How to fix the “Your Profile Could Not Be Opened Correctly” Chromebook error

This is a frustrating problem but fortunately a simple one to solve. I know people who had trouble with this one for months! But it only takes a minute to fix.

I’ve listed a few fixes here from easiest to hardest. Some are for Chromebook users and other are for Chrome users on a Mac or Windows. If one doesn’t work then just try the next one.

Fix #1: Remove additional users (Chromebook only)

(Skip this is you don’t have multiple accounts/users on one Chromebook. Instructions for people using Chrome on Mac Or Windows are in Fix #2)

If you are sharing your Chromebook then simply remove the other users. Here’s how:

1. Go to the sign-in screen
2. Click on one of the additional accounts
3. There is a downward arrow in the upper-right corner of the profile picture, click it
4. Click “Remove this User”

Repeat this step for every additional user. Leave your own account (you won’t be able to remove it anyways).

See if the error still appears. If it does not then just add the accounts back one by one and enjoy your Chromebook!

Fix #2: Remove additional users (Chrome Browser Only)

(Skip this is you don’t have multiple accounts/users in your Chrome Browser. Skip this is you’re using a Chromebook, this is for Mac and Windows users.)

1. Open Chrome
2. In the top-right corner click on the button with the current user’s name on it
3. Click on Switch Person
4. Hover your mouse over the account you need to remove
5. In the top-right corner of the profile picture click on the downward arrow
6. Click Remove This Person
7. Click Remove This Person in the window that appears
8. Repeat this for all accounts.

Fix #3: Delete “Web Data” file (Chrome Browser Only)

(Skip this is you are on a Chromebook)

For Windows:

1. Close Chrome
2. Open an Explorer Window by clicking on Computer
3. Navigate to: “C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\”
4. Delete a file called “Web Data”
5. Restart your computer
6. Open Chrome

For Mac:

1. Close Chrome
2. Press Command+Spacebar to Open Spotlight Search
3. Type in Terminal, press Enter
4. Type in “cd /Users/{user}/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Default” (without quotation marks)
5. Type in “rm -rf History*; rm -rf Web\ Data;” (without quotation marks)
6. Open Chrome

Fix #4: Remove AVG toolbar (Windows Only)

If you have AVG antivirus then make sure you uninstall their added AVG Safe browsing toolbar. People have reported problems where the toolbar has caused this error.

Follow the instructions on the AVG webpage to remove the toolbar from your computer and from Chrome.

Fix #5: Completely reset your chromebook (Chromebook Only)

This step will completely wipe your chromebook so you need to backup all of your data first. Again: this will erase EVERYTHING and bring your chromebook back to the state it was when you bought it.

1. Click on your account picture in the lower-right corner of your screen.
2. Click on Settings. A window will appear.
3. Click on Show Advanced Settings at the bottom.
4. Find the “Powerwash” label and click Reset.
5. In the window that opens click Restart.

Once the chromebook restarts you will be presented with the setup window. Go through the setup and enter your google account information.