The error message “Allow chrome to access the network in your firewall or antivirus settings” is not a primary error. It is listed in the form of suggestions whenever a major error occurs (such as ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT etc.) in Google Chrome.
Here we will discuss how you can add chrome to the whitelist in your Antivirus software as well as Windows firewall. What do Antivirus and Firewall actually do? They monitor your online activity and the packets sent or received to make sure there are no threats on your computer whatsoever. Sometimes this “checking” can cause major problems when you are browsing through the internet.
Here are some of the major topics which you can look up in reference to your error:
DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NO_INTERNET
Furthermore, you can check all other major errors occurring in Google Chrome browser by typing the error name in the search bar and hitting search.
To solve the topic under discussion we will go through on how to add Chrome to the exception list on all major antivirus software. We cannot go through all of them but you will get an idea how to by seeing the examples down below.
Adding Exception to Windows Firewall
We will first start by adding an exception to Windows Firewall. A firewall is a network security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing traffic based on some predefined security rules. It establishes a barrier between a trusted internal network and untrusted external networks (such as the internet). It is not common for Windows Firewall to block some accesses to the internet which might include Chrome. Let’s take a look at how to add it to the whitelist.
- Press Windows + S, type “firewall” in the dialogue box and open the application.
- Once in Firewall settings, click on “Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall”.
- Here all the applications installed in your computer will be listed along with the status whether they are blocked or not. Make sure that Google Chrome is checked.
You can also temporarily disable your Firewall if you are having problems adding the exception. Just navigate back to the main page and click on “Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off”. From here you can disable Firewall for both Private and Public networks.
Note: Disable Firewall at your own risk. Appuals will not be in any way responsible for any damage whatever the case.
Adding Exception to Avast Antivirus
Avast Software is a Czech multinational company which has its headquarters in Prague, Czech Republic. They develop antivirus software and also provide internet security software. It was founded in 1988 by Eduard Kucera and Pavel Baudis. In 2016, Avast had around 400 million users using its antivirus software.
In Avast you can add Global exclusions to files. Global exclusions mean that they are excluded from all sorts of shields and scans which analyze the activity of the files and applications and quarantine them if they seem harmful. In addition to Global exclusions, there is another workaround which is to add an exception to the “Web shield”. We will exclude the website from the web shield but if this doesn’t work, add Chrome as a global exception.
- Select the tab “Active Protection” and click on “Customize” present in front of Web Shield.
- Now click on “Exclusions” and add the website which is giving the problem.
Furthermore, if it is getting tedious adding an exception, again and again, you can disable the web shield completely and see if this does the trick.
Adding Exclusion to Windows Defender
Windows Defender is an anti-malware component of Microsoft Windows. It was first released as a free antispyware program in the Windows XP and was slowly included in all the editions of Windows which followed (Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 10). To exclude Chrome from Windows Defender, follow the steps listed below.
- Click Windows button and in the search bar type “Windows Defender”. Among all the options, there will be an application named “Windows Defender Security Center”. Open it.
- Upon opening, you will find a list of options available in the new window. Select the option “Virus and threat protection”.
- Upon entering the menu, navigate to Virus and Threat Protection Settings. Windows may prompt you to allow the administrator access to use this feature. If so, press Yes.
- After entering the required menu, you should search the window which says “Add or remove exclusions”. Click it and you will be navigated to a menu where you can add exclusions. You can exclude folders, extensions, and even files. In this case, we will exclude the whole Chrome folder which is located in the directory you downloaded it.
- Click on the option which says “Exclude a folder” and navigate to your Chrome directory. The default location for your Chrome folder should be “C:\Program Files (x86)\Google”. Once you reach the location select the folder and save changes.
Malwarebytes
Malwarebytes is an anti-malware software developed by Malwarebytes Corporation. It was first released in January 2016. It is also available in a Free version which scans and removes the malware when you start it manually. It is seen as one of the emerging anti-malware products with their motto of the application being easy and simple to use.
- Open your Malwarebytes window by either clicking on the icon in the taskbar located at the bottom right side of the screen, or by clicking the program’s launch file.
- Once the program is opened, click on the Malware Exclusions tab located on the left side of the window.
- In this tab, you find an option which says “Add folder”. Click it and you will be navigated to File Explorer from where you can select your Chrome directory easily. The default location for your Chrome folder should be “C:\Program Files (x86)\Google”. Once you reach the location select the folder and save changes.
Note: You can always add the web exclusions first like we did with Avast Antivirus. By adding global exclusions (which we are), Chrome will be ignored completely.
