Google Chrome problem

[#1]

My pc has developed a strange problem when I try to use Google Chrome. I am still using Win 7 - that may clarify the next sentence a bit.

I click on the Chrome icon on the line across the bottom of the screen, and Google Chrome opens, but the main section (the lowest 70%) of the screen goes black, and stays that way. The top 30% shows the normal part of what you would see in that part of Google Chrome. Along the top line of this, just to the right of the first tab (which says New Tab), there is a '+' which you would click on to add another tab. If I click on that '+', a new tab opens, and that view shows the full Google Chrome view, and it works perfectly. I can then close the first tab, and the second tab still works perfectly.

Therefore, I have a get-around, but having this problem in the first place is irritating. Does anyone have a solution, please?

Thanks for any help

[#2]

Good morning,

Have you tried "Clearing Browsing Data"  clears cookies etc as Google Chrome does not do it automatically as far as I can see

Click on the three vertical dots in the far right hand corner

Scroll down to more tools

Click on Clear Browsing Data

If you click advanced just tick the top four

If you have never done it you will have quite a lot in Browsing History  and  Cookies 

[#3]

Hello @Smith7 , unfortunately, that hasn't solved the problem, but it has given me a few problems that I had solved a few months ago, and now I have to rediscover those 'cures'. However, it was worth the try, so I thank you for your suggestion.

Incidentally, in case it causes anyone reading my first post in this topic to misunderstand the problem, I was a bit wrong with my percentages - 70% should be 90%, and 30% should be 10%. Basically it is the main section of the Chrome window that is black

Regards

[#4]

@penneck 

Clutching at straws maybe, but I'm wondering if it's being caused by displaying a 'dodgy' start-up page, i.e. whatever Chrome is set to display when you first start it.

It might be worth checking your settings to see what is selected; > three dots previously mentioned > Settings > On start-up

[#5]

@penneck 

Have you tried deleting Chrome and reinstalling it?

[#6]

Hello @RobPN . Have looked at 3dots/Settings/OnStart-up - and it is set to "Open New Tab page". I assume that is correct, considering the other two choices are (1) Continue where you left off, and (2) Open a specific page or set of pages

[#7]

Hello @Baldrick1 . I am reluctant to delete and reinstall Chrome because of the number of shortcuts I have (had them for a long time so problem not caused by a new one), though one of them is not opening in exactly the way it used to. I am having problems recovering that one because the setup for it was part of what I was sent (a few years ago, but I still use this shortcut occasionally)

[#8]

Try setting it to open the specific page “chrome://newtab”
See what happens that way.

[#9]

Hello @RPMozley  If I open Chrome and get the black main Google section, and I then open a second New Tab by using the '+', the second New Tab shows the Google stuff. Therefore, I have two tabs both saying New Tab, and if I hold the cursor on those tabs, at this point they both then show "chrome://newtab". The difference between them is, when the first tab is showing "chrome://newtab", it shows a largish area with a sort of diagram of the world as a globe with North and South America and North Western part of Africa visible. When the second tab is showing "chrome://newtab", it shows a similar largish area but with a small version of the Google view.

Is there a way that I can edit "chrome://newtab" (in case there is a hidden character or something), and where do I find it to do the edit?

[#10]

@penneck 

you could try this chrome://settings/reset 

Have you by chance changed the zoom level for the opening tab? Edit: Not sure about this theory but it's worth checking

[#11]

Would a Chrome reset delete all the links that @penneck wants to retain?

Another possible option:

Install a different browser such as Firefox and use the bookmarks transfer option to copy them across. You could back up the computer first in case things got lost. Then either use Firefox or delete  brome, reinstall Chrome and copy them back. 

I have a totally different approach to computer maintenance, I have all the system files (Windows and Applications) on one disk drive and data on another. Every few years I use Belarc Advisor to extract a list of installed programs and their licence numbers, then delete and reformat the system disk and do a fresh clean install of the stuff that I still use. It’s a bit of a pain but it gets rid of all the dross.

[#12]

Would a Chrome reset delete all the links that @penneck wants to retain?

Did you check yourself or are you trying to be difficult again with one of my posts?

Here's your answer https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/3296214?hl=en 

[#13]

@penneck There were some chrome extensions that modify the new tab page, not checked recently if they’re still available. I’ve used ‘clear new tab’ (not sure if that’s the correct name of it or if the words are in a different order) so that I could see the background image I’ve set without ‘things’ getting in the way.

Another way to try is have a local image open upon startup of chrome.

[#14]

@RPMozley , @Dan_the_Van , & @Baldrick1 . What I have done is I have Microsoft Edge on my pc (don't remember why I installed it when Chrome seemed to work so well - at that time), so I have transferred my Bookmarks (is that the correct Chrome name for what I call shortcuts?) to Edge Favourites, then uninstalled Chrome. Having uninstalled it, I then reinstalled it - BUT - why does it have all my shortcuts in the reinstalled Chrome? I haven't transferred them back from Edge. Also the Chrome black problem is still there. Does my pc have a memory of what was there earlier, and I am being shown that rather than the new version?

[#15]

@penneck 

I've not checked, but does Chrome has the option to Export all Bookmarks & Cookies to a text file. IE can (I used it frequently in days of old).

However before doing so I Deleted all Cookies I didn't want - I used CCleaner to "allow" all cookies I wanted to keep and then ran the cleaner. Then I exported my settings.

Secondly, did you re-boot before re-installing Chrome?

Brian