Whenever I try to open a private window with TOR connectivity, the browser crashes

Browser Support
#1

Whenever I try to open a private window with TOR, using either the shortcut or the option, the whole browser just crashes.

Steps to reproduce:-
ALT+SHIFT+N or New Private window with TOR option in menu

Actua;l Outcome-Browser crashes instantly

Expected outcome- Opening of Private Window with TOR

Frequency-Happens every time I try for the past 3-4 days; not before that.

Windows 11; [
Version 1.35.103 Chromium: 98.0.4758.102 (Official Build) (64-bit)
]

Please help, and thanks!

EDIT- I just noticed, there is no option for opening a normal private window, and when I use the shortcut (CTRL+SHIFT+N) it does not open.

#2

I’ve had extensions cause launching a regular private window to crash Brave before. Could you try disabling extensions, then launching a Tor window, to see if that still crashes?

#3

Yes, it continues to crash. But thanks for the recommendation!

#4

What about when you disable shields?

#5

No, it still crashes when I try.

#6

@ThiccShady ,

My suggestion, is that you

Clear host cache, close idle sockets, and flush socket pools

In a New Window, go to:

“brave://net-internals/#dns” (no quotes)

and click on “Clear host cache”

In a New Window, go to:

“brave://net-internals/#sockets” (no quotes)

and click on both

  • “Close idle sockets”
  • “Flush socket pools”

Restart Brave Browser.

Above steps suggested elsewhere, by @Rethanis

–

Next, you might flush DNS cache. How to do that, in Windows OS:

“https://www.wikihow.com/Flush-DNS”

–

Another possibility, pertaining to DNS over HTTPS. Ref.:

“https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/dns-over-tls/” (no quotes)

You might, for testing purposes, look over the “Secure DNS” settings:

“brave://settings/security?search=secure” (no quotes)

Perhaps try some of the Custom Providers.

Next, Close everything and then Restart your computer.

When the startup settles down, and the computer seems relaxed and ready, then Start Brave Browser, and first Open a New Window – and leave that window open and undisturbed.

Then, Open a New Private Window with TOR.

When that New Private Window with TOR is opened, there follows some Internet activity that you usually do not observe . . . a lot of back-and-forth chit chat while the TOR servers and your computer+Brave Browser, negotiate some things.

So, give that a count to 10; and then direct the TOR window to first go to some simple website (NOT a Google website) – the DuckDuckGo Search Engine website would do.

–

PS. Re Opening New windows, using Brave Browser . . .

I almost always open a “New Private Window” - via the File menu selection of the Brave menu bar of the Mac computer:

Screen Shot 2022-02-20 at 7.35.22 PM

Note, there above, that the “New Private Window” bold character string, indicates that the selection is available.

But, for example, if, in some webpage of the Brave Community, I Right-Cick on a link . . . and I want to Open that linked item in a “New Private Window” . . . I cannot . . . so it appears (as “Open Link in Private Window” – faded and unavailable):

Screen Shot 2022-02-20 at 7.37.36 PM

But, if I choose in that pop-up menu, “Open Link in New Window” . . . then actually, a “New Private Window” is opened ! et Viola – go figure.

#7

image
The private window option isn’t even there. Also, I did all the things you specified, but my browser still crashes and does not open the window.

#8

@ThiccShady ,

When you select the hamburger menu newmenuicon.png

you should see something similar to the following:

287×585 6.94 KB

–

PS.

I am guessing, that if you start up Windows OS in Safe Mode, that may indicate for you, if either Windows OS needs some fixing (settings or something) . . . or Brave Browser needs to be re-installed (and probably a fresh install, sans old BraveSoftware folder).

If you have not already, be sure to manually back up your Bookmarks. And, Passwords, if you can.

–

Opening Brave Browser for Windows OS, using the Command Prompt:

Test that, using the – incognito flag mentioned:

“C:\Program Files\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\Application\brave.exe” --incognito

BTW, at the “How Do I Use Command Line Flags in Brave?” – notice the List of Command Line Flags/Switches.

#9

It is saying that the system could not find path specified.

#10

“C:\Program Files\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\Application\brave.exe” --incognito

#11

I did this, but it just opens a normal Brave page.

#12

oh and my Hamburger menu is different, here

image
image271×713 7.65 KB

as you can see, the private window option is missing. I don’t know why.

#13

Probably time to re-install Brave Browser – your decision.

Back up your Bookmarks file.

Open the Bookmarks Manager – keyboard shortcut:

Control + Shift + o

Locate the 3-dot “kabob” menu button — possibly near (just below?) the Search (Magnifying Glass) icon.

Click on that menu button, and select “Export bookmarks”

Export_bookmarks

Copy the resulting “Bookmarks.html” file to some place safe – external drive would be good.

Quit Brave Browser.

–

Drag-copy (if you can) the BraveBrowser folder, located at:

C:\Users\your_windows_username\AppData\Local\BraveSoftware

also to some place safe – an external drive would be good. If you know how to .zip compress that folder (at the safe location), do so. You might have WinZip installed on your computer? Tack on some extra characters to the name of this backed-up BraveBrowser folder, in order to indicate the date and purpose for its existence – “just in case.”

–

If you discover that a Brave Browser un-installer was not included with the Brave Browser installation, you might use the Windows OS process for uninstalling:

“https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/uninstall-or-remove-apps-and-programs-in-windows-10-4b55f974-2cc6-2d2b-d092-5905080eaf98”

Un-install Brave Browser.

–

Next, you need to remove any Brave flotsam and jetsam (ancillary / ho-hum / what are these, here?) satellite files and folders within

  • C:\Users\ your_windows_username\AppData\Local\

  • C:\Users\ your_windows_username\AppData\LocalLow\

  • C:\Users\ your_windows_username\AppData\Roaming\

–

Back up the Registry, before proceeding.

“https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/how-to-back-up-and-restore-the-registry-in-windows-855140ad-e318-2a13-2829-d428a2ab0692”

Create a System Restore Point

“https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/create-a-system-restore-point-77e02e2a-3298-c869-9974-ef5658ea3be9”

Follow all that work, by a Restart of your computer.

–

Download the Brave Browser installer (Windows 64-bit if it applies to your machine):

“https://brave.com/download/”

Install Brave Browser – but no additional extensions: you are soley testing to see if the correct pop-up/down menu will finally display.

#14

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