Brave browser failing for the very first time

For the very first time, Brave is failing on me big time. Connecting every now and then, often not downloading. Not removing duplicate sync devices. Not connecting to sync chain. Very odd behavior. After having seen this all, I decided to uninstall and remove all junk files and data left. But it didn’t make any change. I did the same and installed from the MS store the result is the same. General mayhem that teaches me Brave is much deeper embedded into my Microsoft local account, than expected for obvious reasons.

Default state
All in sync chain with Windows laptop, Windows PC, Android Tablet & Android Phone for years (hard to replicate). Recently added extentions are Tab Groups and TabGroups Plus. Latest is Nord VPN.


(Sync chain settings on both devices)

Steps to reproduce

  • On Windows device no 1: install Nord VPN extention and connect to Belgium, check to find there are no problems and all works as you want things to work.
  • On Windows device no 2: Open Brave, sync will do its job and install NordVPN. From what I remember; at first I didn’t have problems opening a page or two, but the next one, Google search would not open. Another page would open, tried if it was from cache by refreshing, refreshing worked, next page M365 would not connect.

Another thing you can do is go to the keepass download page (https://sourceforge.net/projects/keepass/files/KeePass%202.x/2.57.1/KeePass-2.57.1-Setup.exe/download). The page will load and say it will start downloading but than if the countdown is done, it does not download.

I would expect the M365 page to open every time and the download to always download as it does in other browsers and in the same browser on other systems.

Reproduces how often:
As I thought it was a glitch I kept it going for a few days which makes it hard to report all strange occurrences. Eventually I decided to start clean since the sync brings me back anyways. I uninstalled using revo so I can see much of the folders and registry entries. It than mentioned it had uninstalled Brave 32 bit. Yet, the only folder left and not shown by Revo was the one in Program Files (x86) called Brave Software.

I reinstalled after removing that folder and rebooting. Since the page mentioned optional install from the windows store I did that. Checked the version and it was 64 bit. I checked Program Files (x86) and it had a folder for Brave Software again. Just like the Program Files folder. Though it seemed I had removed every scrape of Brave from Progam Files folders, User folders and ProgramData folders I still have the same problem. New at first was not being able to connect to sync.

I used my device no 1 to copy paste the key words and sync (very first time ever) did not work. The machine did not show up in the list I copied from nor did the newly installed browser start syncing.

I decided to reinstall again and found much to my surprise, that Brave was in the normal software list. Not in the Microsoft Store apps list. So I checked folders again and realized it was installed normally. Lesson learned.

I uninstalled the same way as before, deleted the (x86) folder that did not want to delete because a file was in use by some Brave service. I closed the service, deleted the folder and restarted. I removed all tasks from the taskmanager that could not find their service files. Than I reinstalled Brave the classic way.

Result
Brave still stuck on loading pages and other actions like syncing. I used NordVPN diagnostic service to flush the network and now the sync connected once. Showing up in my dev no 1 was dev no 2 for the first time since troubleshooting. But it did NOT sync the tabgroups. And eventually it did not open pages like M365.

Now I am stuck. I will not start with a fresh user account on my PC because Brave cannot be the reason for me to spend lot’s of time re-doing the settings in my email-client, video edit program, 3D program and more…

I just want to understand how Brave has embedded itself so deep into my Windows system, simply uninstalling the program and removing all visible user-folders and registry keys is not enough to make it work again. I have to be clear that a clean install without the NordVPN addon installed, still leaves me stuck. Uninstalling this addon did not work at first. Deep and dark things happening with my Brave for the very first time since I adapted it in 2018 as it was slowly become my preferred browser over Firefox since 2006.

Windows 10 22H2 19045.5011
Brave v1.70.126

Additional Information:

To be sure it is not NordVPN on Windows, I completely turned off it’s background service. No difference even after reinstall and reboot.

I ‘forgot’ (?) to mention I use the system disk in a dual boot machine, normally as a Linux Laptop but it can boot straight into Windows as well. Windows is installed on it’s own physical disk, that can be mounted in Linux as a pass through system disk on a Virtual Machine. It seems the VM’s network adapters have no problem providing Brave with an internet connection. But unlike Firefox, when used as a non-vm PC, the normal Windows (Killer network-)drivers can no longer be seen by Brave.

After writing the initial post I rebooted into Linux, started the Windows System as a VM and Brave worked flawlessly again. Still very curious how Brave joins the virtual network adapter in such a way, that it can no longer say goodbye to it and accept the physical network adapter when the system boots non-virtual. Especially while Brave is the only software so far showing this problematic behavior.