Prime Highlights
- There’s a Windows Family Safety bug that’s blocking Google Chrome from opening on systems that have parental controls activated.
- Microsoft has not issued a patch, but users are using temporary workarounds to restore access.
Key Facts
- The problem started sometime around June 3, 2025, on Windows 10 and 11 systems with Family Safety features activated.
- Chrome opens for a brief moment and then crashes unexpectedly, while others such as Firefox and Opera are unaffected.
- Workarounds involve renaming the Chrome executable or disabling the web filtering feature in Family Safety settings.
Key Background
Microsoft’s Family Safety feature is aimed at giving parents control over their kids’ digital activity, including app limits, screen time limits, and website filtering. Yet, a recent glitch in the system has led to unwanted behavior—specifically directed against Google Chrome. Users have complained that when the web filtering of Family Safety is enabled, Chrome will not properly load. It instead quickly flashes on the screen before crashing with no error message.
The issue began to show itself around the start of June 2025, predominantly on both Windows 10 and 11 systems where Family Safety was active. The bug doesn’t seem to impact other browsers, including Firefox or Opera, which is making people and tech professionals worried. Google has affirmed that this action is prompted by Family Safety’s content filter mechanism, which in some way is preventing Chrome’s processes from operating.
This bug has been a major disruption, especially for educational institutions and families that use Chrome on a regular basis. Several IT administrators indicated receiving numerous student complaints and emergency workaround requests over a brief time period. Microsoft has not made any official fix or announcement, which has prompted many to wonder if this is a true oversight or another instance of prioritizing its own browser, Microsoft Edge.
Without a patch, various temporary workarounds have made the rounds on the internet. One popular workaround is to rename the Chrome program file from “chrome.exe” to another name, such as “chrome1.exe.” This evades the filter while not disabling parental controls altogether. Another approach is to disable the “Filter inappropriate websites” setting in Family Safety, but this diminishes the feature’s guard capabilities.
Certain users have reported success, too, by manually unblocking Chrome in Family Safety’s app management area. IT administrators who use services like Microsoft Entra ID or Intune, on the other hand, might employ policy-based exceptions, but this demands technical savvy.
Even if user frustration is on the rise, Microsoft remains to be formally responded to. To the end of late June 2025, users and the Chromium crew remain in wait of the formal fix, depending on community-generated patches in the interim.
