Since its launch, Google Chrome is one of the most popular browsers out there thanks to its focus on speed and security. Many users prefer it over other browsers because of its security measures, and the speed and reliability it offers. If you can look past the heavy resource use, Google Chrome is definitely one of the best browsers available right now.
However, while updating the browser, many users have reported that they see a message that reads “Chrome updates are disabled by your administrator”. Here I will discuss how to solve the issue using the two methods discussed below.
Why Am I Seeing This Error?
Assuming you are not on a network whose administrator has blocked all updates, the users who faced this error have credited the cause to one of the two errors that I will list below. It is possible that you too may be facing this error due to one of these reasons.
Registry issues
Installing a new application or modifying the settings can lead to certain changes in the registry that can cause all sorts of errors. The Registry houses all the permissions granted to all the applications installed on your system and some other basic settings as well.
Some users have reported that making certain changes to their registry fixed the issue.
Corrupt configurations
Chrome, like other applications, has certain configuration files that if corrupted can lead to a broken application that presents users with errors of all sorts. If the configuration files for your Chrome browser got corrupted, there is a possibility that is the reason you were facing this error.
How To Fix “Chrome Updates Are Disabled By Your Administrator”
Now that we know why we may be facing the ‘updates are disabled by the administrator’ error; I will now discuss the potential fixes that you can deploy to enable Google Chrome update.
# Solution 1: Ask Admin
First, you need to confirm if it was indeed your administrator that blocked the updates. If the administrator was blocking your updates, the permissions can be changed from his computer to enable Google Chrome updates.
If the administrator was not the one blocking the updates, or you are not on a server network and you are the administrator, you can use the following fixes to solve your issue.
# Solution 2: Fix Registry Items
If the registry configuration items on your system were corrupted by some new installation, that may be the reason you are facing this error. To fix this, you need to take the help of the registry editor.
Caution: since the registry houses many important configuration files, it is recommended to backup your registry items in case anything goes wrong.
- Close all instances of Google Chrome running on your system.
- Open a Run dialog by pressing the Win + R
- Type regedit and press Enter to open the Registry editor.
4. Navigate to the following path by pasting it in the address bar of the Registry Editor for Windows 10 and below:
Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Update\ClientState\{8A69D345-D564-463c-AFF1-A69D9E530F96}
5. On the right pane, locate and double click on Default to modify its value.
6. Change its value to 1 from its original value. It may be originally set to (Value not set) or 0.
7. Restart your PC.
Now you should not see the error message displayed on your system.
If you are on a Windows 7 system, you can additionally follow these steps to solve the issue.
8. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\
9. Double-click on DisableAutoUpdateChecksCheckboxValue
10. Change the data from 0 to 1
11. You may also find the following four additional entries:
-
- Update{2BF2CA35-CCAF-4E58-BAB7-4163BFA03B88} with VALUE 0
- Update{4DC8B4CA-1BDA-483E-B5FA-D3C12E15B62D} with VALUE 0
- Update{74AF07D8-FB8F-4D51-8AC7-927721D56EBB} with VALUE 0
- Update{8A69D345-D564-463C-AFF1-A69D9E530F96} with VALUE 0
12. Change these values to 1 as well.
Now relaunch Chrome and you should see your error resolved. If not, there must be some error with the configuration files of your browser that needs to be resolved that is causing the error.
# Solution 3: Reset Google Chrome
In the last resort, you can reset Chrome to its default settings. You can reset Chrome if the configuration files of your browser are corrupted for some reason and you want to revert it back to the original settings.
To reset Chrome:
- On your system, open Google Chrome.
- Click on the hamburger menu (≡).
- Click on Settings.
- Scroll down to and click on Advanced.
5. Under the Reset and Clean up section, click on Reset.
6. In the confirmation box, click on Reset again.
Note: Only the settings for the logged-in Chrome profile will be reset, and the changes will apply across all computers or devices you’re signed into with your active profile.
# Solution 4: Reinstall Google Chrome
If after performing the above methods you still could not update Chrome reinstall it.
A clean reinstallation of Chrome can fix the issue. To reinstall Google Chrome, follow the steps given below:
- Type Control Panel in the Windows search box and select the first option.
- Then click on Programs and Features.
- Now you will see all your installed programs. From the list, find Google Chrome and right-click on it.
- Select the Uninstall option.
- Now download the latest version of Chrome.
- Log in again with your account credentials and you should be able to update it now.
Conclusion
Although Google Chrome is one of the most popular browsers among users, it is not without its faults. Many users have reported that they face one or another error, and this error is also one of them. If you too were facing this error, now you know how to solve the “Chrome updates are disabled by your administrator” error using one or a combination of the potential solutions given above. Comment below if you found this useful, and to discuss further the same.