Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

Chrome is scanning Windows, but it may be a bug

By
Add as a preferred source on Google

A few days ago, Kelly Shortridge, a product manager at SecurityScorecard, discovered that Chrome was running AV scans of Windows devices.

This isn’t normal behavior from a web browser, but it does have a fairly benign explanation. Namely, it appears to be a bug related to some antivirus features that Google added to the Windows version of Chrome last year. The Chrome Cleanup tool is meant to help users restore control of hijacked systems. Justin Schuh, Google’s security lead, initially said that these scans were part of this anti-virus software.

Recommended Videos

“CCT isn’t a system-wide scan or filter,” Schuh tweeted. “It runs weekly, at background priority and normal user privs, for up to 15 mins. It scans browser hijacking points, which may cause it to follow links elsewhere. The engine is a heavily sandboxed subset of ESET.”

It turns out that wasn’t the real problem, however. Google later discovered that a bug was causing Chrome to begin file checks upon startup. The tool is meant to scan previously downloaded files, but a bug moved the scan to the start-up path, meaning it runs scans every time Chrome is opened. This can cause Windows computers to slow down when starting the browser. Google has said that it will patch the bug in a future patch. Clearing your download history might help reduce the slowdowns in the meantime.

Even with these issues, Chrome is still a solid browser. If you’d rather explore some other options, you can check out our guide to the best web browsers in order to find one that suits you better.

Eric Brackett
Eric Brackett
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Topics
Asus ExpertBook Ultra review: A dreamy ultra-thin machine that surprised me with raw power
If thin and light is what you value the most, this one will serve you perfectly, without the obvious performance compromises.
Asus ExpertBook Ultra laptop

See at Amazon

Quick Review

Read more
I found a free Mac diagnostic app that tells you what Apple’s tools don’t
It can check your Mac’s storage, memory, battery, and network
Techtool Lite UI screenshot

Macs have a strong reputation for being smooth and reliable, and Apple’s tight control over hardware and software is a big reason for that. Use one long enough, however, and you may still run into slowdowns, freezes, strange behavior, or that familiar feeling that something is simply off.

Apple’s own tools can help, but only to a point. Disk Utility is useful for storage-related checks, but it does not give you a wider picture of your Mac’s overall health. I recently came across Techtool Lite, a free diagnostic and maintenance app from Micromat that looks at more than just your drive.

Read more
Claude redefined my bond with Macs. I am building my own apps and it’s a bliss.
I talk to Claude. It builds me apps. It's as simple as that!
Claude AI on Mac.

A few days ago, one of my colleagues asked me a favor. They wanted a few iOS and macOS screenshots turned into a mockup image where the UI is rendered on an iPhone and a MacBook. The problem? It was 3 am PST, which meant asking one of my design team colleagues was out of the question. 

Now, there are plenty of online tools that will do it, but you either have to pay for a subscription (as in Canva), or sign up to buy usage credits after a few free trials. Moreover, these editors limit you to a handful of design presets. I turned to Anthropic’s Claude, and within half an hour, I had a screenshot-to-mockup editor built for the entire team to use. Take a look:

Read more