Fixing the err_connection_aborted error in Google Chrome

The err_connection_aborted is a common error experienced when trying to launch a webpage within the Google Chrome browser. To get your browser working again, you may need to remove Chrome browser extensions, check the Windows firewall, or disable SSLv3, among other things. Continue reading to learn more about this error and how to fix it.

What is the err_connection_aborted error?

The err_connection_aborted error is a Google Chrome browser error code. It’s accompanied by the following message.

“This site can’t be reached. The webpage might be temporarily down or it may have moved permanently to a new web address.”

What causes the err_connection_aborted error?

While the browser error, err_connection_aborted, is telling you that the website may be down or have permanently moved. Yet this isn’t normally the cause behind this error. So before you go any further, check if you can reach the website on another device. If the intended website loads on another computer or smartphone, then you know the website is still accessible at the expected address. 

Now you can consider some of the other commonly reported causes and their solutions to fix the err_connection_aborted Chrome error:

• SSLv3 is not allowed on the intended website.
  You will need to disable SSLv3 in Chrome so that the browser uses the TLS1.0 protocol.
• Conflicting Chrome browser settings.
  You will need to reset your Chrome browser settings to clear any browser settings that may be preventing your connection.
• Firewall conflicts.
  Your Windows firewall or antivirus firewall settings may limit your connection to external websites. You can temporarily disable the firewall to check for restoration. 
• Antivirus conflicts.
  Sometimes your antivirus software’s settings can block websites. You can temporarily disable your antivirus to check if it restores access to your intended website.
• Corrupt system files.
  System file corruption can cause irritating errors, including this Chrome browser error. You can check your system files using the SFC utility. 
• Windows update KB2992611.
  This Windows update is known to cause the err_connection_aborted Chome error. You can uninstall this update.
• Chrome browser corruption.
  If your Chrome browser is corrupt, you may be forced to uninstall and reinstall the browser to resolve this error. 

7 solutions to fix the err_connection_aborted Chrome browser error

We’ll start with the simplest solutions first and then work towards more time-consuming options if the simple solutions don’t work. Each solution contains a short introduction and background before walking you through the solution step by step. Let’s get started with fixing the err_connection_aborted error.

1. Disable SSLv3 and use the TLS protocol

SSLv3 stands for Secure Socket Layer version 3. SSLv3 is a security protocol for application protocols like HTTP, SMTP, and more. SSLv3 is outdated and has known security vulnerabilities. In September 2014, Google discovered a serious vulnerability in SSLv3, called POODLE. A POODLE attack can allow a malicious actor to steal your passwords. A security protocol that allows encrypted information to be stolen isn’t much of an effective security protocol at all. 

Since this discovery, browsers and websites have largely moved away from the SSLv3 protocol and switched over to the more secure TLS 1.0 protocol. Even though TLS1.0 is outdated at this point, it is not known to have a critical flaw like SSLv3. 

TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 were deprecated at the end of 2020, and most organizations and websites have since moved on to TLS 1.2 or the most current protocol, TLS 1.3.

If a website has disallowed the use of SSLv3, but your Chrome browser has it enabled, you might experience the err_connection_aborted issue when trying to load the site. To fix this issue, you can disable SSLv3 within your Chrome browser:

1. Press the Windows key or Start to open Windows Search. Type “Google Chrome” into the search bar. Then right-click on the Google Chrome app icon and select Open file location. 

2. File Explorer will open to the location of the Google Chrome shortcut. Right-click on the Chrome icon and select Properties. 

3. Within the Properties window, select the Shortcut tab (it should already be selected). Find the Target field. Do not remove the information in the Target field. You just want to add the following to the end, after the quotation symbol (“):
   -ssl-version-min=tls1
4. Then click Apply and OK to close the Properties window. 

5. Restart your computer and turn your modem off for at least 10 seconds. Then, turn your modem back on, and check if the issue is resolved within Chrome. 

2. Reset Chrome browser settings

You can resolve many issues with Chrome by resetting browser settings. This includes disabling all third-party browser extensions and clearing your cookies cache. Your bookmarks and saved passwords should remain. Thankfully, Chrome makes resetting the browser settings super easy. Follow these steps to clear your current Chrome browser settings back to the default:

1. Open Chrome. Right-click on the three ellipses in the top-right corner. In the drop-down menu, click on Settings. 

2. Once on the Settings page, scroll all the way down or select Reset and cleanup from the Settings menu on the left-hand side. 

3. From the Reset and clean up page, select Restore settings to their original defaults.

4. Then click Reset Settings in the pop-up window.

5. When the reset is complete, close Chrome, then reopen it and try to access the original website you had issues with. 

3. Remove Windows update KB2992611

Chrome users who have experienced this issue have found that removing Windows update KB2992611 often fixes the err_connection_aborted problem. 

