If you can’t start your Google Chrome browser, it may be because your browser user profile is corrupted.
See the solution below on how to get Chrome working again, and protect your Chrome bookmarks in case this happens again.
Problem: Chrome Won’t Start, Could Not Open Your Profile
If your Chrome user profile is corrupted, then you would get this error message from Chrome:
Your profile could not be opened correctly.
Even after uninstalling and reinstalling Chrome, you may still get this error and be unable to start Google Chrome.
Solution: Create A New Chrome User Profile
To solve this problem, you can create a new user profile in Google Chrome. In Windows, these are the steps needed to create a new profile and to fix the problem:
- Exit Google Chrome completely.
- Go to the Start menu > Run.
- Enter one of the following directories in the text field, then press OK.Windows XP: %USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\User Data\
Windows Vista/ Windows 7: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\- Locate the folder called “Default” in the directory window that opens and rename it as “Backup default”.
- Try opening Google Chrome again. A new “Default” folder is created automatically as you start using the browser.
If you want to, there is also a way to transfer bookmarks from your old profile to this new one, though it is not recommended since the old profile is corrupt.
Sign In To Sync Your Chrome Bookmarks
To minimize future problems, you should make sure you have a backup of your Chrome bookmarks. The easiest and most efficient way to do this would be to sign in to Chrome and choose to sync your bookmarks.
This way, you’ll always have a copy of your bookmarks online, whether you need to reinstall Chrome or use Chrome on another computer.
To sync your bookmarks:
- In Google Chrome, go to Settings > Personal Stuff.
- From there you can Sign In using your Google Account.
- Click “Advanced” and select “Choose what to sync” from the drop down menu. Select Bookmarks, along with any other components of Chrome you want to sync.
So, even if your profile becomes corrupted again, or if other issues come up, then at least your bookmarks will be safe.