If the browser on your PC is opening by itself without any activity from your end, then this guide will show you how to fix this issue. There is no dearth of browsers nowadays. As opposed to earlier times when Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer were ruling the charts, there are now quite a few handy Chromium-based browsers as well. However, the real issue arises when they start to behave rather unexpectedly. And nothing fits in more perfectly in this domain than the browser automatically launching itself.

Since the user hasn’t carried out any activity on their end, this behavior of the web browsers seems to disrupt the workflow. The issue gets further worsens if the PC isn’t a high end one. This is because these browsers are quite resource-intensive in nature and the aforementioned issue will only slow down the system. With that said, there do exists some handy methods to rectify this issue and we will be sharing you with just that. So without further ado, let’s get on with the tutorial to fix the browser opening by itself issue.

Browser Opening By Itself | How to Fix This?

There are quite a few reasons why this problem seems to occur. To begin with, a third-party app or extension might be the culprit behind this. Along the same lines, the browser’s Active AppData could also result in the same. The chances of viruses or malware having crept into your PC cannot be neglected as well. With that said, the below mentioned workarounds will help in dealing with all these issues which in turn will fix the browser opening by itself problem. Follow along.

Fix 1: Scan via Windows Defender

As mentioned before, the chances of a virus infecting your PC is always there. In this regard, there are quite a few antivirus apps that you might use. But as for this guide, we will be listing out the steps via the Windows own Defender program. Here is how to carry out a full scan on your PC using it.

  • Use the Windows+I shortcut key combinations to launch the Settings menu
  • Go to Update and Security and select Windows and Security from the left menu bar.
  • Click on Open Windows Security and go to Virus and Threat Protection.
  • Then click on the Scan option and select Full Scan.
  • Finally, click on the Scan Now button situated at the bottom.

Wait for the process to finish. More often than not the Defender will act accordingly and should remove the virus from your PC. If it asks for your intervention, then do so as instructed and then restart your PC. Check if it fixes the browser opening by itself issue.

Fix 2: Uninstall Third-Party Extensions

There have been many instances of a third-party extension making the browser behave rather unexpectedly. And it could well be the reason for this problem as well. While it is a tough job to pin-point the exact extension causing this issue, you could disable all the extensions one by one until you are able to identify the culprit. Then it goes without saying that you should remove that extension from your PC right away. Here are the required instructions for the Chrome browser:

  • Launch the browser and click on the overflow icon situated at the top right.
  • Select More Tools> Extensions.You should now be taken to the list of all the installed extensions.
  • Disable the toggle next to each of them. Once you identify the issue causing the extension, hit the Remove button next to it.
  • Now restart your PC and see if the browser opening by itself issue has been fixed or not.

Fix 3: Clear Browser’s App Data

If a lot of temporary data has been accrued over time or if the stored app data has been corrupted, then a few issues are imminent. Therefore, it is recommended to clear your preferred browser’s app data from the C drive.

  • For Google Chrome, head over to the below location and delete the contents of the Default folder:
  • C:\Users<username>\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default
  • As far as Microsft Edge is concerned, go to the below location and delete the contents of the Active folder:
  • C:\Users<users>\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_xxxxx\AC\MicrosoftEdge\User\Default\Recovery\Active
  • Once done, see if it is able to fix the browser opening by itself issue.

Fix 4: Reset Browser

If none of the above-mentioned managed to fix the issue, then you might have to take the reset route. Here are the steps to reset the Chrome browser:

C:\Users<username>\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default

C:\Users<users>\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_xxxxx\AC\MicrosoftEdge\User\Default\Recovery\Active

  • Launch the browser on your PC, click on the overflow icon situated at the top right, and select Settings.
  • Then scroll to the Advanced section and go to the Reset and clean up section.
  • Click on Reset Settings to their original default.
  • Finally, click on the Reset Settings button in the confirmation dialog box that appears.
  • Once done, close the browser and restart your PC. The issue should now have been fixed.

With this, we conclude the guide on how to fix the browser opening by itself issue. We have shared four different fixes for the same, do let us know in the comments which one gave out favorable results in your case. Rounding off, here are some iPhone Tips and Tricks, PC tips and tricks, and Android Tips and Tricks that you should check out as well.