• Totally fed up with Chrome

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    #500955

    Is it just me or are other people as fed up with Chrome as I am.

    Apart from what has now become incessant advertising whenever I do a search.

    It updates itself and changes itself with no notification so that suddenly items move or change behaviour. A little while ago, for example, it decided to change how it saved bookmarks when you click the star. That lasted for about a week and then changed itself back.

    As an accountant, I have to deal on a near daily basis with the gov.uk site. You cannot download ANYTHING with Chrome. If you speak to the helplines, they always warn that you cannot use Chrome.

    I tried to download some windows update files and discovered you can’t do that with Chrome. My webmail will not touch it either.

    The final straw however happened not 30 minutes ago. I have just loaded a notebook with Windows 8.1 and some how with no notice, Chrome has downloaded and installed itself and has even made itself the default browser.

    The only contact point is the totally disorganised confusion that is the forum so I am giving up and going to use MS Edge as soon as I can.

    Viewing 18 reply threads
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    • #1515380

      My wife recently caved in to Google Chrome and accepted it as her browser. Chrome immediately took over her Word files and she could not manage to get through the various screens and work on her documents.

      I then went over to her user side and uninstalled any semblance of Google Chrome software. I also hunted up any left over Chrome software thru DOS and deleted Chrome files or moved them to a CD which I labelled as Junk.

      I then warned her to reject any new offers from Google Chrome and now everything is running smoothly … Theodore

    • #1516384

      Can’t say I am that fed up. I use it as the main browser and there a few things I like, even if there are some few things I dislike (just spent a few hours because of a feature that only Chrome implements in its own way (senseless), while IE and Firefox behave as expected).

      I agree, though, that this senseless and notificationless updating is infuriating. I also don’t like how google decides to stop supporting features that are still relevant to me, according to their own agenda, regardless of the users (Silverlight and Java, for example). Maybe if they keep pushing it, I will change to Firefox, which I like too.
      Edge, well that remains to be seen, as I will withhold upgrading to 10 in the early first months after its release.

      • #1516521

        i would prefer firefox but cant get it to run on my pc
        older xpprosp3

        tried to get newer version
        it wiped out old FF that did run
        new one would not work
        cant delete new one
        or get old one back

        used chrome because i had to
        since IE is not safe and i just dont like it

        Can’t say I am that fed up. I use it as the main browser and there a few things I like, even if there are some few things I dislike (just spent a few hours because of a feature that only Chrome implements in its own way (senseless), while IE and Firefox behave as expected).

        I agree, though, that this senseless and notification less updating is infuriating. I also don’t like how google decides to stop supporting features that are still relevant to me, according to their own agenda, regardless of the users (Silverlight and Java, for example). Maybe if they keep pushing it, I will change to Firefox, which I like too.
        Edge, well that remains to be seen, as I will withhold upgrading to 10 in the early first months after its release.

    • #1516385

      Interesting, I don’t use Chrome for anything other than just browsing for the most part I guess and I don’t see any ads at all from a search. I am using ABP extension but that only shows one item blocked on a search but maybe that’s all the advertising?

      I’d think I was just lucky but Chrome is on almost a dozen systems, keeps XP alive for me, never crashes for me, and only has the bad habit of taking too many resources, namely memory, with relatively few pages open. And this is going on what; six years now?

      Maybe I’m paying more attention and don’t even know it though as well…don’t ever expect Microsoft and Google to get all lovey-dovey and work together; not going to happen unless it’s of mutual financial benefit, and maybe not even then. Also, never install anything…ANYTHING, without paying strict attention to every single prompt along the way and always choose custom install rather than auto, because that’s where Chrome and any other “free” program will be hiding (among other places) if you don’t. I highly doubt Chrome will take over any word files unless the user gets involved in the Google Docs end of things or possibly via Google Drive backup of Office files but the first is controllable and the later is just a backup that does not affect original location.

    • #1516386

      1) – Go to Task Scheduler and edit two tasks, GoogleUpdateTaskMachineCore and GoogleUpdateTaskMachineUA. Note, edit the task, don’t just delete it, as Google Update will just replace it if it finds it absent. Then you are saved from Google’s ridiculous, obsessive – who wants to check for updates every hour? – updating behaviour.

      2) – Download and save the install version of Google Chrome, and version label it. This will allow you to roll back to a previous good version, if there is some feature that becomes disabled by an unannounced update, as you describe.

      Dropbox and Opera have also adopted this obsessive level of update checking.

      Why we should have to do this is beyond belief. That is why I stick to Firefox, with all its faults.

