Windows 11 Update Breaks Chrome for Some Antivirus Software Users

Wednesday BleepingComputer reported: Malwarebytes confirmed today that the Windows 11 22H2 KB5027231 cumulative update released this Patch Tuesday breaks Google Chrome on its customers' systems... While uninstalling the KB5027231 update fixes the issue, admins report that it's not possible to do so via Windows Server Update Services because of a "catastrophic error..." The Google Chrome process is actually running but is prevented from fully launching the application and loading the user interface due to the conflict.
Then Friday BleepingComputer reported that the same update "also breaks Google Chrome on systems protected by Cisco and WatchGuard EDR and antivirus solutions." "We deploy Secure Endpoint 8.1.7 to our few thousand devices, and we started getting a mountain of reports this morning that Google Chrome would not appear on the screen after attempting to open it," one admin said. "With a little trial & error, I found that killing the Secure Endpoint service or uninstalling Secure Endpoint will allow Chrome to open again..."

WatchGuard staff also confirmed on Friday that Google Chrome wouldn't open on Windows 11 after installing KB5027231 if anti-exploit protection is enabled in the company's Endpoint Security software.
Thanks to Slashdot reader boley1 for sharing the news.

Dealing with this for about 2 weeks

[Volda]

Where I work we have been dealing with this for about 2 weeks. Updates are staggered so not too much of an impact. Change the default browser from chrome to edge then back again. That fixes it sometimes.

IE / edge to be the only one!

[Joe_Dragon]

IE / edge to be the only one!

Pretty pathetic

[TheDarkener]

I mean, it's kinda obvious what's going on. I think it's just petty to be doing it in the first place.

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

Want Chrome? Run Chrome OS.

No one wants your shitty malware, Google .

Re:

[Luckyo]

Edge is built on Chromium too. And Chromium is de facto a Google project. So Microsoft seems to want Google's shitty malware.

Re:Pretty pathetic

[93 Escort Wagon]

Windows ain't done until Chrome won't run!

Re:

[thegarbz]

To be fair, this isn't Chrome not running. It's antivirus software screwing the system. More like Windows ain't done until customers uninstall Malwarebytes out of frustration.

Re:

[TheDarkener]

Kinda weird that a Windows update would trigger antivirus screwing the ability to run Chrome.....dotdotdot

Re:

[gweihir]

It is also illegal.

Re:Pretty pathetic

[DonkeyG5]

Writing bugs is illegal?

Re:

[gweihir]

Intentionally, if the result infringes on laws? Yes.

Re:

[Askmum]

Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence.
Windows 11 is the virus here, Microsoft is just incompetent.

Re:

[TheDarkener]

So M$ created a virus out of incompetence? Interesting.

60% use Chrome in preference to Edge

[Anonymouse Cowtard]

So it would seem that these are not merely Edge cases.

Help me out

[sk999]

Is this a bad thing or a good thing? I don't use Chrome or MS Windows so can't tell either way.

Nothing to see here!

[oldgraybeard]

Just Microsoft being Microsoft. When you chose Microsoft products this is just the way of things.

Re:

[oldgraybeard]

Microsoft has "anti-exploit protection" What a Hoot!

Re:

[ChunderDownunder]

Edge and Chrome are built from an identical Chromium source tree. What special ingredients is Google adding to their release build?

Re:

[christoban]

It's an interaction with Chrome and MalwareBytes that other browsers and anti-virus companies aren't seeing. The idea it's intentional is quite a stretch IMO.

Re:

[rta]

TFA and even malwarebytes say it's MB that's doing the blocking:

"""As confirmed by Malwarebytes staff, the issue is caused by Malwarebytes' anti-exploit module blocking Chrome from loading after installing the KB5027231 update. """

Re:

[quonset]

TFA and even malwarebytes say it's MB that's doing the blocking:

"""As confirmed by Malwarebytes staff, the issue is caused by Malwarebytes' anti-exploit module blocking Chrome from loading after installing the KB5027231 update. """

Then it's doing its job since Chrome is malware/spyware.

Browser wars all over again

[Schoenlepel]

Anybody remember what Microsoft did to Netscape?

Microsoft wanted to buy them, but they said no. Then Microsoft started breaking them when they had their own browser (Internet Explorer). Finally, when it was too late, the EU and US governments stepped in.

