12 Common Chrome Errors and How to Fix Them on Windows

Introduction

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Chrome browser is used by over 2 billion people globally for its speed, security and convenience. However, Chrome users on Windows OS frequently encounter frustrating error messages that suddenly block access to websites.

Some common Chrome errors include SSL handshake failures, DNS lookup issues, time-out errors and more. These errors are not only annoying but also disrupt productivity.

The good news is that most Chrome errors can be fixed with simple troubleshooting on the user‘s end. This comprehensive guide will discuss the 12 most widespread Chrome errors users face on Windows OS, along with layered solutions to resolve each issue.

So whether Chrome is showing SSL errors, connection reset messages or certificate warnings, leverage the troubleshooting steps below to get back to uninterrupted browsing.

ERR_SSL_VERSION_OR_CIPHER_MISMATCH

This SSL handshake error implies that the Chrome browser attempted to make a secure HTTPS connection with a website server, but could not establish encryption parameters on both ends.

Specifically, Chrome uses the latest TLS encryption standards for security while many websites may have outdated SSL implementations. This version mismatch leads to the error.

Here are a few ways to troubleshoot this error on Windows:

  1. Clear SSL State in Chrome:
  • Open Internet Options from Control Panel
  • Go to Content tab
  • Select Clear SSL State
  • Restart Chrome browser
  1. Access website from alternative browser:
  • Try opening the site on Firefox, Edge or other browsers
  • If site loads properly, confirm issue is specific to Chrome
  1. Contact website owner:
  • Inform them site has outdated SSL configuration
  • Request security update to support TLS 1.2 and 1.3
  • Optionally switch Chrome encryption setting to TLS 1.0 temporarily

DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN

This common Chrome error indicates that the DNS lookup failed – Chrome browser was unable to resolve the domain name to a relevant IP address.

Some reasons for this error include:

  • Corrupted DNS cache in Chrome
  • Outdated DNS records on your Windows machine
  • Incorrect configuration on DNS servers

Resolve this issue with the following troubleshooting:

  1. Flush the DNS:
  • Open Command prompt as admin
  • Run the ipconfig /flushdns command
  • This purges old DNS data from the cache
  1. Configure Public DNS:
  • Go to Network Adapter Properties
  • Under TCP/IPv4, select Use Following DNS
  • Enter Public DNS like Google DNS 8.8.8.8
  1. Reset Chrome browser to default:
  • Open Settings and choose Reset Settings
  • This will erase browser cache and force renew DNS lookup

ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED

This error indicates that Chrome tried looking up the domain name keyed in the address field but could not resolve to an IP address.

Likely reasons include:

  • Incorrect domain name spelling
  • Website server is down or unreachable
  • Domain name is invalid/not registered

Fix options:

  1. Double check domain name spelling:
  • Re-type the website URL carefully
  • Look out for inadvertent typos
  1. Verify website status:
  • Use DownDetector tool to check if site is down
  • Contact website support if server outage is confirmed
  1. Perform a WHOIS lookup:
  • Copy-paste domain name on WHOIS lookup portal
  • Verify if domain has live DNS records

ERR_SSL_PROTOCOL_ERROR

This error indicates failure in establishing an encrypted link between your Chrome browser and the destination website.

Unlike the cipher mismatch error, here the problem is not version discrepancy but corrupted SSL certificates.

Fixes include:

  1. Clear SSL state in Chrome using Internet Options

  2. Access website from alternative browser like Firefox or Edge

  3. Turn off Chrome‘s QUIC protocol:

  • Go to chrome://flags in address field
  • Search for "QUIC protocol"
  • Disable the feature temporarily
  1. Reset Chrome browser to default settings

ERR_BAD_SSL_CLIENT_AUTH_CERT

This error occurs when the SSL certificate configured on the website‘s server is invalid or does not match the domain.

