Cause
Like many software packages, Google Chrome records the user’s preferences in a file stored on the computer’s hard drive. System cleanup activities, overly aggressive antivirus software and improper system shutdowns can cause this file to become corrupt, and even routine system cleanups can delete, move or rename the file. When Chrome becomes unable to read the preferences file, either because the file itself has become corrupt or because the browser cannot locate the file, Chrome will return an error message that it cannot recover the user’s settings.
Effect
When Google Chrome experiences problems reading its preferences file, the effects may vary depending on the severity of the problem. If Chrome locates the file and can read some settings, the browser may launch and allow the user to surf the World Wide Web. Some Chrome features like the skin that gives the browser its general appearance and the way Chrome handles certain scripts, though, may fail to work properly since the browser cannot recover how the user previously configured this behavior. In extreme instances when Chrome cannot locate the preferences file or cannot read it at all, the browser may fail to launch altogether.
Prevention
To protect the Google Chrome preferences file and other important software components, users should take care to always perform a system shutdown before turning off a computer. In addition, users should periodically update antivirus software to ensure it recognizes Chrome’s files as legitimate application components. As an extra measure of security, the Google Chrome fan site ChromeFans.org recommends backing up critical Chrome data files located in the Chrome subfolder of the Application Data folder on Microsoft Windows-based computers or the Application Support subfolder of the Library folder on Apple Macintosh computers
Considerations
In extreme cases when Google Chrome will not launch and users have no backup of the preferences file, it may become necessary to uninstall the browser. According to Google, Windows users can automatically uninstall Chrome by clicking the “Uninstall Google Chrome” selection under the Google Chrome option in the Start menu. Macintosh users with administrative rights can simply drag the Chrome application from the Applications folder to the trash. Depending on the user’s configuration and the Chrome installation, according to Google, a corrupt preferences file may cause difficulty for either a single user or all users on a particular computer. In some cases, users who can launch the Chrome application may be able to rebuild the browser’s preferences file by typing chrome://settings/browser in the address bar, making some basic selections and updating the settings.