Fix STATUS_ACCESS_VIOLATION in Chrome and Edge: Every Solution

The STATUS_ACCESS_VIOLATION error shows up on Chrome’s “Aw, Snap!” crash page and means one of Chrome’s processes tried to access memory it wasn’t allowed to touch. The browser shut itself down rather than let anything go wrong. It is not a virus, not a security breach, and not a sign your computer is dying. It is a crash caused by a software conflict, and there are proven fixes for it.

This guide covers every working solution, from the fastest one-second refresh to the advanced registry fix, for both Chrome and Edge on Windows.

What Causes STATUS_ACCESS_VIOLATION?

The error code is Windows code 0xC0000005, which means a process tried to read or write memory outside the range it was given. In Chrome, this almost always traces back to one of three root causes:

• A buggy or conflicting extension injecting code into the browser’s rendering process
• A GPU driver conflict, especially after a Windows update or graphics driver update
• A corrupt Chrome profile, where a damaged file in your user data folder causes a crash on startup or on specific pages

Less common causes include antivirus software hooking into Chrome’s memory, a Windows update that broke GPU driver compatibility, or too many tabs pushing Chrome’s memory to its limits.

The fix that works depends on which of these triggered your crash. Work through the fixes below in order. Most people find a solution within the first three.

Fix 1: Refresh the Page

If the crash happens on a specific page, press F5 or click the Reload button. Sometimes a tab crashes due to a temporary memory spike and reloads cleanly. If the crash keeps happening on the same page, move to the next fix.

Fix 2: Update Chrome or Edge

Google and Microsoft regularly push stability fixes for this exact error. Running an outdated version is one of the most common reasons the crash keeps happening.

To update Chrome:

1. Click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner.
2. Go to Help > About Google Chrome.
3. Chrome checks for updates automatically. If one is available, click Relaunch.

To update Edge:

1. Click the three-dot menu.
2. Go to Help and feedback > About Microsoft Edge.
3. Edge updates and prompts you to restart.

Fix 3: Disable Extensions One by One

Extensions are the most common cause of this error. A single poorly coded extension can crash every tab it touches.

1. Open chrome://extensions in Chrome (or edge://extensions in Edge).
2. Toggle off all extensions using the switch next to each one.
3. Restart the browser and test if the crash is gone.
4. If it is, turn extensions back on one at a time, restarting the browser each time, until you find the one causing the crash.
5. Remove the problem extension.

The extensions most often linked to this error are script injectors like Tampermonkey, older ad blockers, and browser automation tools. If you have any of these, start with them.

Fix 4: Clear Chrome’s Cache and Cookies

Corrupted cached files can trigger repeated crashes on specific sites.

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete to open the Clear browsing data panel.
2. Set the time range to All time.
3. Check Cached images and files and Cookies and other site data.
4. Click Clear data and restart the browser.

Fix 5: Disable Hardware Acceleration

Hardware acceleration uses your graphics card to render pages faster. On some systems, especially after a Windows update or GPU driver change, this causes memory conflicts that trigger the error. Turning it off is one of the most effective fixes.

In Chrome:

1. Open Settings and search for “hardware” in the settings search bar.
2. Under System, turn off Use hardware acceleration when available.
3. Click Relaunch.

In Edge:

1. Open Settings > System and performance.
2. Turn off Use hardware acceleration when available.
3. Click Restart.

Test the browser after restarting. If the crashes stop, your GPU driver is the root cause. You can leave hardware acceleration off permanently or update your graphics driver (see Fix 7) and then turn it back on.

You can also check your GPU status directly by opening chrome://gpu in the address bar. Look at the Feature Status list at the top. Any entries marked as “Disabled” or “Software only” confirm that Chrome has already detected a GPU conflict.

Fix 6: Rename the Chrome or Edge Executable

This is a well-known workaround that has helped many users. Some security software and system DLLs block processes named chrome.exe or msedge.exe specifically by filename. Renaming the executable bypasses that block.

For Chrome:

1. Close Chrome completely.
2. Open File Explorer and go to C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application. (On older systems it may be C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application.)
3. Right-click chrome.exe and rename it to anything else, for example chm.exe.
4. Launch Chrome from your Start menu or desktop shortcut as normal.

For Edge:

1. Close Edge completely.
2. Go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application.
3. Rename msedge.exe to anything else, for example edge2.exe.
4. Launch Edge as normal.

A few important notes on this fix:

• Chrome and Edge still launch normally via shortcuts after renaming. Windows shortcuts point to the browser launcher, not the renamed executable directly.
• This fix may break Widevine DRM, which is used by Netflix, Disney+, and other streaming platforms. If streaming stops working after renaming, rename the file back to its original name and try Fix 5 or Fix 8 instead.
• Chrome updates may restore the original filename automatically. If the crash returns after an update, check whether the filename was reset.

Fix 7: Update Your GPU Drivers

Outdated or buggy graphics drivers are a leading cause of this error, particularly on laptops with Intel, AMD, or hybrid graphics. Windows Update sometimes installs generic GPU drivers that lack browser-specific stability fixes.

