Google Wants Chrome to Start With Windows, Offering Faster Launches at the Cost of More RAM

Google is looking for ways to reduce the feeling of slowness in Chrome and has started testing a new feature that could change how many users start their PC. As reported by Leo on X (thanks Windows Latest), the Chrome Canary version now includes an option to start automatically with Windows 11.

The idea is simple: when the computer boots, the chrome.exe process loads in the background without opening any visible window. This way, when the user clicks the Chrome icon, the browser opens almost instantly because it is already in memory. The downside is clear: Chrome will use system resources from startup, even if the browser is not used.

Chrome Starting With Windows Trades RAM For Speed

Although the feature is optional, test versions already show prompts encouraging users to enable it, using messages like “Begin browsing instantly.” If the user agrees, the setting is applied, but it can always be turned off later from the Settings menu under the “On startup” section.

This approach focuses on perceived performance rather than real load times. Chrome feels faster, but the cost is higher RAM usage from the moment Windows starts.

Microsoft Fixes A Chromium Bug That Affects Chrome And Edge

In parallel, the Chromium ecosystem is receiving an important technical fix led by Microsoft. Until now, there was a bug that caused the browser to completely freeze when dragging and dropping a large file from a compressed ZIP folder directly into the browser.

The issue happened because the browser tried to read the file data in a synchronous way, which blocked the user interface. Microsoft engineers confirmed on a Chromium forum that they are implementing a fix that reads the data asynchronously and in chunks.

This change will keep the browser responsive during file transfers. Since it affects Chromium at its core, the improvement will benefit not only Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge, but also other browsers like Opera and Brave.