How to Fix the Out of Memory Error in Google Chrome

Troubleshoot this common error to get back to browsing in no time

Co-authored by Darlene Antonelli, MA Reviewed by Stan Kats

Last Updated: November 15, 2024 Fact Checked

Do you get an annoying memory error message when you're browsing in Chrome? The "Aw, Snap!" message is a cute folder icon with a sad face that appears while you're using the Chrome web browser on any platform, including Windows 10, Windows 11, or a Chromebook. If you get the error while loading a web page, read on to follow some troubleshooting steps to fix it.

Simple Troubleshooting to Fix Out of Memory Error in Chrome

Reload the page to see if the error was a fluke.
Check your internet connection to make sure it's strong and not too slow.
Delete your Chrome cache and cookies.

1

Reload the page.

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Press Ctrl+F5 (Windows) or ⌘ Cmd+R (Mac) to refresh the page quickly or click the refresh icon
to the left of the address bar at the top of the page.

2

Check your internet connection.

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You'll get an error if your network is too slow or intermittent. You need a strong and consistent connection to the internet for Chrome to load websites successfully.
- You may need to restart your router/modem if you haven't done that in a while. To restart, unplug your router/modem from power for a few minutes, then plug everything back in!
- Check out this wikiHow article for more steps to speed up a slow internet connection.

3

Delete your cache and cookies.

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Chrome might have stored data that prevents the page from loading. You can see if this is the case by going to that website with an Incognito window; if the page loads, your cache and cookies are to blame. Here's how to delete your cache and cookies in Chrome:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Del or click the three-dot menu icon and select Delete browsing data.
- Select All time next to "Time range."
- Make sure Cached images and files and Cookies and other site data are selected.
- Click Delete data.

4

Disable extensions.

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Outdated extensions can interrupt your internet connection. This will cause an error that goes away with Incognito Mode, but still appears after you've deleted the cache and cookies in Chrome.
- To uninstall or disable extensions in Chrome, click the Extension icon (it looks like a puzzle piece) and select Manage extensions. Click Remove on extensions you don't use or click the toggle to turn off extensions.
- You should turn them all off or uninstall them to see if the other website will load. Once the page loads, you can toggle on the extensions one by one to see which one causes the page not to load.

5

Restart Chrome completely.

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Chrome's background tasks can be messing up and causing the error. Click the x in the top right corner to close Chrome, then open your Task Manager or Activity Monitor to close any running Chrome tasks.
- To close any running Chrome tasks, click on it, then click on End Task.
EXPERT TIP

Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist
Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.

Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist

On Windows, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager. Chrome is a RAM hog, so close it regularly to prevent it from freezing or crashing.

6

Restart your computer.

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Shutting down your computer allows it to get rid of temporary files and refresh system resources that might be causing the memory error message.

7

Free up memory.

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Open your Task Manager or Activity Monitor and close apps or programs that you aren't using.

8

Update Chrome.

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An outdated version of Chrome can have bugs and glitches. The web browser usually updates automatically, but you can check it, too.
- To check for a Chrome update, click the three-dot menu icon and select Help > About Google Chrome > Update Google Chrome > Relaunch.

9

Scan for malware.

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You can run a quick scan using Windows Defender or other built-in and third-party antivirus apps. These programs will allow you to safely get rid of any questionable files. ^{[1]
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If just one or two pages are showing the "Aw, Snap" error but other pages load fine, there might be a server issue with the sites that won't load. You can try contacting the site owner for more help.

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