Chrome "error code 5": what it means and how to fix it

Published Sources checked By helps.wiki editorial team

Google does not document a single "Chrome error code 5". The phrase most likely points to an "access denied" style problem on Windows: Chrome's updater failing with 0x80070005, or an "Aw, Snap!" page showing STATUS_ACCESS_VIOLATION. Read the exact message first, then use the matching fix below.

Applies to:Google ChromeWindows (update and crash cases); the network error can appear on any platform
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What it means

There is no official Google page for "Chrome error code 5", so the number alone does not tell you much. The phrase seems to get attached to a few different messages that contain a 5 somewhere, and the right fix depends on the exact wording Chrome showed you. Matching "error code 5" to the codes below is an inference, not a mapping Google documents.

The likeliest meanings: on Windows, 0x80070005 is "access denied", and Chrome can show it when its updater fails (for example "Update check failed to start (error code 4: 0x80070005 -- system level)", or a similar message with 0x80080005). A related Windows code, 0xC0000005 (STATUS_ACCESS_VIOLATION), appears on "Aw, Snap!" crash pages. Separately, Chromium has an internal network error numbered -5, ERR_INVALID_HANDLE ("The handle or file descriptor is invalid"), which people rarely see.

Start by identifying which one you have. The first steps below cost nothing and change nothing.

Symptoms and causes

You are likely dealing with this problem if:

  • On chrome://settings/help (About Chrome), the update check fails to start and shows a code such as 0x80070005 -- system level.
  • A tab shows an "Aw, Snap!" page with STATUS_ACCESS_VIOLATION.
  • A page fails to load with an ERR_ network error (ERR_INVALID_HANDLE is the one numbered -5).

The usual causes, most common first:

Windows refused Chrome's updater access
0x80070005 means "access denied". The exact reason (permissions, a blocked or stopped updater, other software) varies by PC, and no official Google page explaining it was found.
Extension conflicts
Commonly reported for the "Aw, Snap!" crash. Not confirmed by Google's help page.
Security software interfering with Chrome
Commonly reported for the crash and the update failure. Not confirmed by Google's help page.
A corrupt profile or outdated Chrome
Also commonly reported as causes of the crash case. Not confirmed by Google's help page.

How to fix it

Work through these in order. They start with the quickest, safest checks and move to deeper repairs; stop as soon as the problem is gone.

1.Identify the exact message

Easy

Because "error code 5" is not one error, this tells you which of the fixes below applies.

  1. Open chrome://settings/help (Settings > About Chrome) and read what the update status says. If it mentions 0x80070005, follow the update fix.
  2. If a tab crashed, note whether the page says STATUS_ACCESS_VIOLATION. If so, follow the crash fixes.
  3. If a page failed with an ERR_ message, open chrome://network-errors/ to look up what the code means. Google's help page for page-loading errors covers network and certificate errors and points to that list.

2.Reload the page and update Chrome

Easy

A one-off crash often clears on reload, and an outdated build is commonly reported as a crash cause.

  1. Reload the tab with F5.
  2. Open chrome://settings/help and let Chrome check for updates, then click Relaunch if it offers to.

3.Install Chrome over the existing copy (update failure)

EasyChanges settings

If the built-in updater cannot run, installing the current version manually is the one update-failure fix found in the research. It comes from a third-party article, not from Google or Microsoft, and no official page for 0x80070005 in Chrome was found.

Before you start: Third-party advice says this keeps your profile, bookmarks and history, but that is not confirmed by an official source. Turn on Chrome Sync or copy %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\ to another location first.

  1. Close Chrome completely.
  2. Download the installer from google.com/chrome and run it.
  3. If the installer is blocked or fails with an access error, ask whoever manages the PC whether policies or other software stop apps from updating.

4.Test in Incognito and disable extensions (crash)

Easy

Extensions are commonly reported as a reason a tab crashes with an access violation.

  1. Open an Incognito window with CtrlShiftN and visit the page that crashed. Extensions are normally off there unless you allowed them.
  2. If it works, open chrome://extensions and turn extensions off, then on again one at a time, reloading the page each time, until the crash returns.
  3. Remove or keep disabled the extension that triggers it.

5.Check your security software briefly

ModerateChanges settings

Antivirus that injects into Chrome or blocks its updater is commonly reported as a cause of both the crash and the update failure.

Before you start: Only do this with a third-party antivirus, only for the test, and turn the protection back on straight afterwards. If it fixes the problem, add Chrome to the product's exceptions or change its web scanning setting instead of leaving it off.

  1. Open your antivirus settings and look for a web or HTTPS scanning option. Pause that one feature (or the product) for a few minutes.
  2. Retry the update or the page that crashed.
  3. Re-enable the protection immediately, whatever the result.

6.Rebuild the profile or do a clean install (last resort)

AdvancedChanges settings

A corrupt profile is commonly reported as a crash cause, and a clean install is the fallback when installing over the top fails.

Before you start: Back up first. Turn on Chrome Sync or copy the whole profile folder to another drive before removing anything. Bookmarks, saved passwords and extensions not covered by Sync can be lost.

  1. Close Chrome. In File Explorer, open %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\ and copy the folder somewhere safe.
  2. Rename the Default folder inside it to Default.old, then start Chrome. It creates a fresh profile.
  3. For the update failure, if installing over the top did not work, uninstall Chrome from Settings > Apps > Installed apps, then run a fresh installer from google.com/chrome.
  4. Sign in to Chrome to restore synced data.

Check that it worked

  • chrome://settings/help reports that Chrome is up to date with no error code.
  • The page that showed Aw, Snap! now loads and stays open.
  • The ERR_ message no longer appears when you reload the page.

If it still fails

  • Write down the exact wording and code shown, since the generic number is not enough to search on. Look it up at chrome://network-errors/ if it is an ERR_ message.
  • Visit the Google Chrome Help Community or Chrome Help with the exact message and your Windows version.
  • If an updater error persists on a work PC, ask your IT administrator, since policies can block Chrome from updating.

Questions

Is "Chrome error code 5" an official Google error?

No. Google does not list it. The number may come from a Windows access-denied code like 0x80070005 or from the -5 network error ERR_INVALID_HANDLE, but that is an inference.

Sources

  1. Fix "Aw, Snap!" page crashes and other page loading errorsOfficial · Google Chrome Help
  2. net_error_list.h (INVALID_HANDLE -5)Official · Chromium source
  3. Fix Chrome error code 4 0x80070005 on Windows 10 · AddictiveTips

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