Then you should set the permissions for the system level installation.
where are the seperate instructions for permissions of user level vs system level installs?
System Level installation, the User Data folder location:
C:\Users[UserName]\AppData\Local\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\
User Level installation, the User Data folder location would usually be:
C:\Users[UserName]\AppData\Local\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\
UNLESS, you used a custom installation, that placed the User Data folder wherever the Brave.exe that you intend to run, is located . . . or possibly some other location. (Which, I hope you did not.)
The instructions above, for setting the permissions, apply to the User Data folder . . . wherever your installation placed it.
You can pretty much confirm that you have the correct User Data folder, by looking at the Default or other Profile folders (Profile 1, Profile 2 etc.) if they exist, and examining their modification dates-and-times.
The actively used Profile(s) will have (and include items) with very recent dates-and-times.
Also, the correct User Data folder itself, will include very recently used items.
Locate that User Data folder and right-click on it . . . select Properties
And at that step, use the permissions setting steps illustrated in the aforementioned replies of mine.
Yes i did the user data permissions setting on the correct user data file i thought you meant the permissions should be different depending on if its a system or user level install but i can delete that user data file and relaunch brave and it will generate a new user data file in that location but still changing the permissions on it didnt fix the issue of it not opening
Brave Browser installation location on Windows OS
Application âbrave.exeâ
64 architecture
C:\Program Files\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\Application\brave.exe
The initial Brave Browser Profile is, by default, named âProfile 1â (unless you change that name â brave://settings/getStarted).
The folder that contains the initial Brave Browser Profile, is the Default folder (a name that you must not change):
C:\Users[UserName]\AppData\Local\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\
That path may also be written:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\
%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\
If you create 1 additional Profile (aka âProfile 2â), it will be stored in folder Profile 1:
C:\Users[UserName]\AppData\Local\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Profile 1\
If you create a 2nd additional Profile (aka âProfile 3â), it will be stored in folder Profile 2:
C:\Users[UserName]\AppData\Local\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Profile 2\
IMPORTANT - Replacing Profile folders
When replacing Brave Browser Profile folders:
Folder named Default (including its contents) can only replace its likeness: the folder named Default.
Folder named Profile 1 (including its contents) can only replace its likeness: the folder named Profile 1.
Folder named Profile 2 (including its contents) can only replace its likeness: the folder named Profile 2.
IMPORTANT - Brave Browser Preferences
Some Brave Browser Preferences are stored in the Preferences file:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\Preferences
The contents of that Preferences file, are not exactly the contents of, brave://prefs-internals/.
Some Brave Browser Preferences are stored in the Local State file:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\Local State
Bookmarks and Bookmarks.bak files:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\Bookmarks
%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\Bookmarks.bak
Cache (folder):
%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\Cache\
Cookies (file):
%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\Cookies
History (file - usually lots of data):
%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\History
Crash Reports:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\CrashReports\
Given that you have set aside the old User Data folder, and you attempted to start up Brave Browser . . .
You have written, that a new User Data folder is generated.
Please list the Brave Browser user Profiles that you find in that new User Data folder.
Defaultfolder ( Yes / No ?)Profile 1folder ( Yes / No ?)Profile 2folder ( Yes / No ?)- etc.
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I only see a default folder inside the user data folder searching profile doesnât give any results
Worth a try, in the Command Prompt window - command line entry (notice the use of double-quote marks â maintain those when you enter the complete character string):
"C:\Program Files\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\Application\brave.exe" --profile-directory="Default"
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just flickered the browser again same thing as opening the application normally
Please disable all of your other (than Brave) Internet browserâs extensions that are anti-virus. Exit / Quit everything and Restart your computer.
For the following testing: You might disable any anti-virus software OTHER THAN Windows Defender.
Requires some study:
If Brave Browser starts AND continues to run, then be prepared for:
How do I manually submit crash reports?
https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/articles/22281484910221-How-do-I-manually-submit-crash-reports
After you click the âSend Nowâ button, return to brave://crashes and gather up the Crash ID numbers. Post the numbers, here, in a new reply.
Without BB running, please delete the following items:
Caches (folder):
%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\Cache\
Cookies (file):
%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\Cookies
Sync Data (folder):
%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\Sync Data
About that Sync Data folder, see:
Slow browser startup [Reason found, Potential Bug? Pls dev] - #11 by TheDuke203
Re deleting that folder, âfixesâ a Brave Browser âSlow Startupâ issue. So, maybe you will get lucky, here, too.
Alternative to using the Command Prompt window . . .
Change the path within the Brave Browser shortcut on your computerâs Desktop.
