If you are facing “ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE” error while using Google Chrome, read this article to learn what this error means and how to easily fix it.
Chrome is one of the most popular browsers these days. That doesn’t mean it can’t give you occasional problems however!
One of the error codes Chrome might come up with is the ‘ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE’ error, which might show when you’re trying to navigate to a specific website.
The browser is telling you that no data has been received.
What exactly ‘ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE‘ error means?
This error is possible when you are online and the webpage you are attempting to access does not response or does not send any data through.
“ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE” error isn’t rare, and it can show up on any website. When it does, it stops Chrome from accessing the webpage in question.
The error shows there is an issue with a network connection. There are other causes of this error too.
What causes this error?
It could be the case that extensions you have installed are interfering with your access to web pages.
On the other hand, it could indicate your browser data needs to be cleared, there is an issue with your network connection, or some drivers are out of date.
8 Ways To Fix ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE Error
Let’s take a look at different ways to solve the ‘ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE’ error, and access the webpage you were trying to view.
FIX #1: DISABLE YOUR CHROME EXTENSIONS
An extension is a piece of software that lets you customize your browsing how you like it. You can use extensions to make a web browser more compatible with your requirements or personal preferences.
It might be the case that one of the extensions you have installed is stopping Chrome from being able to access a website.
- To view the extensions you have installed go to “chrome://extensions” in the search bar of Chrome and press Enter (the installed extensions will show and you can choose to disable, enable or remove them).
- It is a good idea to disable them all (one-by-one) and then restart Chrome.
If the ‘ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE’ error is gone, you will know that one of the extensions was to blame.
Now enable the extensions again, one at a time, to find out which was behind the error, and then remove it.
FIX #2: TRY INCOGNITO MODE
Your PC uses data files for different reasons, and keeps a history of websites you’ve used, as well as saving your preferences in little text files which are called cookies.
The Incognito Mode on Chrome removes nearly all private data components, so they are forgotten at the end of your current session (i.e. when you close the Incognito Mode window).
Nobody else can see your web activity when using this mode, although it does save any downloads and bookmarks.
Incognito Mode won’t save site data, browsing history, information inputted into forms, or cookies.
Click the three dots in the top right hand corner and click on ‘Incognito Mode’ to access it (alternatively, you can press CTRL + SHIFT + N together).
Every new tab you open in that window will open in Incognito Mode.
In the incognito window, type in the website address you were trying to go to when you got the ‘ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE’ error.
See whether the error is still occurring. If this solution works, you might have to always use Incognito Mode to visit that particular website.
FIX #3: CLEAR YOUR BROWSING DATA
Browsing data is the record of websites you’ve used in your past browsing sessions. Normally these will include the website name plus the URL.
More private data is collected during browsing, including cookies, cache, saved passwords, and so on.
This data can sometimes slow your browser down or even cause the ‘ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE’ error and stop you accessing a webpage.
To clear your browsing data, do this:
- Click on the three dots in the top right hand corner of your Chrome browser and than click on “More Tools“.
- Click on “Clear Browsing Data“.
- Now choose the data you want to remove from the cache and click “Clear Data“.
- Ensure you also select “Remove Cookies and Other Site Data“, as well as “Hosted App Data“, and “Cached Images and Files“.
- Restart Google Chrome to check whether the issue has been solved.
FIX #4: RESET YOUR NETWORK SETTINGS
Resetting your network settings involves executing commands with the Command prompt, such as the ipconfig and netsh commands.
Ipconfig shows the current configuration of a networked PC’s installed IP stack.
By using this command, we can flush the DNS client resolver cache contents out and reset them by renewing the configuration of the DHCP.
As for netsh, this is a script to show or change, locally or remotely, the PC’s network configuration, and can also run commands in batch mode.
This is how to reset the network settings:
- Run Command Prompt as Administrator and type in the following commands (press the Enter after each one):
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /all
ipconfig /flushdns
ipconfig /renew
netsh int ip set dns
netsh winsock reset
Restart the PC, start Chrome and see whether the ‘ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE’ error is gone.
FIX #5: CLEAR THE CHROME HOST CACHE
This is another possible cause of the error.
To clear Google Chrome’s host cache, do this:
- Open Google Chrome and open a new Incognito Mode window by clicking the three dots in the upper right hand corner and choosing “New Incognito Window” (another way is pressing “SHIFT + CTRL + N” together).
- Now go to the address bar, type in this: “chrome://net-internals/#dns“ and press Enter.
- Find the “Clear Host Cache” button and press it.
- See whether the ‘ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE’ error has been fixed.
FIX #6: DISABLE YOUR ANTIVIRUS PROGRAM TEMPORARILY
Sometimes antivirus programs can be overly vigilant and block access to safe sites.
You can temporarily disable the antivirus or anti-malware program you are using and see whether you can visit the website or whether you still get the error.
FIX #7: DELETE TEMPORARY FILES
Occasionally the ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE or ERR_NETWORK_CHANGED errors might be caused by files Windows is storing in the Temp folder.
This is how you remove them:
- Open Run dialog box and type ‘temp’ in the box then press “OK” (you need to be logged in as an administrator).
- Press “CTRL + A” to select all files, right-click and select “Delete All“.
- Now reopen Chrome and see whether the error persists.
FIX #8: CHANGE YOUR DNS TO THE GOOGLE DNS
Google has a public DNS (Domain Name System) which means servers owned and maintained by Google.
The Google DNS can provide domain name resolution for any internet host.
You might like to try it for a more secure and quicker connection.
You will need to change it manually.
- Right-click on the Start menu and click on “Network Connections“(alternatively go to “Settings” and click “Network and Internet“).
- Select “Ethernet” (or your connection type) then click on “Change Adapter Options“.
- Right-click on your internet connection and choose “Properties” from the menu.
- Click on “Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)” and han click on “Properties“.
- Click on “Use the Following DNS Server Addresses“.
- Enter 8.8.8.8 for the “Preferred DNS Server“.
- Enter 8.8.4.4 for the “Alternate DNS Server“.
- Restart the PC and check if the ‘ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE’ error is gone.
Conclusion
Hopefully one of the above solutions is able to fix the ‘ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE’ error message you are getting in Google Chrome.
If not, try to watch video guide below to see different options to get rid of this error.
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