Brave: web pages won't fully load, need to refresh 2-3+ times

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1

After running for a (relatively short) while Brave gets to a point where you have to refresh a page 2-3+ times before it will fully load. Usually the first time you access/reload a page there’s no CSS, second time you have CSS but not every image loads, etc. This has been the case for many browser versions, its even followed me to a completely rebuilt PC. I’ve tried disabling hardware acceleration, and the browser tab memory saving feature. nothing works.

If there’s any specific info/details I can provide to help troubleshoot this issue, please let me know and I’ll try and provide it.

Brave Version( check About Brave): 1.73.104 Chromium: 131.0.6778.204 (Official Build) (64-bit)

2

Two suggestions:

  • Monitor performance
  • Monitor Developer Tools > Network tab / Console tab

Screenshot of Windows OS Task Manager:

Screenshot of Brave Browser Task Manager:

31ca51886fff99796ec0c30ff5aa802bf01e642a
31ca51886fff99796ec0c30ff5aa802bf01e642a769×430 18.5 KB

All of the following are diagnostic tools:

Opening the Developer Tools window

  • MacOS users, key combination: Command + Option + “I” (no quotes)
  • Windows OS users: key combination: Control + Shift + “I” (no quotes)

On the first occasion of using Developer Tools, the Developer Tools “window” is usually a part of (contained within) its associated Brave Browser window . . . but you can make the Developer Tools window, a standalone window (though keeping its association with the Brave Browser window). I recommend that you do so:

In the upper right-hand corner of the Developer Tools window, there is an “Organizer” 3-vertical-dots button - click on that. The result should be a pop-up:

Screen Shot 2024-11-02 at 3.03.02 PM

Notice the tiny blue icon that is first (left to right) among 4. Click on that icon. The Developer Tools window will become a standalone window.

How to use Developer Tools:

Developer Tools > Network:

Developer_Tools_-Application-_Cookies__example_Amazon.com_00
Developer_Tools_-Application-_Cookies__example_Amazon.com_00545×248 43.7 KB

By monitoring the Developer Tools window > Network tab, you can observe the “behind the scenes” networking activity between the Internet browser and the website.

3

I should have mentioned initially that this is only happening with Brave on Windows. other browsers, MS Edge for example, operate normally. I also have Brave on MacOS that doesn’t do this either. So I’m 99% sure its not a hardware or network issue. Using the browser dev tools hasn’t really shed any light on it for me so far either.

4

Have you tried running both MacOS and Windows OS machines alongside each other, and

  • with BB settings much the same, and
  • with Brave Shields settings the same,

watching the Developer Tools > Network response?

My usual boilerplate - hit it with a hammer - suggestions:

Sometimes, the following two steps, are sufficient to get Brave Browser running properly.

With BB not running, delete the ‘Caches’ folder, and delete the ‘Cookies’ file.

Caches (folder):

  • %LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\Cache\

Cookies (file):

  • %LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\Cookies

Clear cookies, cache, history, etc.

In a Brave Browser New Window, go to:

brave://settings/clearBrowserData

Select the Advanced tab

Set Time range to “All time”

ENABLE everything except:

  • Passwords and other sign-in data

(Myself, I would NOT make that exception)
(because I would have a backup prepared.)
(In other words, be prepared.)

Click on the “Clear data” button

Change the path within the Brave Browser shortcut on your computer’s Desktop, to include switches that are intended to:

  • Start up Brave Browser, showing a New Private Window
  • Disable all experiments at brave://flags
  • Disable extensions
  • Disable GPU ie disable Hardware Acceleration
  • Enable leak detection and if that failure occurs, then crash the browser (–enable-leak-detection --crash-on-failure are a combo)
  • Produce error/log output to a file named ‘brave_console_out.txt’ on the Windows OS Desktop

The Brave Browser executable, brave.exe, is located in one of:

64 architecture

  • "C:\Program Files\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\Application\brave.exe"

x86 architecture

  • "C:\Program Files(x86)\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\Application\brave.exe""

Changed Paths:

64 architecture (change the path to):

"C:\Program Files\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\Application\brave.exe" --incognito --no-experiments --disable-extensions --disable-gpu --enable-leak-detection --crash-on-failure 2> %USERPROFILE%\Desktop\brave_console_out.txt

x86 architecture (note the switches to add):

"C:\Program Files(x86)\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\Application\brave.exe" --incognito --no-experiments --disable-extensions --disable-gpu --enable-leak-detection --crash-on-failure 2> %USERPROFILE%\Desktop\brave_console_out.txt

Notice that the existing path, BEFORE the additions, is enclosed by double-quote marks. And, everything added to the existing path, is located after the existing path.

Next, with Brave Browser running, test your issue.

When you think appropriate, restore the Brave Browser shortcut . . .

64 architecture

  • "C:\Program Files\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\Application\brave.exe"

x86 architecture

  • "C:\Program Files(x86)\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\Application\brave.exe"