The KB2992611 update (also known as MS14-066) was released in November 2014. The update was marked as critical and intended to fix a remote code execution bug known as the Shellshock bug. Unfortunately, while the update fixes this security issue, it induced some problems with Chrome. You can remove this update to fix your Chrome issues:

1. Right-click on the Start button and select Settings from the pop-up menu. In Windows 10, select Update & Security, then Windows Update. In Windows 11, scroll down and select Windows Update from the left-hand side. 

2. On the right-hand side, select Update history.

3. Within Update history, scroll all the way down to the Related settings header and select Uninstall updates to open a new window showing your Installed Updates. 
4. Within the Installed Updates window, scroll through the installed updates. Once you locate KB2992611, click to highlight it and select Uninstall. 

5. If you can’t find the update, continue to the next solution. Otherwise, restart your computer to see if this fixed your issue.

4. Temporarily disable the Windows Defender firewall 

Some Windows firewall settings may prevent your access to certain websites from within Chrome. You can temporarily disable the Windows firewall to see if the issues originate there. 

If this resolves the err_connection_aborted error, you will need to look further into adjusting your Windows firewall settings to resolve the root cause of the problem. To disable the Windows firewall, follow these steps:

1. Open Windows Search with the Windows key or Start button. Type “Windows firewall” in the search bar. Click to Open the Windows Defender Firewall application. 

2. Within the Windows Defender Firewall page, find Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off, on the left-hand side. 

3. In the new window, under Customize settings for each type of network, you will see Private and Public network settings. Under Private network settings, select Turn off Windows Defender Firewall (not recommended). Under Public network settings, select Turn off Windows Defender Firewall (not recommended). Click OK to save these settings.

4. You may need to start your computer to benefit from the turned-off firewall. Just remember to turn your firewall back on later, especially for Public network settings.

5. Temporarily disable your antivirus software

Antivirus software is supposed to protect your computer, but sometimes it interferes with some of your systems. You can temporarily disable your antivirus software to see if the err_connection_aborted issue is resolved. 

If you can connect to your intended website after disabling your antivirus software, you may need to adjust your antivirus software settings. If you are concerned about what settings should be changed, reach out to your antivirus software provider for assistance because every antivirus software is different. 

6. Fix corrupt system files

If none of the above solutions have fixed the Chrome err_connection_aborted problem, then it’s time to assume you may have issues with your system files. If your system files are corrupt, this can cause all types of issues, even browser and HTTPS issues. 

System File Checker or SFC is a utility included with Windows 10 and Windows 11 to allow you to check and fix corrupt system files. When you run an SFC scan, you will be able to use your computer during the scan, so plan accordingly. If System File Checker identifies any files with issues, it will replace them with fresh copies. 

To run an SFC scan, follow these steps:

1. Press the Windows key or click the Start button to open Windows Search. Enter “Command Prompt” into the search bar. Select Run as administrator to get started with Command Prompt.

2. Type “SFC /scannow” in the command line and press Enter.

3. When the scan is complete, restart your computer and check if you can access the original website in Google Chrome.

Note: If you run into an SFC /Scannow error when starting the scan, don’t worry. We have written dedicated articles on what to do if SFC scannow is not working, including:

7. Reinstall Chrome 

If none of the above solutions worked, then you are left with one final option resolve the Chrome err_connection_aborted issue and connect to this website. 

At this point, your next logical move is to uninstall and reinstall Chrome. A fresh Chrome install may fix this issue if any of the critical Chrome software files are corrupt. So let’s reinstall Chrome with these steps: 

1. Open Windows Search with the Windows key or Start button. Type “Apps & features” into the search bar. Click Open to start Apps & features.

2. Within the Apps & features page, find the App list. Type “Chrome” into the search bar.
3. Click the three ellipses next to Google Chrome. Then select Uninstall.

4. To reinstall Chrome, find the installation file for Windows on Google Chrome’s support website and follow the steps. Save and open the file and follow the prompts of Google Chrome’s installer.

Err_connection_aborted Chrome browser error resolved

The err_connection_aborted Chrome browser error is a pain but can usually be resolved with one of the solutions outlined in this guide. 

Disable SSLv3 in Chrome, reset your Chrome settings, uninstall problematic Windows updates, temporarily disable your Antivirus software and Windows firewalls, and run an SFC scan to repair corrupt system files. If all else fails, you can reinstall Google Chrome. 

Hopefully, your Google Chrome browser is up and working now, and you can access whatever website you had the issue with.