Fix: Google Chrome Ran Out Of Memory

Almost all of us use the internet on daily basis. And when it comes to internet browsing, Google Chrome is one of the top choice of users. But, even though Google Chrome is highly preferred by the users, you still might face some issues while using it. One of the issues that many people face while using Google Chrome is the “Aw Snap! Chrome ran out of memory” issue.

This issue is exactly what the error message tells you. Your Google Chrome runs out of memory. This is a problem because you will see this message despite having more than enough memory (RAM) on your computer. A lot of Chrome users face this issue out of nowhere. There are no warnings before this issue and there aren’t any specific hints that can help you predict the problem before happening. You might see this error on specific pages or it might be completely random. The error isn’t related to a specific website. This issue, if keeps happening, won’t let you browse normally and will keep showing this page on either random or specific websites.

The cause of issue is not clear. There are many reasons why this might be happening but it is clear that it’s a problem on the Google Chrome end, not on the website’s end. The issue might be caused by some extension or it might be because of a corrupted user profile or it might be because of the wrong Chrome version. Since there can be many reasons of this message, there are multiple solutions of this problem.

So, try to go through troubleshooting and if that doesn’t solve the problem then try each method listed below until the issue is resolved.

Troubleshooting

1. The issue might simply be because you don’t have enough available memory for Google Chrome. Try to close other tabs except for the one showing the error. Close other programs that might be running. Once you have closed everything, try to reload the page that is showing the error.
2. You can also just close the browser and re-open it. Closing Google Chrome will release the memory it is holding and it might resolve the issue if it really is because of the memory consumption. Not a solution but a hack.

Method 1: Update to 64-bit

The first thing you should check is whether you have the 64 bit version of Google Chrome or not. This should be your priority especially if you think you have more than enough RAM for Google Chrome. The 64 bit version of Google Chrome is designed to use more memory so if your Chrome is giving this memory error even though you have a lot of memory available then this might be the issue.

If you aren’t sure whether you have a 32 bit or a 64 bit version then follow the steps given below

1. Open Google Chrome
2. Type chrome://chrome in the address bar and press Enter
3. Select the About section (if it isn’t already selected)
4. Check whether there’s 64-bit written after your Google Chrome version
5. If there is no 64-bit written or if there’s 32-bit written after your version number then that means you don’t have the 64-bit version of Google Chrome.
6. Go here and download the 64-bit version. Right now 64-bit version is the default so you don’t have to do anything. Just download the Google Chrome and install it.

Once you are done, check whether the problem is still there or not.

Method 2: Using Task Manager

Sometimes killing the Google Chrome from the task manager and then restarting it solves the issue as well. This isn’t a permanent solution but more of a hack which you might have to do over and over. But if nothing else is working then this should come in handy.

These steps are to be performed while your Google Chrome is working and is showing the error.

1. Press and hold CTRL, ALT and DELETE key simultaneously (CTRL + ALT + DELETE)
2. Select Task Manager
3. Locate Google Chrome from in the task manager.
4. Select Google Chrome
5. Select End Task

Once it is closed, re-run the Google Chrome and you shouldn’t see the memory issue page anymore.

Method 3: Clear Cache

Clearing the cache of the browser might be a good option. It will solve the problem if there are any corrupted information stored in there that might be causing this issue.

To clear the cache of the browser, follow the steps given below

1. Open Google Chrome
2. Press CTRL, SHIFT and DELETE keys simultaneously (CTRL + SHIFT + DELETE)
3. Check the option that says Cached images and files
4. Select Past hour or Past day from the drop down menu. You can select any option depending on when the problem started happening
   
5. Click Clear browsing data

Now check whether the issue is gone or not.

Method 4: Disable Extensions

The problem might be caused by an extension as well. You can check whether the problem is because of an extension or not by disabling all the extensions. Once you disable all the extensions check whether the problem is still there. If the problem is gone then that means the problem was because of an extension. You can enable one extension at a time to check which one was causing the issue and then reinstall it.

To disable extensions on your Google Chrome, follow the steps given below

1. Open Google Chrome
2. Type chrome://extensions in the address bar and press Enter
3. You will be able to see the list of all the extensions installed on your browser
4. Uncheck the box that says Enabled for all the extensions.
   
5. Once you are done, check whether the problem is still there or not

If the problem is gone then enable an extension by checking the Enabled box in front of it. Repeat this for all the extensions and once you find the extension that is causing the issue, delete it by clicking the dustbin box in front of it.

Method 5: Creating New User Profile

If the problem is caused by the information stored by the Google Chrome then changing the name of the default folder of Google Chrome might solve the issue for you. This can happen if your user profile is corrupted.

Follow the steps given below to change the name of your user profile folder

1. Hold Windows key and press R
2. Type %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\ and press Enter.
   
3. Locate the Default folder
4. Right click the Default folder and select Rename
   
5. Rename it to Old Default and press Enter

Now start Google Chrome again and check whether the issue still persists or not. Don’t worry about the folder, once you start Chrome again, it will recreate a new Default folder for you automatically.