“About:blank” is an error that often comes when you are browsing on the internet and something goes wrong. When there is some error in the browser such as Google chrome, Microsoft edge, Mozilla firefox, opera, apple safari etc, and it does not display anything, then, this error is often seen in the screen. There are various reasons behind it like the page is infected from a malware or some corruption is there in the files, and thus, these prohibit the browser from loading.
“About” is part of the Universal Resource Identifier (URI) system that all browsers use. This page is to provide information to the browser. Further, “blank” page is an empty page and these are generated in the browser itself and thus no information can be retrieved from the internet.
Is it a malware?
These are not any kind of malware or adware but these may be the reasons why this error often comes on the screen. Sometimes, blank tabs also occur owing to this reason and make the browser in non functional or non default state. Thus, you do not have to treat it as a virus or a malware, the presence is because of the malfunctioning in the web browser. Further, some of the reasons behind it are listed below.
Many about:blank pages happen when malware or adware gets removed and contained code that was integrated into the browser, which is no longer present, and nothing replaced it. When these codes or any type of data is removed, then the setting of the browser are not restored to default, then this error occurs. Owing to these many reasons, the blank screen or tab appears on the screen.
Why Is about:blank Useful?
Many people use about:blank as their home page. This gives you an empty page each time you open your browser.
To achieve this, all you have to do is go into your browser’s settings and tell it to open with “about:blank” instead of another web page.
Web browsers may also open the blank about:blank page if they launch and don’t know what else to display. A browser always has to display something, after all, and loading about:blank is a way of displaying a blank page.
What Are The Top Causes for About:Blank Pages?
Now, if you are looking to find out the reasons behind the about:blank pages, do not worry, you can find them here, and try to avoid them so that you do not have to face this error often. There are various reasons behind it and some of them are listed below-
- Bugs in code (often generated from websites or applications that open URLs in your browser)
- Bugs in browsers
- Manually opening certain website links in a new tab using the right-click option (only, but not always, when existing code has its own set of instructions to open the links)
- Webpage still loading (clicked link to soon)
- Bad Internet connection (causes misloaded data, leading to blank pages
- Corrupted page cache
- Add-ons or extensions
How to Fix About:Blank Problems in Chrome
1. To fix “about:blank” issues, just follow these simple steps.
- Open Chrome, if it isn’t already open.
- Select the menu(three vertical dots icon) and click More Tools.
- Select Clear Browsing Data.
- Select All Time from the dropdown menu.
- Check all boxes in both the Basic and Advanced tabs.
- Select Clear Data.
If clearing the cache doesn’t work, you can try disabling extensions. If you have an outdated extension or added a new one just before you began seeing “about:blank,” it may be the problem.
2. To disable Chrome extensions, follow these steps.
- Open Chrome and select the three-dot menu icon.
- Select More Tools.
- Select Extensions.
- Disable one or more of the new or out-of-date extensions by unchecking their boxes.
Troubleshooting extensions is a matter of trial and error. You can disable them one at a time and retest to identify which extension is causing the problem, or you can disable all of them at once and then add them back, one by one. As long as you retest between enabling each extension, you should quickly find the source of the problem.
If all else fails, you can reset Chrome to its default settings, or even uninstall and reinstall the browser.
3. To reset Chrome, follow these steps.
- Open the menu and select Settings.
- Select Advanced from the left-hand menu
- From the menu that appears, select Reset Settings.
- Click on Restore settings to their original defaults.
- Select Reset Settings.
- This process will clear out ALL custom settings, extensions, and other changes you have made to Chrome, and it should be used as a last resort.
How to Fix About:Blank – Firefox
1. To clear the browsing data on Firefox, follow these steps:
- Click the Library icon in the upper right-hand corner.
- Click History.
- Click Clear Recent History.
You can also choose to clear Mozilla’s cache. Over time, temporary files used to help you browse the web can cause issues. Clearing the cache should fix the problem.
- Tap the Menu icon in the upper right-hand corner and click on Preferences.
- Click on Privacy & Security.
- Scroll down and click Clear History.
- Verify the Cache is checked and click Ok.
This should clear up any problems you’re having with about:blank pages on Mozilla firefox.
Conclusion
Thus, you see these are some of the important details regarding about:blank error that often comes into your browser while you are using internet. The best way to get rid of the error is to follow the steps given above so that you do not have to face any difficulty while you are browsing internet. Furthermore, you should keep in mind the reasons owing to which this error comes. Try not to do those things so that you do not have to face any inconvenience while using your browser.
