Chrome auto-update error notifications now available

Martin Brinkmann
Feb 18, 2013
Google Chrome
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In the past I experienced it several times that several versions of the Google Chrome browser would not update automatically anymore. I could not really figure out back then was was causing the update issues, and resorted to downloading the latest setup file from the official website to install the latest version of the Chrome browser anew on the system.

The problem with this approach is that there is a time gap between the last update and you finding out that the browser's automatic update feature is not working anymore. Not updating the browser to the latest version can also mean that it is less stable than the latest version, lacks features that Google integrated into a newer version, and that it may be vulnerable to security exploits that have been fixed in the latest versions of the web browser.

A recent change indicates that Google is well aware of the issue and decided to do something about it. The Chrome browser is comparing its current version with the latest available version, and if those versions are at least one major revision apart from each other, the following notification bubble is displayed.

google chrome auto-update error screenshot

Chrome auto-update error

Chrome could not update itself to the latest version, so you are missing out on awesome new features and security fixes. You need to manually reinstall Chrome

Reinstall Chrome Later

You get the option to reinstall the Chrome browser with a click on the button. While that is comfortable and all, the real improvement here is that you are notified that your browser is out of date and needs updating.

There are a couple of limitations that prevent the feature to work. On Windows, if policies are in place that prevent the auto-updating for instance, or on Mac systems if Google Updater is not installed. (via Francois Beaufort)

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Comments

  1. kenneth said on July 15, 2016 at 4:49 pm
    Reply

    lakawak March 16, 2015 at 12:21 pm #
    Oh please…this is not a feature…it is Gogle demanding that you do things THEIR way.

    I agree with lakawak completely…just another big brother (i’ve got more money than you) from the demi-gods at google.

  2. lakawak said on March 16, 2015 at 12:21 pm
    Reply

    Oh please…this is not a feature…it is Gogle demanding that you do things THEIR way. I don’t WANT them auto-updating. I want to choose to do things the way I want to, without them bugging me. That is why I edited my registry to stop it from auto-updating in the first place since every time it did, it broke something.

    IF Google was doing this for our benefit, it would allow us to check a ox saying “Don’t show me this error again.”

  3. Andy Burgess said on January 15, 2015 at 1:00 pm
    Reply

    Any idea how to disable the notification on Windows? I’m running an application in Kiosk mode and latest version of Chrome breaks the app so have locked it to v37, but still get the notification.
    I’ve disabled the updates and thought I’d disabled the checks using the ADM method.

    1. Martin Brinkmann said on January 15, 2015 at 1:13 pm
      Reply

      I’m not aware of flags or options to disable that feature.

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