• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Technipages

Tutorials and fixes for smartphone, gadget, and computer problems

  • Topics
    • Android
    • Gaming
    • Hardware
    • Internet
    • iOS
    • MacOS
    • Office
    • Software
    • Windows
    • Definitions
  • Product Reviews
  • Downloads
  • About Technipages
Why Does Google Chrome Create So Many Windows Processes?

Why Does Google Chrome Create So Many Windows Processes?

By Mitch Bartlett 15 Comments

You may have noticed that Google Chrome for Windows creates a bunch of different processes when it’s running. You can view the Chrome.exe processes in the Windows Task Manager. You may wonder why multiple processes are needed. What does each of them do?

Understanding Chrome & Processes

Google Chrome is designed to run functionality for every tab, plugin, and extension within different processes. So, for every tab you open, every plug-in, or extension you use, Google Chrome will create another process for it. There is also a process just for the main browser functionality.
Google Chrome processes in Windows Task Manager

Why is it designed this way? Well, it’s to prevent a complete catastrophe when something goes wrong. Let’s say you have websites open in two different tabs and one of them crashes. Instead of suffering a complete meltdown where everything crashes, the crash can be limited to just the single tab or process.


Google Chrome Task Manager

If you want to fully understand what Google Chrome is exactly running within each process, you can bring up Google Chrome’s Task Manager by pressing “Shift” + “Esc“.
Google Chrome Task Manager

Each one of the items listed in the Google Chrome Task Manager is run within a Windows process. If you select a process in the Google Chrome Task Manager, then select the “End process” button, it will also kill the process in Windows.

Using the Google Chrome Task Manager is a good way to manage processes if you feel Chrome is taking up too much memory.


Background Processes

You may notice that even if you close Google Chrome, it might continue to run processes in the background. This might happen when you have installed a certain plug-in or extension that can still work when Chrome isn’t running like Hangouts or Google Now.

You can prevent Google Chrome from running extensions or plugins in the background by toggling a setting. Select “Menu”  > “Settings“, “Advanced“, then turn off the “Continue running background apps when Google Chrome is closed” option in the “System” section.

Do you have any experience with Google Chrome processes you would like to share? Please do so in the Comments section below.

You Might Also Like

  • Why Does Chrome Open So Many Processes?
    Why Does Chrome Open So Many Processes?
  • Fix - Google Chrome Freezes at Startup (Windows)
    Fix - Google Chrome Freezes at Startup (Windows)
  • How to Fix Google Chrome Screen Flashing in Windows
    How to Fix Google Chrome Screen Flashing in Windows
  • How to Create Various Profiles in Chrome
    How to Create Various Profiles in Chrome
  • How to Create a Hyperlink in Google Docs
    How to Create a Hyperlink in Google Docs
  • How to Create and Manage a Google Timeline
    How to Create and Manage a Google Timeline
  • Google Photos: How to Create a Collage
    Google Photos: How to Create a Collage
  • Google Duo: How To Create a Group Chat
    Google Duo: How To Create a Group Chat
  • How to Create Goals on Google Calendar
    How to Create Goals on Google Calendar

Filed Under: Software, Windows Tagged With: google chrome

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Donna Skellchock says

    February 15, 2021 at 3:44 pm

    But I don’t understand if I can delete the incidents of Chrome listed when I view Task Mgr.
    My computer is so s-l-o-w when I boot up. I can’t find the source, and thought this multiple Chrome listing might be the cause. Can you answer to my email? Thanks!!! donna

  2. Roy E Osterberg says

    July 10, 2019 at 11:53 pm

    Gotta love the excuse for sloppy programming:

    “It’s to prevent a complete catastrophe when something goes wrong. Let’s say you have websites open in two different tabs and one of them crashes. Instead of suffering a complete meltdown where everything crashes, the crash can be limited to just the single tab or process.”

    Really? Is this a valid excuse? NO!

    Is the world going to end because my browser crashed? NO! If you have to restart the browser, the issue fixed, game over. There is even a cool feature called “HISTORY, so you can go right back to where you started. I know, makes too much sense to actually have to think through the solution for a logical answer.

    Also, this is what I like to call the “brother-in-law affect”. I’ll write sloppy code, call it a feature and since my brother-in-law (aka another friendly company to google chrome sells memory) I’ll tell you to install more memory to cover my collective stupidity to avoid impacting the performance of your computer.

    Great, except that most laptops come with permanently soldered in memory, aka, you sure ain’t upgrading this hardware. Also, how may users understand how to upgrade the memory in their computer? My guess is 2% and that’s probably 100 times the reality.

    Here is a good idea Google, fix your damn code and stop being creative at the expense of users.

  3. Al P. says

    January 5, 2019 at 12:22 am

    I unchecked the box but it changed nothing, still got many apps running in the background. I had two tabs open and at one point there were 31 apps running simultaneously. It’s ridiculous.

