Google Chrome is one of the most popular and stable web browsers. Despite this, you may face issues while using Google Chrome. One of the problems that you may encounter is “ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE.” When this error happens, you will not be able to open the website that you are loading. Chrome will fail to transmit any data. One of the main reasons for the error is the network connection. However, there can be many other reasons.
What Causes ‘ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE‘ Error?
The error “ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE” is mainly due to the network connection. It can also happen when the installed extension tries to interfere with the web pages that you are trying to access. When there is too much browser cache, you will also encounter this problem. It could indicate that you will have to clear browser data or there can be outdated drivers. Some other reasons can be
- Outdated temp files.
- Overloaded cache.
- Corrupt extensions.
- Running faulty programs.
How To Fix ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE Error?
Method 1: Use Incognito Mode
The Incognito Mode of Google Chrome lets you browse in privacy. When you hit the Incognito mode, the settings and cookies get deleted automatically after you end the session. But in Normal mode, the extensions, cookies, and cache will be loaded while browsing. There can be the possibility of the “ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE” while loading the items. Here is how you can switch to Incognito mode.
Step 1: Open Chrome on your computer.
Step 2: Hit on the three dots on the top-right to go to Menu.
Step 3: Click “New Incognito Window.”
Step 4: Open the webpage that you are trying to access.
There is also a shortcut to open the Incognito mode. Press Ctrl + Shift + N together and try to load the webpage.
Method 2: Disable Chrome Extensions
By supporting many extensions, Chrome allows adding features to the browser. They can be great for customizing your browsing and using the browser according to your preferences. However, you may face issues with these extensions. There can be incompatible extensions that can lead to the “ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE” error. For this reason, it is important to disable the extensions and see if it is the cause of the problem. You can disable Chrome’s extensions by following these steps.
Step 1: On Google Chrome, hit on the three dots at the top-right corner.
Step 2: Select “More Tools” followed by “Extensions.”
Alternatively, you can go to Chrome’s search bar and type “chrome://extensions” and press Enter.
Step 3: You will have the option to enable, disable, or remove them.
Step 4: Turn off the toggle to disable the extension.
Step 5: Close Chrome and restart again.
Step 6: Open the page that you were trying to access.
Method 3: Clear Chrome Browsing Data
Chrome’s browsing data gives you a record of the past sessions of browsing. It lets you browse conveniently by saving various items. It has the website name as well as the URL address. In some cases, it can even collect private data such as cache, cookies, and saved passwords. These collected data can lead to the “ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE” and you will have to get rid of them. Follow these steps to clear the browsing data from Chrome.
Step 1: Launch Chrome.
Step 2: Go to Menu by clicking on the three dots.
Step 3: Select “More Tools.”
Step 4: Click “Clear browsing data.”
The shortcut for the same is Ctrl + Shift + Del. Alternatively, you can click on the three dots followed by “Settings”, “Privacy and Security”, and “Clear browsing data.”
Step 5: Select the data that you are looking to delete.
Step 6: Click “Clear Data.”
Step 7: Select “Cached Data“, “Hosted App Data“, and “Remove Cookies and Other Site Data” while proceeding.
Step 8: Close the Window and open Chrome again.
Method 4: Reset Network Settings
You can encounter the “ERR_EMPOTY_RESPONSE” with the wrong network settings. It is important to reset the network settings to resolve the issue. It can involve executing commands like netsh and ipconfig commands. The netsh commands can run in batch mode and can even change the network configuration of the computer. Ipconfig is to flush the DNS client resolver for cache contents. You can reset the network settings in the following way.
Step 1: Click the Start button on your computer.
Step 2: Type “cmd” and hit Enter.
Step 3: Right click on the “Command Prompt“.
Step 4: Select “Run as Administrator“.
Step 5: Type the following commands and hit Enter after entering each command
Step 6: Restart your computer and launch Chrome again.
Method 5: Clear Chrome Host Cache
The Chrome host cache can be another reason for the error. You will have to clear the Chrome host cache by following these steps.
Step 1: Open Chrome and click on the three dots on the top-right.
Step 2: Click “New Incognito Window.” You can even press Ctrl + Shift + N.
Step 3: On the address bar, type “chrome://net-internals/#dns” and hit Enter.
Step 4: Look for the “Clear Host Cache” and select it.
Step 5: Try loading the webpage again.
Method 6: Disable Antivirus Program
Your antivirus software offers great protection from potential malware and virus threats. However, they can even interfere while browsing and give false alerts. When you disable the antivirus program temporarily, you may be able to fix the issue of “ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE.” In some cases, you will have to visit the client’s website for the same. These are the steps to disable antivirus temporarily on Windows 10.
Step 1: On the search bar, type “firewall”.
Step 2: Click “Open.”
Step 3: Select “Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off.”
Step 4: Under ‘Windows Defender Firewall‘, uncheck the option “Block all incoming connections” and click Ok.
Step 5: Restart your computer.
Method 7: Delete Temporary Files
Windows will store files in the Temp folder. There can be reasons when you encounter “ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE” when there are temporary files. You can delete temporary files by going through these steps.
Step 1: On your computer, open the Run dialog box.
Step 2: Type “temp” and press Ok. Make sure to Run as an Administrator.
Step 3: Select all the files by pressing Ctrl + A.
Step 4: Right-click and select “Deselect All.”
Step 5: Launch Chrome and try loading the webpage.
Method 8: Change DNS to Google DNS
The public DNS of Google is maintained and owned by Google. It can provide a domain name for any internet host. You will have to change it manually to have a quick and secure connection. You can follow these steps for the same.
Step 1: On your computer, right-click on the Windows icon.
Step 2: Select “Network Connections.” You can even go to “Settings” and select “Network and Internet.”
Step 3: Click on the connection type.
Step 4: Hit on “Change Adapter Options.”
Step 5: Right-click on the internet connection and select “Properties.”
Step 6: Click “Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) followed by “Properties.”
Step 7: Enter 8.8.8.8 for “Preferred DNS Server“.
You can enter 8.8.4.4 for “Alternate DNS Server“.
Step 8: Close the Window and restart your system.
Method 9: Turn Off VPN
When you enable VPN, Chrome can come up with the error “ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE.” VPN tends to affect the transmitted data. To fix the issue, you will have to disable VPN. To disable VPN, you need to follow the instructions given by the client. When the error is resolved by turning off the VPN, you will have to get a new location in your VPN. You can even opt for a new VPN provider.
Method 10: Reset Chrome
When you are unable to fix the issue by trying the above methods, you will have to reset Chrome. By resetting Google Chrome, the browser will be set to its default values. It helps to prevent any incorrect configurations. You can do it in this way.
Step 1: Open Google Chrome and click on the three-dot icon in the top-right corner.
Step 2: Click on Settings option.
Step 3: Click “Advanced“.
Step 4: Go to “Reset and clean up.”
Step 5: Select the option “Reset settings to their original defaults.”
Step 6: Restart Chrome.
Also Check: How To View and Delete Your Incognito History?
Conclusion
When the error “ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE” happens, you will not be able to load the webpage on Chrome. It can be very frustrating as something from the application prevents loading the page. You can try any of the above-mentioned solutions to fix the issue. With these fixes, you can troubleshoot on your own without any professional help.
