I'm having a frustrating issue with my new HP Victus laptop, which I got a month ago for my kid. It runs Windows 11, and for some reason, either Firefox or Chrome won't start at all. Edge works perfectly fine, though.
I've tried a bunch of troubleshooting steps:
- Reinstalled both browsers
- Cleared app data
- Booted Windows in diagnostic mode where both browsers worked
- Logged into my account, and they worked just fine there too
- Disabling services one-by-one didn't help either
- Even did a full wipe and reinstalled Windows, but the problem persists.
The weird part is that when I first install the browsers, they only run for 5 seconds before closing, and afterward, they only run for a split second. I've disabled Windows Live monitoring and don't have other antivirus programs apart from Windows Defender. What's really strange is that if I rename the executable files, both browsers work without a hitch, but they crash immediately when I rename them back. Could this be some odd UEFI rootkit issue? I'm at a loss here and could really use some assistance.
3 Answers
You might want to check if Microsoft Family Safety is active on the account. There have been reports of an issue where it blocks access to non-Edge browsers. The software is supposed to restrict unsafe websites, but it seems that it can interfere and prevent Chrome and Firefox from launching altogether.
Make sure Microsoft Family is completely disabled; it can be really pesky with blocking other browsers. You could also consider running a virus scan with tools like Sophos or ADWcleaner to check for any leftover malware that might be causing issues.
Definitely look into Microsoft Family settings. It can block third-party browsers, which explains why your browsers only work in safe mode where those services aren’t active. If it is indeed causing the issue, you might want to try turning it off temporarily to see if that resolves the problem.
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