chrome app to Trash for deleting it. After deleting the app, go to the official Chrome website from Edge, Safari or any other browser, and click the “Download Chrome” button.

You will be prompted to accept terms and install, click “Accept and Install”. Follow the instructions to complete the installation process. It is important to ensure that your system’s features meet the requirements for the latest version of the browser.

Sometimes extensions you have installed on your Chrome can also cause problems in update. Therefore, disable all extensions in Chrome to check whether that helps to fix the problem.

Conclusion

It is important to ensure that your browser is up to date to ensure that you stay safe and secure when browsing with Chrome. Though Chrome is set to update automatically, you may need to update it manually. If updating Chrome fails, it could be due to various reasons and trying the above options will resolve the Chrome update problems.