For the following Changed Path, the switches are intended to:
- Start up Brave Browser, using the âDefaultâ named user Profile folder [
--profile-directory="Default"] - Showing a New Private Window [
--incognito] - Disable all experiments at
brave://flags[--no-experiments] - Disable extensions [
--disable-extensions] - Disable hardware (GPU) ie Graphic Acceleration [
--disable-gpu] - Enable leak detection and if that failure occurs, then crash the browser [
--enable-leak-detection --crash-on-failureare a combo] - Produce error/log output to a file named âbrave_console_out.txtâ on the Window OS Desktop
Changed Path:
64 architecture, system level installation:
"C:\Program Files\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\Application\brave.exe" --profile-directory="Default" --incognito --no-experiments --disable-extensions --disable-gpu --enable-leak-detection --crash-on-failure 2> %USERPROFILE%\Desktop\brave_console_out.txt
x86 architecture, system level installation:
"C:\Program Files(x86)\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\Application\brave.exe" --profile-directory="Default" --incognito --no-experiments --disable-extensions --disable-gpu --enable-leak-detection --crash-on-failure 2> %USERPROFILE%\Desktop\brave_console_out.txt
64 / x86 architecture, user level installation (NOTE: you must substitute your Windows OS user account name for [UserName]):
"C:\Users\[UserName]\AppData\Local\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\Application\brave.exe" --profile-directory="Default" --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.
BEFORE DOUBLE-CLICKING ON THE SHORTCUT locate the âDefaultâ folder:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default
. . . and Open it. That may help, by bringing that specific folder, to the interested processesâ more-immediate attention. (And was a tip, that I found, re using --profile-directory="Default".)
Examine the error/log output file named âbrave_console_out.txtâ on the Window OS Desktop. The file might contain information.
@289wk @Mattches
I donât have any extra antivirus extensions / software installed
Restarting my computer again did the same thing as before letting it run for a few seconds before stopping starting to crash again
deleting those files still crash there also wasnât any cookies file only âsafe browsing cookiesâ sync data also did nothing
testing all of the path change things also didnât launch the browser however the window that appeared for a second was sometimes purple instead of black
no console out file was generated from it
having the default folder open also didnât change anything
Some Brave Browser users change the name of the brave.exe file to brave1.exe - see the following video for guidance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXkbD54-xX8
That video focuses on Chrome, but you will understand the principle. I found that link, at:
https://support.google.com/chrome/thread/41131727
Re changing brave.exe to brave1.exe or brave2.exe:
https://community.brave.com/t/brave-does-not-launches-even-after-deleting-user-data/567393/39
Also, re getting something of a log or logs:
https://community.brave.com/t/brave-does-not-launches-even-after-deleting-user-data/567393/52
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renaming brave to brave1 appears to have worked it let me launch it and has stayed running so far anything I should do now?
You deserve the âMedal for Hanging in Thereâ.
All the following info, applies for when âbrave1.exeâ becomes a problem, and you need to again take action.
Top suspects for your issue that included âbrave.exeâ (before the change to âbrave1.exeâ), are:
- âsome anti-malware, anti-virus, PC defender, PC securityâ thing is in the way (maybe)
- some extension(s)
- during original installation, importing something
IF you search online, including search criteria âchrome1.exe problemsâ, âchrome1.exe troublesâ, you will find advice that involves:
- starting up the computer in Safe Mode and then âdo this and thatâ stuff
- totally, completely, throughly, absolutely, un-installing the Internet browser (Brave in this case), including removing Windows Registry data
That was no surprise for me, because I had a hunch, that there was something shared or in common among some Chromium-based process - Brave apparently uses Chromeâs Windows Registry directory (info from 2021; and another from 2024):
So, what I would do, may not be what you and others would do, here. You would need to be comfortable with removing some tidbits from the Windows Registry. You would have to be familiar with maintaining routine backups:
- Windows System Restore Points
- Windows Registry backups
While running the computers in Safe Mode, and restarting after making changes . . . into Safe Mode, while housecleaning. Lots of Restarts.
When prepared, installing Brave Browser WITHOUT importing any settings, any data, anything from Chrome or whatever / wherever else; and, not installing (yet) any extensions.
The objective is, to have a clean, working Brave Browser without any attachments and frills. Add the accoutrements, later.
IMHO, you need pure Brave Browser installations for both computers.
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So its a registry issue of something being shared eith chrome? Also i never imported anything from chrome or installed any extensions yet which i could see from the brave1 working anyways ill take a look at that registry stuff later ive been a bit busy