      Dell E5570 Latitude, Intel Core i5 6440@2.60 GHz, 8.00 GB - Win 10 Pro

      • #1516522

        more info on how to do that update please

        i am sure the power boyz understood enough from your tip to get it done but detailed info for us normal users please

        1) – Go to Task Scheduler and edit two tasks, GoogleUpdateTaskMachineCore and GoogleUpdateTaskMachineUA. Note, edit the task, don’t just delete it, as Google Update will just replace it if it finds it absent. Then you are saved from Google’s ridiculous, obsessive – who wants to check for updates every hour? – updating behaviour.

        2) – Download and save the install version of Google Chrome, and version label it. This will allow you to roll back to a previous good version, if there is some feature that becomes disabled by an unannounced update, as you describe.

        Dropbox and Opera have also adopted this obsessive level of update checking.

        Why we should have to do this is beyond belief. That is why I stick to Firefox, with all its faults.

        • #1516534

          Speedball – not quite sure whether your question relates to my point (1) or (2).

          You will find Task Scheduler under Administrative Tools. Find the scheduled tasks that I mentioned in my post, right-click for Properties, and then edit the task, disable it, reschedule it, whatever you like.

          You can always find offline Google Chrome installers by searching for Google Chrome standalone, then you have to decide whether to install for all users (which I do), or for your own user account only.

          Hope that may help.

          more info on how to do that update please

          i am sure the power boyz understood enough from your tip to get it done but detailed info for us normal users please

          Dell E5570 Latitude, Intel Core i5 6440@2.60 GHz, 8.00 GB - Win 10 Pro

    • #1516400

      Compared to Firefox, I have always found Chrome to be a major RAM hog. From reading other’s experiences, it looks like Google is as arrogant about Chrome as they are about Google+, YouTube, and demanding a cell phone number for getting a new account and probably dozens of other things.

      I would recommend that, if you are dissatisfied with Chrome, switch to Firefox.

      • #1516947

        When several tabs are open in Chrome, it bogs down. Then, closing Chrome is not enough; it leaves a zombie process for each tab. One must then use Task Manager to end those processes.

        • #1516950

          When several tabs are open in Chrome, it bogs down. Then, closing Chrome is not enough; it leaves a zombie process for each tab. One must then use Task Manager to end those processes.

          Sounds like either Chrome is not shutting down correctly or something like security or malfunctioning extension is preventing it from shutting down completely. I watch my processes and they all go, tabs and extensions, shortly after Chrome is closed.

        • #1517143

          When several tabs are open in Chrome, it bogs down. Then, closing Chrome is not enough; it leaves a zombie process for each tab. One must then use Task Manager to end those processes.

          Sounds more like a computer problem ( or possibly bandwidth/internet ) than Chrome itself.

          Don't take yourself so seriously, no one else does 🙂
          All W10 Pro at 22H2,(2 Desktops, 1 Laptop).

      • #1518123

        i wish

        i had firefox
        tried to upgrade to make one website work better

        firefox failed
        would not work
        could not remove it or roll back

        it had deleted my old working (for most sites) version

        cant download a working version

        had to use chrome to fix the pile of dogpoop FF left behind in my computer and get a working browser at all

        i HATE chrome but it mostly works
        but is extremely annoying

        if i could get FF to work again i would use that in a new yawk second

        Compared to Firefox, I have always found Chrome to be a major RAM hog. From reading other’s experiences, it looks like Google is as arrogant about Chrome as they are about Google+, YouTube, and demanding a cell phone number for getting a new account and probably dozens of other things.

        I would recommend that, if you are dissatisfied with Chrome, switch to Firefox.

        • #1519481

          i wish – i had firefox tried to upgrade to make one website work better
          firefox failed – would not work – could not remove it or roll back

          I have no experience of this problem, but if a fresh install fails, it must be picking up something from earlier that causes it to do so. Have you tried removing all trace of profiles from the old FF after removal, before re-installing? Alternatively, have you tried running it (assuming something installed) in safe mode? (append -safe-mode to the command line/shortcut). If you have trouble removing the old install, you can just use Explorer to delete it from ‘Program Files’ (the exact locn and extra hoops to jump depending on your OS).

          • #1519986

            i cant remove anything that FF left behind

            but i gave up trying

            maybe out there somewhere is a magic program that would rip it all out by the roots

            just not worth the effort unless i can be 1000% sure that i could get a working FF to install

            so far those idiots seem to just keep moving forward with the latest and greatest and dont pay any attention to compatibility with xp

            I have no experience of this problem, but if a fresh install fails, it must be picking up something from earlier that causes it to do so. Have you tried removing all trace of profiles from the old FF after removal, before re-installing? Alternatively, have you tried running it (assuming something installed) in safe mode? (append -safe-mode to the command line/shortcut). If you have trouble removing the old install, you can just use Explorer to delete it from ‘Program Files’ (the exact locn and extra hoops to jump depending on your OS).