In the end, we were left with Mozilla and Netscape went bust.

Microsoft seems to be up to their usual antics Embrace (fork chrome), Extend (add some features), Extinguish (this is where we are). If they can break Google's browser and, by extension, its dominance on the browser market, they can start chipping away at their search business by breaking that.

I'm sure Google is well aware Microsoft is trying this. I wonder how Google will respond after some time of this shit.

Re:

[bloodhawk]

Netscape fucked themselves over by turning there product into utter unstable shit.

Re:

[Schoenlepel]

No, Windows went out of its way to make Netscape unstable. It was not their fault, it was Microsoft's doing.

Re:

[drinkypoo]

I think both things can be true. I was running it on Linux and it got worse and worse there, too. ISTR it peaked around 2.0 and after that it got cruftier and more fragile.

Re:

[david.emery]

I'm sorry I used my mod points yesterday, so I can't mod this up "insightful"

Re:

[bloodhawk]

They did, But anyone that was a developer or user at the time will happily tell you how total fucking crap Netscape turned into, they ignored bugs in favour of implementing features to keep up with IE. I nearly lost my job at the time for backing netscape on a project, we had to switch late in the project to IE (much to my disgust) as Netscape just ignored all the critical bugs.

Re:

[Bu11etmagnet]

Chrome has been trying to break Windows for some time now, by sucking up all the RAM.

Now, the Empire strikes back.

Re:

[vbdasc]

Chrome has been trying to break Windows for some time now, by sucking up all the RAM.

While Chromuim does the same to Linux. Should we ask Linus to do something to break Chromium?

Re:

[Dwedit]

Until very recently, Windows Defender was eating up tons of CPU usage when Firefox was running.

Re:

[thegarbz]

Anybody remember what Microsoft did to Netscape?

Yes. I'm not sure why you think this is relevant though. This is a problem between Microsoft and Malwarebytes, Cisco and Watchguard. Microsoft didn't break Google's browser, anti-virus companies did, and did so in the usual way: integrating their product to the extent that it royally fucks the system to the point of breaking with a simple OS update.

Your anger is misplaced.

Re:

[aRTeeNLCH]

If you're going to be upset about Microsoft regarding browsers, why not start with how they got internet explorer? The got the code off Spyglass, in return for a percentage of the profits or turnover. Then they gave it away...

And nothing of value

[GrahamJ]

Was lost

Re:

[Motleypuss]

Bugger; I was just going to post that. :D

Throw some perspective (as a tongue twister) in...

[franzrogar]

1. The Microsoft Windows update breaks Chrome web browser.

2. Microsoft Edge web browser is based on Chrome web browser.

3. Did Microsoft Windows update broke Microsoft Edge web browser as well as the Microsoft Windows update did on the Chrome web browser?

Re:

[christoban]

Edge just uses the Chromium to display HTML/JS. Everything else is unrelated.

Just enforce browser choice again

[xack]

And make it worldwide and not EU. Webview2 should only be available as an embed and not a stand alone browser. On OOBE you should be prompted to download a browser and not be forced to use Edge. Only by forcing browser choice will Microsoft will be legally obliged not to break browsers. As it is right now Microsoft is getting away with tactics it couldn't do back in the 1990s. Even Chromebooks should be forced to have the opportunity to become Firefoxbooks or Vivaldibooks.

Re:

[fafalone]

On OOBE you should be prompted to download a browser and not be forced to use Edge.

Absolutely not. No requiring an internet connection to install an OS, period. You're just encouraging them to take even more extreme measures to force you into a Microsoft account and their online services. You can do this on first run or include the installers.

apple as well and no forced webkit! full choice

[Joe_Dragon]

apple as well and no forced webkit! full choice

Windows isn't done...

[gosso920]

... until Google won't run!

Tradition

[sconeu]

DOS isn't done until Lotus won't run!

Does anyone remember...

[martinfb]

Does anyone remember when making your system compatible was the thing to do?!

Now, that dreadful disease that's worse than any CoViD or bubonic plague has taken hold of the human race:
Greed and maliciousness disguised as unrestricted capitalism.
Add to this AI, which will have you thinking that you no longer know what is best for you; AI will know!

(We control the horizontal. We control the vertical. For the next 60...)


I digress from here.

I don't want my computer to be an ad platform; or anything ot