Google Chrome: Error 001: Oops “Something went wrong…

Problem

When this error occurs, users may experience the following issues with Google Chrome and its services:

Gmail: Fails to synchronize with the server; new emails do not appear.
Gmail: Outbound emails fail to send.
 

Cause

This issue is typically caused by corrupt or malfunctioning Google Chrome software files.
 

⚠️ User Data Loss Warning

Before proceeding, it is crucial to back up user data to prevent loss. You should Export Bookmarks and passwords for any affected user.

To Export Bookmarks:

  • Open Chrome.
  • Click the three dots in the top-right corner.
  • Go to Bookmarks > Bookmark manager.
  • Click the three dots in the top-right corner of the Bookmark manager.
  • Select Export bookmarks.

To Export Passwords:

  • Open Chrome.
  • Go to Settings > Autofill > Password Manager.
  • Click the three dots to the right of "Saved passwords."
  • Select Export passwords.

Note: The exported password file is in plain text. It should be securely stored and deleted from the device once the data recovery process is complete and verified.

Fix

Follow these steps in the recommended order. Some steps may be redundant, but this is the sequence advised by Google.

Step 1: Clear the Chrome Cache

  • Open Chrome and navigate to Settings.
  • In the search bar, type "Cache."
  • Select Clear browsing data.
  • Switch to the Advanced tab.
  • From the "Time range" dropdown menu, select All time.
  • Click Clear data.

Step 2: Reset Chrome Settings

  • Open Chrome and go to Settings.
  • In the search bar, type "reset settings."
  • Select Restore settings to their original defaults.
  • Click Reset settings.

Step 3: Manually Delete User %appdata% Chrome Folder

  • Close Google Chrome completely.
  • Navigate to the following file path: C:\Users\<USERNAME>\AppData\Local\Google
  • Delete the entire "Chrome" folder.

Step 4: Uninstall Google Chrome

This step should be a last resort if the above solutions fail.

  • Close all instances of Google Chrome.
  • Open the Windows search bar and type "Add or remove programs."
  • Click on Installed apps.
  • Find Google Chrome in the list of applications.
  • Click the three dots to the right of "Google Chrome."
  • Select Uninstall and follow the on-screen prompts.

Optional: The uninstall process should remove the Chrome installation files, but you can manually verify and delete the folder at C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome if it still exists.