            • #1520051

              i cant remove anything that FF left behind

              but i gave up trying

              maybe out there somewhere is a magic program that would rip it all out by the roots

              just not worth the effort unless i can be 1000% sure that i could get a working FF to install

              so far those idiots seem to just keep moving forward with the latest and greatest and dont pay any attention to compatibility with xp

              Older versions are available.

              🍻

              Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.
    • #1516425

      *cough*Google*cough*

      ‘Nuff said.

    • #1516463

      I have recent found that Chrome at work is incredibly slow connecting to Google+, Gmail, Gmaps, etc (despite setting Google as DNS server), so I have started to use the much faster Vivaldi, which is at the moment quite basic, but is being developed by the same team that worked on the original Opera browser (which I continue to use in the non-Chromium version 12.17).
      Like others, it is possible to use ad blockers on Chrome and configure it, but I also don’t want my work searches to be used in marketing to me personally.

    • #1516498

      what is installed on your win8 pc depends on the maker
      chrome did not do that
      your pc company chose to do that

      IE shoudl be on there too
      activate it and pin it plus put shortcuts on the front page
      delete chrome

      otoh chrome does things that i could not get my old browser to do and IE has some security issues

      as to ads
      chrome is very bad
      but win8 is an enabler with all its useless crap that runs all the time to check weather and facebook updates whatever whether you want them or not

      you can download with chrome but it is not as straightforward as other browsers

      if you can see the document then rightclick and save
      voila
      it was downloaded

      mine seems to download first and then ask if i want to see it

      no ideas what ms edge is
      let us know how that works

      Is it just me or are other people as fed up with Chrome as I am.

      Apart from what has now become incessant advertising whenever I do a search.

      It updates itself and changes itself with no notification so that suddenly items move or change behaviour. A little while ago, for example, it decided to change how it saved bookmarks when you click the star. That lasted for about a week and then changed itself back.

      As an accountant, I have to deal on a near daily basis with the gov.uk site. You cannot download ANYTHING with Chrome. If you speak to the helplines, they always warn that you cannot use Chrome.

      I tried to download some windows update files and discovered you can’t do that with Chrome. My webmail will not touch it either.

      The final straw however happened not 30 minutes ago. I have just loaded a notebook with Windows 8.1 and some how with no notice, Chrome has downloaded and installed itself and has even made itself the default browser.

      The only contact point is the totally disorganised confusion that is the forum so I am giving up and going to use MS Edge as soon as I can.

      • #1516937

        Memory issue are controlled nicely with the “the great suspender” extension. Only download program directly from the official company site, anything bundled from OEM or on general download sites may have malware embedded. I have not had problems with office file and also use google docs. Press ‘CTR D’ to easily add bookmark and specify folder.

    • #1516608

      I have been using Chrome for a few years now and I certainly don’t see all the problems mentioned here. It’s not checked as my default browser but I use it 99.5% of the time. I only use IE 11 for MS stuff and any java related things I need to do. I have Blur, Disconnect Search, and AdBlock Plus and I opted out of interest based ads on Google as extensions.

      The final straw however happened not 30 minutes ago. I have just loaded a notebook with Windows 8.1 and some how with no notice, Chrome has downloaded and installed itself and has even made itself the default browser.

      I have NEVER had Chrome load itself, I had to go get it every time and it ALWAYS asks to be the default browser, to which I decline, so that must have been pre-loaded software on the notebook.

      Don't take yourself so seriously, no one else does 🙂
      All W10 Pro at 22H2,(2 Desktops, 1 Laptop).

    • #1516638

      Have Chrome, don’t use it much. Don’t like its UI. Mostly use FF and Pale Moon. Both of these working fine on Win 8.1.

    • #1516733

      Chrome/Google were early adopters of the idea that “we’ll keep everything updated for you, don’t worry, it will be great!”

      It’s a classic two-edged sword. Lots of traditional software isn’t kept up to date enough. However when you cede all control of the updates to the vendor… you’d better trust that vendor. And technology updates over the history of the computer industry have a reputation of having more problems than the customers would like to see.

      The thing is, most of the software companies out there are getting more assertive about pushing updates. I have some Open Source software that is also very active about updating.

      The irony is that the company with perhaps the worst reputation for too few updates is Google with their Android system.