  4. Naveen says

    March 29, 2018 at 10:05 am

    I never knew there existed an option to automatically to close all instances of google chrome after the main window is closed. Lately my system kept getting really laggy. I couldn’t pinpoint the cause even after sorting through the myriad list of background apps in the task manager. And then i found like 5 other instances of google chrome running and they take up almost 50% of the processing power while using as little memory as possible. Like an instance of google chrome running with 5.0 MB kept using 38% of the processor. I did’nt see the use behind this and what chrome was doing a long time after it was close and this continuous requirement to shut every instance of it down became exceedingly frustrating. Finally u gave solution,
    Thank you very much.

  5. sujith says

    December 3, 2017 at 4:15 am

    I have unchecked the “Continue running background apps when Google Chrome is closed” option, but no use. chrome keeps running in the background. I can’t even uninstall because it shows open close open chrome window.

  6. Phoebe wang says

    May 25, 2017 at 12:31 am

    Thank you so much! It has been bothering me for sometime!

  7. Leanne says

    May 5, 2017 at 8:14 pm

    Chrome continues to waste so much of my “valuable” time. Very little help comes out of this forum, that is a problem; others.

    1) I have unloaded and loaded Chrome back on (unloaded from every site you stick it on in my computer) to try to get past your enocous continual uploading blue symbol spinning and your snaps because you use all my memory. Still cannot fix this “horrible” problem. Even lost all my saved passwords over it.
    2) I am signed in, if I wish to go adjust settings and I am in the help forum, I have to sign in again and this system constantly loses my password even though I just changed it and used the new one on the first sign in….why???

    I have spent hours today, and when I uploaded Chrome again, same dang problems. Please really work on offering a more efficient system and be more responsive.

  8. Black Mage says

    January 30, 2017 at 1:29 pm

    There is no real explanation for the multiple processes other than the information harvesting being done every time Chrome is started. The extensions / plug-in’s excuse fails when actually put to the test. I say this as I tested it before coming to this page. My system had just been started for the day and all the security updates & scans had been completed. I only have 7 Chrome extensions enabled so 7+1 (the browser itself) = 8. There are no plug-in’s enabled and yet there are 11 instances of chrome.exe in the task manager when Chrome is first opened. This is ONE open tab only – the basically blank google.com home page (a search box, a graphic and some text hyperlinks) and nothing else. So, there are 3 mysterious chome.exe processes doing something with who knows what data. Google is absolutely no help which is not surprising,

  9. joe dirt says

    December 12, 2016 at 1:09 pm

    You can try “too many tabs ” or ” the great suspender” apps to set aside open tabs till you want to view them, it will cut down memory useage quite a bit.

  10. tom says

    October 21, 2016 at 6:02 pm

    The box is unchecked and several Chrome processes continue to run in background. They seem to cause trouble when Chrome is opened later – error message says profile is messed up. Have to go into Task Manager and kill all and Chrome is good again.
    Any way to stop these extra processes from continuing to run?

  11. Zaheer Abbas says

    October 20, 2016 at 4:53 am

    The box is unchecked still chrome creates multiple processes, Can you explain this issue..?

  12. Johnny Becuase says

    September 27, 2016 at 3:35 pm

    Ditto Johnny Why’s comment.

  13. johny why says

    September 12, 2016 at 4:25 am

    the box is unchecked and Chrome still has several processes that run in the background. I

  14. leftis says

    August 28, 2016 at 6:12 pm

    Thanks for this post. It busted my nerves.

  15. Haytham says

    July 16, 2016 at 6:38 pm

    Great article. Directly answered my concern about whether my use of the beta version is responsible for the proliferation of Chrome processes in Task Manager. Clearly that assumption was wrong.

    Thanks.

Did this help? Let us know!

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • Windows 11: How to Fix Windows 11 Won’t Connect to a Network
  • What to Do When Firefox Won’t Load a Page
  • Chrome: How to Refresh Various Tabs Simultaneously
  • The Latest Foldable Phones – A Look At The Huawei Mate X2
  • Everything Announced at Google I/O 2022 That You Should Care About
  • How to Build the Best High-Spec PC for Your Budget
  • Google Shows Off Pixel 7 and Pixel Watch Ahead of Fall Launch
  • Windows 11: How to View Saved Passwords

Who’s Behind Technipages?

Baby and Daddy My name is Mitch Bartlett. I've been working in technology for over 20 years in a wide range of tech jobs from Tech Support to Software Testing. I started this site as a technical guide for myself and it has grown into what I hope is a useful reference for all.

You May Also Like

  • Top 10 Google Chrome Alternatives to Surf Better
  • The 8 Best Adblockers for Chrome
  • Windows 95/98
  • Microsoft Windows NT
  • Microsoft Windows
  • Microsoft Windows 95
  • Windows Media Player (WMP)
  • Top 8 Itunes Alternatives for Windows

© Copyright 2022 Technipages · All Rights Reserved · Privacy