How to fix "Aw Snap" error after installing Chrome 78 update

Google Chrome version 78 is giving many users a nightmare with “Aw Snap” crashes on every webpage. However, the issue is not with Chrome, but the “Symantec Endpoint Security” software installed on your PC.

Chrome 78 ships with Microsoft’s code integrity feature enabled, which isn’t compatible with the SEP Application Control technology and hence the crashes. The issue also affects Microsoft Edge Chromium as well.

Symantec says updating the SEP software to version 14.2 or above can resolve the issue. But if that isn’t an option for you, you need to disable the Code Integrity feature in Chrome to fix the “Aw Snap” crashes.

There are two ways to disable Code Integrity feature in Chrome 78. You can either add the --disable-features=RendererCodeIntegrity command to the Chrome.exe file on your PC to run the browser with code integrity disabled, OR create a registry value in KEY HKLM\Software\Policies\Google\Chrome with NAME RendererCodeIntegrityEnabled and value 0.

Run Chrome with Code Integrity Disabled

First Method

Right-click on the Chrome shortcut on your desktop and select “Open file location” from the context menu. This will open the folder where “Chrome.exe” is located on your PC. It’s usually at the following address C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application on Windows 10.

Right-click on Chrome shortcut and select "Open file location" — Right-click on Chrome shortcut and select “Open file location”

Find the Chrome.exe file in the Chrome installation folder, then right-click on it and select “Properties” from the context menu.

Right-click on Chrome.exe file and select "Properties" from the menu — Right-click on Chrome.exe file and select “Properties” from the menu

In the “chrome.exe Properties” window, click on the box where chrome.exe is written under the “General” tab and replace it with the following line:

chrome.exe --disable-features=RendererCodeIntegrity

Add command to chrome.exe file — Add the –disable-features=RendererCodeIntegrity command to the chrome.exe file

After making the changes, click the “Ok” button at the bottom of the window to save your changes.

Now launch Chrome on your PC and try opening a web page. The “Aw snap” error should not appear anymore.

Create a Registry value to Disable Code Integrity in Chrome

Second Method

Press “Win + R” on your keyboard to open the Run command screen. Then type “regedit” and hit enter to open Registry Editor window.

Type "regedit" in Run command window and hit enter — Type “regedit” in Run command window and hit enter

On the Registry Editor window, click inside the address and press “Ctrl + A” to empty it. Then type/paste the following address and hit enter.

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome

Access the Chrome policies registry values folder

Now right-click inside the folder and select “New”, then select “DWORD (32-bit) Value” from the available options.

Create DWORD Registry Value Windows 10 — Create a new DWORD (32-bit) Value in Chrome policies folder in the Registry Editor

Set “RendererCodeIntegrityEnabled” as the name for the new DWORD value we created above.

Name a DWORD value registry editor Windows 10 — Name the newly created value “RendererCodeIntegrityEnabled” in the registry editor

Now double-click on the “RendererCodeIntegrityEnabled” value to edit its value. If it isn’t set to 0 already. Change and set the value to 0 and press the OK button.