To troubleshoot:

  1. Clear browsing data and SSL state in Chrome

  2. Turn off QUIC protocol by visiting chrome://flags

  3. Try accessing website from an alternative browser

  4. Contact website owner to have them troubleshoot SSL certificate

ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT/ERR_TIMED_OUT

As the name suggests, this error occurs when Chrome fails to get a response from the server you are trying to access within the configured time limit.

Causes include:

  • Slow internet connectivity
  • Network congestion
  • Server-side delays

Fixes:

  1. Check internet speed:
  • Run a speed test to confirm no major drops
  • Reconnect wifi or switch networks if needed
  1. Clear Chrome cache and cookies:
  • Old cache data may be triggering error
  • Visit Settings > Privacy to clear data
  1. Reset network components:
  • Open Network Reset under Windows Settings
  • This will reconfigure all adapters

ERR_CONNECTION_RESET

This error indicates the connection between your Windows PC and the website server was forcibly closed before transfer could complete.

Troubleshooting options include:

  1. Simply refresh the web page with CTRL + R

  2. Clear Chrome cache/cookies to remove corrupt data

  3. Flush DNS, renew IP and reset network adapters

  4. Use a different network or try from another device

ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS

When Chrome encounters multiple redirects while loading a web page, this error is shown to prevent infinite looping.

Causes:

  • Corrupt cookies redirection web traffic
  • Site domain has changed
  • Browser has outdated cache data

Solutions:

  1. Clear all cookies and site data:
  • Chrome Settings > Privacy
  • Helps erase corrupt cookies
  1. Close and reopen Chrome browser
  • Forces refresh of redirect settings
  1. Contact website support
  • Have them check for front-end redirect issues

ERR_SSL_FALLBACK_BEYOND_MINIMUM_VERSION

Modern browsers support only TLS 1.2 and above while some websites still operate on deprecated SSL protocols.

This version fallback error occurs when the website is unable to upgrade its side of the encryption.

Fixing steps include:

  1. Clear SSL state and DNS cache
  2. Temporarily revert Chrome‘s SSL version to TLS 1.0
  3. Inform website admin to upgrade security protocols

Unless the server-side is upgraded, the site may remain inaccessible on Chrome.

ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE/ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED

These errors indicate failure receiving a response from the destination server you tried accessing.

Some pointers for troubleshooting:

  1. Confirm whether website is up/down:

    • Use IsItDown tool to check site status

  2. Flush local DNS cache and retry:

    • Run ipconfig /flushdns on Command

  3. Change DNS servers to Public variant:

    • Leverage Cloudflare or Google DNS for reliability

In some cases, connecting to the site from another network or completely restarting the PC may help resolve persistent empty response errors.

NET::ERR_CERT_DATE_INVALID

This certificate error occurs when the SSL certificate expiry date configured on a website precedes the current date as per your Windows machine.

Fixing options:

  1. Ensure date/time is synced correctly in Windows settings

  2. Clear Chrome cache/cookies to force renew certificate

  3. Try alternate browser and check if issue persists

  4. Have website update the SSL certificate

Unless the affected server renews its expired certificate, Chrome will continue showing this error.

ERR_CACHE_MISS

This indicates Chrome could not fetch the required content from browser cache and tried reaching out to the website origin server instead.

Troubleshooting cache miss errors:

  1. Reload the web page by pressing CTRL + R

  2. Clear Chrome cache to delete outdated data

    • Chrome Settings > Privacy > Clear Data

  3. Force restart the Chrome browser

  4. Reset Chrome to default settings

    • This will purge all cache data

Summary

Chrome connectivity issues like SSL errors, DNS problems and time-out failures can be extremely frustrating. However, as discussed above, most errors can be fixed with systematic troubleshooting steps on your Windows system.

The key is to isolate the issue before applying targeted solutions like flushing DNS, resetting network adapters, changing DNS servers and more. For site-specific errors like SSL mismatches, also notify the website administrator.

With this handy guide, you should be able to troubleshoot and resolve the 12 most common Chrome errors on Windows. Happy uninterrupted browsing!

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