Is it possible to reset all Google Chrome extension settings?
2014-05
Anderson Green
Recently, all of my Google Chrome extensions have stopped working on all of my computers. I want to know if it's possible to reset all of the Chrome extension settings to the defaults (because I'm hoping that this will fix the problem.) Is it possible to reset all extension settings to the defaults?
Synetech
Yes, but it depends on how they store their settings—there are (too?) many.
Cookies
If the extension stores its settings in a cookie, then you will need to find and delete the relevant cookies from chrome://chrome/settings/cookies (you can delete all cookies with chrome://chrome/settings/clearBrowserData if you don't use them in general).
Local Storage
If the extension stores its settings in local-storage, then you will need to navigate to the Local Storage directory in your UserData folder and delete the relevant data. For example:
%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Storage
If you only want to reset some extensions, you can cross-reference the filenames with the extension(s) in question by selecting the Developer mode option in the chrome://extensions to see the GUID (e.g., mgijmajocgfcbeboacabfgobmjgjcoja = Google Dictionary, so delete chrome-extension_mgijmajocgfcbeboacabfgobmjgjcoja_0.localstorage)
Databases
Extensions can also store their data in the Databases directory:
%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Databases
Again, delete the relevant folder(s).
Post-reset
Finally, restart Chrome and the extension(s) should be reset to their default settings. Depending on the extension(s), they may or may not pop up their configuration page and ask you to configure them for the "first time".
Questioner
Google Chrome is crashing when I try to open it. I'm assuming that it's probably a bad extension that's causing the problem.
How can I start up Chrome with all extensions disabled / turned off?
Synetech
thirtydot is correct, run Chrome with the --disable-extensions command-line option to disable extensions.
Technically, it doesn’t so much disable all the extensions as much as hide them so that Chrome thinks that none are installed, so this won’t help in your particular case. t_b_b, since you cannot disable extensions in-browser and the command-line argument hides all extensions, what you want to do is to manually disable them. Open your User Data folder then open the file
Preferences in a text-editor. Now scroll down to the line starting the settings blocks: "settings": { Each of the extensions will have its own block inside the settings block. To disable them, change their states to 0: "state": 1
To simplify things, just do a search for all lines containing
"state": 1
and change them to
"state": 0
AshTee
Open an incognito window.
"If you want to create a shortcut that opens Chrome in incognito mode, duplicate an existing Chrome shortcut, right-click on the shortcut, select "Properties" and append this flag to the target value: --incognito (don't forget to add a space to separate the flag)."
Al E.
I tried all the suggestions for launching Chrome with plugins, no plugins, incognito and so forth... nothing worked. Even the menus launch a Chrome page, so if Chrome gives you the "Aw Snap" message, it really means - Aw Snap! You can't even get to the tools and settings.
I did a Ctrl+Alt+Del and found chrome.exe in the task manager. Then I forced it closed, Chrome finally came up again. It has something to do with syncing your Gmail account when Chrome launches: if that is failing, then Chrome turns into Chris Rock.
Norah
You might need to delete the locally stored user profile. Try this:
- Open the window of the user you want to delete. (Check the icon in the top corner to make sure you're in the right user)
- Click the Chrome menu on the browser toolbar.
- Select Settings.
- In the “Users” section, select the user that you want to delete.
- Click Delete.
Alternatively, you can click the X icon to the right of the user. In the confirmation dialog that appears, click Delete.