Download updated drivers directly from the manufacturer:

• NVIDIA: nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx
• AMD: amd.com/en/support
• Intel: intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/detect.html

If the crash started right after a driver update, you can also roll back to the previous version. Open Device Manager, expand Display adapters, right-click your GPU, choose Properties, go to the Driver tab, and click Roll Back Driver.

Fix 8: Reset Your Chrome Profile

If Chrome crashes on startup or the same crash happens across all pages, your user profile may be corrupted. Resetting it creates a fresh profile while keeping the old one as a backup.

1. Close Chrome completely.
2. Press Windows + R, type %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data, and press Enter.
3. Find the folder named Default.
4. Rename it to Default_backup.
5. Relaunch Chrome. It creates a fresh Default folder and opens as if it were a new installation.

If Chrome stops crashing, the old profile had a corrupt file. You can try copying items from the Default_backup folder back one at a time (bookmarks, for example, are in a file called Bookmarks) to recover what you need. If Chrome crashes again after copying something back, that file was the problem.

Fix 9: Clear the Extensions Cache Folder

Even after removing a problem extension, leftover files in the Extensions cache can continue to cause crashes.

1. Close Chrome.
2. Open %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions in File Explorer.
3. Delete all the folders inside. (This only removes extension data, not your bookmarks or passwords.)
4. Restart Chrome. Any extensions still installed will download fresh copies of their data.

Fix 10: Disable RendererCodeIntegrity via Registry (Advanced)

Chrome and Edge have a security feature called RendererCodeIntegrity that blocks unsigned code from running inside the browser’s rendering process. In some cases, this feature conflicts with antivirus software, VPN clients, or system DLLs and causes the STATUS_ACCESS_VIOLATION crash.

Disabling it is safe and fully reversible. This fix is for users who have tried everything else and are still seeing crashes.

For Chrome:

1. Press Windows + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome. If the Chrome key does not exist, right-click the Google folder and create a new key named Chrome.
3. Right-click inside the Chrome key and create a new DWORD (32-bit) Value.
4. Name it RendererCodeIntegrityEnabled.
5. Double-click it and set the value to 0.
6. Close the registry editor and restart Chrome.

For Edge:

1. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge.
2. Create a DWORD named RendererCodeIntegrityEnabled with a value of 0.
3. Restart Edge.

To reverse this change later, delete the RendererCodeIntegrityEnabled value or set it back to 1.

Fix 11: Check If Antivirus Is Causing the Conflict

Security software works by injecting monitoring code into running processes, including browsers. If your antivirus is outdated or has a bug in its browser integration, it can corrupt Chrome’s memory access and trigger this error.

To test: temporarily disable your antivirus real-time scanning, restart Chrome, and try to reproduce the crash. If it stops crashing, the antivirus is the cause. Update it to the latest version and check if the vendor has a known fix. Most antivirus providers patch browser compatibility issues within a few days of a Chrome version release.

Do not leave real-time scanning off. Re-enable it after testing.

Fix 12: Reset Browser Settings

If nothing else has worked, resetting Chrome back to defaults removes all custom settings, startup pages, and search engine changes while keeping your bookmarks and saved passwords.

In Chrome:

1. Open Settings and scroll to the bottom.
2. Click Reset settings > Restore settings to their original defaults.
3. Click Reset settings to confirm.

In Edge:

1. Go to edge://settings/reset.
2. Click Restore settings to their default values and confirm.

Fix 13: Reinstall Chrome or Edge

A full reinstall replaces every application file. It does not clear your profile data (bookmarks, passwords, history), which are stored separately in the User Data folder. If corrupted application files are causing the crash, reinstalling fixes them.

1. Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps in Windows.
2. Find Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge, click the three-dot menu, and select Uninstall.
3. Download a fresh installer from google.com/chrome or microsoft.com/edge.
4. Install and relaunch.

If the Crash Started After a Windows Update

STATUS_ACCESS_VIOLATION spikes are often reported right after Microsoft releases a cumulative Windows update, particularly ones that include graphics driver changes. If your crashes started immediately after installing a Windows update:

• Try Fix 5 (disable hardware acceleration) first. This is almost always the cause in post-update crashes.
• Check Windows Update > Update history to see which update installed and search for it by KB number to find if others are reporting Chrome crashes from the same update.
• Update your GPU driver directly from the manufacturer rather than relying on the driver Windows installed.

Quick Reference: Which Fix to Try First

• Crashes on one specific site: Fix 1 (refresh), then Fix 4 (clear cache)
• Crashes on all pages: Fix 3 (extensions), then Fix 5 (hardware acceleration)
• Crashes on startup: Fix 8 (reset profile)
• Streaming stops working after renaming .exe: Reverse Fix 6 and try Fix 5 instead
• Started after a Windows update: Fix 5, then Fix 7 (update GPU driver)
• Nothing else works: Fix 10 (RendererCodeIntegrity registry fix)