Chrome Pages Not Loading? How to Fix It
When Chrome pages won't load, the fix is usually local. Rule out your network, hard-refresh, disable extensions, and clear the cache to get back online.
When Chrome won’t load pages but your connection seems fine, the cause is almost always local — a stale cache, a bad extension, or a DNS hiccup. Work through the checks below, fastest first.
Rule out the network, then hard-refresh
Confirm it’s Chrome, not your connection: open another internet app, like email or a second browser. If nothing connects, the problem is your network or router. If only Chrome fails, hard-refresh the page: press Ctrl+F5 on Windows or Cmd+Shift+R on a Mac to bypass the cached copy. Then open an Incognito window (Ctrl+Shift+N, or Cmd+Shift+N on Mac) and try the same address. Incognito runs without extensions, so if the page loads there, the cause is an add-on or stored data.
Disable extensions and clear stored data
Extensions that touch your connection — VPNs, ad blockers, proxy tools — can block or reroute requests. Open chrome://extensions, toggle them off one by one, reloading after each; Chrome extensions not working digs in further. If pages still stall, clear the cache at chrome://settings/clearBrowserData — check Cached images and files, and clear. For a site that won’t log you in, clear its cookies too — how to clear cookies in Chrome shows where. Stale DNS entries cause the same symptoms; clearing the DNS cache in Chrome flushes Chrome’s internal host cache, but clearing your OS resolver is a separate step (run ipconfig /flushdns on Windows).
Match the error code to a fix
Chrome usually names the failure, and the code points you at the fix.
| Error code | Likely cause | First thing to try |
|---|---|---|
ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED | DNS can’t find the site | Flush the DNS cache, change DNS server |
ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT | Request never got a reply | Check firewall, proxy, and network |
ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED | Server or a blocker rejected it | Turn off VPN/proxy add-ons, try Incognito |
ERR_INTERNET_DISCONNECTED | No network path at all | Reconnect Wi-Fi, restart the router |
Check the clock, proxy, and security software
A wrong system clock breaks secure connections. If a page fails with a certificate warning, set the clock to update automatically. A leftover proxy is another cause: open your computer’s proxy settings from Chrome’s System settings and turn off any you didn’t set. If one site won’t resolve, switch off Secure DNS under Settings > Privacy and security > Security, then retry. A firewall or antivirus can also block Chrome, so make sure it’s allowed through.
Stop at the first step that works. If pages load but crawl, the trouble is speed, not connectivity — our notes on why Chrome runs so slow help more than another cache flush.