Introduction: Many Google Chrome users face the issue where, despite selecting the "Open a specific page or set of pages" option in the browser's "On Startup" settings, Chrome keeps reverting to "Continue where you left off" on the next session. This issue can be frustrating, especially when you’ve deleted your cache, history, or extensions, and even reset Chrome’s settings without success. However, after a thorough investigation, we've discovered a simple yet effective solution: running Google Chrome as Administrator or adjusting its security settings to ensure proper permission for startup configurations.

Problem Overview: In Chrome's startup settings, you can choose to open a specific set of pages or your default page when you start the browser. Many users, however, find that after selecting the "Open a specific page or set of pages" option, Chrome keeps defaulting back to the "Continue where you left off" option upon reopening the browser. This issue persists even after clearing the browser’s cache, deleting history, or removing add-ons and extensions. It becomes especially annoying for users who rely on this feature to open specific websites automatically upon starting Chrome.

What You Might Have Tried:

• Deleting cache and history.
• Removing extensions and add-ons.
• Resetting Google Chrome to default settings.
• Restarting the browser or rebooting the computer.

Despite these attempts, the issue often persists, leaving many users frustrated. But there’s hope!

The Solution: Running Chrome as Administrator The problem is usually related to permissions. By default, Google Chrome may not have sufficient permissions to correctly load and apply the "Open a specific page or set of pages" setting during startup. Here’s how to fix it:

Step-by-Step Solution:

1. Find Chrome.exe:

   • Locate the chrome.exe file on your computer. It is usually found in one of the following locations:
     • For 64-bit Windows: C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application
     • For 32-bit Windows: C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application

2. Run Chrome as Administrator:

   • Right-click on chrome.exe and select Properties.
   • Go to the Compatibility tab.
   • Under the "Settings" section, check the box that says Run this program as an administrator.
   • Click Apply and then OK.

3. Alternative Method: Modify Security Settings If you prefer, you can change the file’s security settings:

   • Right-click on chrome.exe, select Properties, and go to the Security tab.
   • Click Edit to modify permissions.
   • Grant Full Control to the Administrators group, or if you want, you can add Everyone and grant them full permissions.
   • Click Apply and OK to confirm.

4. Restart Chrome: Close Chrome, and restart it. The next time you open Chrome, it should now respect the "Open a specific page or set of pages" setting, and not default to "Continue where you left off."

Conclusion: This solution works because by running Chrome as an administrator, you ensure that the browser has the necessary permissions to apply startup settings correctly. It should now launch with the pages you've specified, every time you start a new session. Whether you’re a casual user or someone who relies on specific websites loading at startup, this fix should restore the functionality you've been missing.