I've noticed some weird behavior with Google Chrome recently. It started after my laptop reset while closed, which it does sometimes. I opened Chrome for about 5 minutes, and suddenly random files began downloading without me doing anything. The files seem harmless, like a 2005 dissertation and someone's CV. I've scanned them with Windows Defender, and nothing came up.
At first, I thought it might just be a glitch from one of the many tabs I usually have open (mostly shopping sites), and I figured it was a one-off thing. However, yesterday I had no issues, but today it happened again, even when I closed all the tabs. Also, I've noticed that my Chrome is lagging more when I'm signed into my Google account, but incognito mode works fine. I'm really confused and would appreciate any advice on this!
3 Answers
Try entering `chrome://downloads` in your address bar. It should list the sources of those downloads. If they come from websites you don’t recognize, it could be concerning.
If those files seem benign after scanning, it might just be a glitch. But keep an eye out for anything else unusual. Maybe clearing your browser cache and cookies could help with the lag.
You might want to check your browsing history. Sometimes, there can be sites showing up that you've never actually visited, which might explain those strange downloads.
I checked, and the sources seem fine like the last one was from sps.northwestern.edu. But I’ve never actually been to those sites, and they don’t show up in my history.