Why am I unable to install Chrome extensions?
QI can no longer install extensions in Chrome! When I click the ‘Add to Chrome’ button it changes to Checking and then nothing happens — and Chrome just stays like that. Chrome becomes inoperative, though the rest of my computer is fine. A restart fixes it but no matter how many times I try to install an extension, the cycle just repeats. I’ve tried different extensions, and the problem is always the same. I don’t know when this problem started because I’ve not tried to install any new ones for quite a long while. All my existing extensions work fine. Any idea what’s causing this, and how to fix it?
AThere are a few possible causes. Another extension could be malfunctioning, or other programs on your PC might be stopping Chrome from completing the process.
Chrome Cleanup Tool (for Windows only) is a utility that will scan your system for programs and extensions known to cause problems, so try that first — it’s a free download from www. snipca.com/24805. Double-click the downloaded file to run it and it will search for programs (see screenshot 1 ). If anything is found then follow the prompts to remove or disable.
If this doesn’t fix the problem, run Chrome Cleanup Tool again (or just click Continue after the initial scan) and then click the Reset button (see screenshot 2 ). This puts Chrome into a freshly installed state, disabling all extensions and clearing temporary data — so you’ll now be able to install your desired extension.
Finally, open Chrome’s menu (click the three dots, top right), then click ‘More tools’ followed by Extensions, then tick the boxes of the add-ons you wish to re-enable.