In some cases, this issue might occur if you’re using a severely updated Chrome build. There was a glitch that used to wreak havoc months in the initial months after Windows 10 launched. However, a virus infection (most likely adware or browser hijacker) can also cause this problem – in this case, running the Cleanup Tool or a specialized scanner like Malwarebytes can resolve the issue. But in case you are prevented from using the Web store to download extensions, you can also force a manual download or attempt to reset every Chrome setting in order to clean potentially corrupted data.
How to fix the ‘Chrome Web Store Network_Failed‘ error?
Solution 1: Update Chrome to the latest version
As it turns out, you might be encountering the ‘Chrome Web Store Network_Failed‘ error due to an issue that was since patched. Of course, updating your browser version might not be an option if you’re purposely keeping your version down for one reason. But if your browser is not updating and you don’t have a reason for it, you should be able to fix the issue by following the instructions to updating Chrome to the latest version: In case you’re still encountering the same ‘Chrome Web Store Network_Failed‘ error when attempting to download or install an extension, move down to the next potential fix below.
Solution 2: Running the integrated Cleanup Tool
If the issue is being caused by a superficial browser hijacker, you should be able to resolve the ‘Chrome Web Store Network_Failed‘ error code by running the integrated Chrome Cleanup tool to swiftly identify and remove the malicious files from your browser. Several affected users have confirmed that this procedure has finally allowed them to download & install browser extensions. Here’s a quick guide on running the integrated Cleanup Tool in order to fix the error and allow new extensions to be installed: If this operation wasn’t able to find any harmful files that might be causing the ‘Chrome Web Store Network_Failed‘ error, move down to the next potential fix below.
Solution 3: Scan Computer with Malwarebytes
As it turns out, the ‘Chrome Web Store Network_Failed‘ error is sometimes linked with a selection of serious browser hijackers and trojans. In some cases, the issue might occur because some Chrome browser files got infected by adware or hijackers. Some users that faced the same problem have confirmed that they were finally able to fix the issue and download & install extensions without getting the ‘Chrome Web Store Network_Failed‘ error after they initiated a Malwarebytes scan to clean the infection. Note: You can use other premium scanners to get the job done. But Malwarebytes is renowned for being the most efficient security scanner when dealing with browser hijackers. Here’s a quick guide on initiating a Malwarebytes scan before reinstalling a clean version of Google Chrome: In case you’re still encountering the ‘Chrome Web Store Network_Failed‘ error when you attempt to download or install an extension, move down to the next potential fix below.
Solution 4: Changing the download directory
Another fairly common cause that might lead to the apparition of this issue is a download location that is no longer available. This can occur if the user has previously set a custom folder as the default download location for Chrome that it’s no longer available. It’s possible that the location was quarantined by an AV suite, the drive containing the tool was removed or the user has since deleted the folder. Note: Even though this folder doesn’t seem related to Chrome extensions, keep in mind that just like any other download, Chrome will initially the extension pack in the download folder and only after it will install it. If this scenario is applicable, you can fix the issue by changing the default download location to a valid directory and restarting the browser. Here’s a quick guide on how to do this from Chrome’s settings: In case the same problem is still occurring, move down to the next potential fix below.
Solution 5: Download the extension manually
If none of the methods you’ve tried so far have helped you in resolving the ‘Chrome Web Store Network_Failed‘ error, one way to circumvent it entirely is to download the app or extension directly by copying the app id and using a predefined link. By doing this, you will download the file directly, then you can go to the Extensions page and drag-n-drop the downloaded extension to install it. Note: If it doesn’t install right away, you might need to change the extension of the file to .zip and extract it into a new folder before uploading it via the Load unpacked extension. A lot of affected users have confirmed that they used this method to install a Chrome extension after the Web Store became unresponsive and started showing the “Network_Failed‘ error. Here’s a quick guide on doing this: In case you’re still encountering the ‘Chrome Web Store Network_Failed‘ error or this method wasn’t applicable, move down to the next potential fix below.
Solution 6: Resetting the Chrome browser
In case none of the methods above have allowed you to fix the ‘Chrome Web Store Network_Failed‘ error, it’s quite possible that you’re encountering the issue due to some kind of file inconsistency or even corrupted data. If this scenario is applicable, the quickest way of resolving this issue is to reset Chrome along with every set back to the default. Here’s a quick guide on how to do this:
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