    • #1516799

      For the past few years, I’ve used Chrome about 90% of the time and don’t have problems with it. Chrome is always quicker and more responsive than Internet Explorer. I do, however, HATE the bookmarking system. Unlike Internet Explorer, it’s WAY un-necessarily complicated. I also noticed the change a few weeks ago, and I couldn’t even figure out how to save a bookmark where I wanted; I had to click to save it “anywhere”, then drag it to the right folder later. Luckily, they changed it back after a week. And unfortunately, Firefox’s bookmarking system is at least as over-complicated as Chrome’s.

      • #1516869

        Luckily, they changed it back after a week. And unfortunately, Firefox’s bookmarking system is at least as over-complicated as Chrome’s.

        Each to their own, the mail reason I use FF is its excellent bookmarking. I use Add Bookmark Here2 to put bookmarks right where I want them.Note I am using FF Ver 35. on XP sp3

        As for Chrome some times I wonder why I use it at all. It locks up constantly and seems to be a hog.

        Of course non of the browsers seem to actually be improving the trend seems to be to just get more annoying, that is why I am trying out Pale Moon on the new computer.

        🍻

        Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.
    • #1517154

      Just out of curiosity, I opened my Chrome installation, which has a number of extensions, ten in all. Chrome has opened twelve instances of itself, total memory used, according to Task Manager, 450,460 KB. They did all release promptly when I closed Chrome.

      Task Manager also shows my FF installation, rather more extensions, but a single instance, total memory used 461,048 KB.

      So, which way do you want to take your poison?

      Dell E5570 Latitude, Intel Core i5 6440@2.60 GHz, 8.00 GB - Win 10 Pro

      • #1517156

        Just out of curiosity, I opened my Chrome installation, which has a number of extensions, ten in all. Chrome has opened twelve instances of itself, total memory used, according to Task Manager, 450,460 KB. They did all release promptly when I closed Chrome.

        Mine shows 8 instances and I have no problems whatsoever with Chrome.
        41455-Chrome

        Don't take yourself so seriously, no one else does 🙂
        All W10 Pro at 22H2,(2 Desktops, 1 Laptop).

    • #1517715

      There is an option to end background tasks when Chrome exits. Likely under advanced. Chrome needs some polishing!
      :cheers:

      🍻

      Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.
    • #1517767

      I’ve just tested on 4 XP systems and 3 W7 systems watching the task manager processes as I close…in every instance all tabs close almost instantly and the background processes I assume, close within 5 seconds (more like 3 to be exact). Conclusion, whatever the problems are, it ain’t Chrome!

    • #1521067

      In a ranking I did last year you can see Chromium based browsers that rank higher than Google Chrome: http://windowssecrets.com/forums/showthread//162085-Ranking-the-web-browsers Maybe one of those will work better for you. Not on the list is a new Chromium based browser called Chromodo (https://www.comodo.com/home/browsers-toolbars/chromodo-private-internet-browser.php). It’s similar to Comodo Dragon and I’ve been using it for about eight months. It’s become my main browser, although it’s not perfect. As far as updates, if anything they are on the slow side and are not forced. It comes with some extensions, including an ad blocker called Ad Sanitizer, which works well, but any or all extensions can be disabled. Make sure you backup your bookmarks. A few months ago a new version behaved like a new installation and installed a default instead of accepting user customization, pulling bookmarks from Firefox or Internet Explorer. Fortunately, I had a backup of my bookmarks that was less than a week old, so that issue had little effect on me, but for others it could have meant months, even years, of bookmarks lost if they had no backup. I complained on their forum about that and it hasn’t happened again. Also, the developers are still struggling to find a solution to Logjam attacks, which IE solved months ago.

    • #1521684

      Perhaps Chrome is better when it’s used with predominantly Google-based sites?

    • #1521699

      Interesting article on Chrome statistics. “Watch Google Chrome dominate the world in just seven years”

      Google’s Chrome browser has taken over. I use Chrome on almost every device I own; nearly 50% of you so too; and I bet you’ll find that even your tech-illiterate parents have ditched Internet Explorer and opted for Chrome.

      Things didn’t used to be this way. Cast your mind back to 2008 and you’ll see a very different landscape of browser usage, one entirely dominated by Internet Explorer. To help you visualise the mammoth shift from Microsoft’s creaking browser to Google’s own, infographic whizz Jody Sieradzki has used StatCounter to create this mesmerising GIF.

      http://www.pcauthority.com.au/News/407740,watch-google-chrome-dominate-the-world-in-just-seven-years.aspx?utm_source=feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=PC+%26+Tech+Authority++-+Latest+Articles

      Don't take yourself so seriously, no one else does 🙂
      All W10 Pro at 22H2,(2 Desktops, 1 Laptop).

    • #1521707

      I thought FF had more users than those graphics show, so I’m surprised…

      But than W3schools browser stats show Chrome’s dominance.

      Eliminate spare time: start programming PowerShell

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