How to Fix Chrome “Downloading Proxy Script” Message

If Google Chrome keeps getting stuck with a “Downloading proxy script” message every time you launch it, you’re not alone. This annoying delay can slow down your browsing experience or even stop pages from loading entirely. The good news? It’s usually easy to fix.

Here’s what causes it—and exactly how to get rid of it.

What Does “Downloading Proxy Script” Mean?

When Chrome starts up, it tries to detect your network settings. If it’s configured to automatically detect proxy settings, it goes looking for a script to tell it how to connect to the internet. Sometimes this search stalls—either because there’s no proxy to find, the network is slow, or something is misconfigured.

If you’re not actually using a proxy, this step is pointless—and you can turn it off.

How to Fix It (Step-by-Step)

1. Disable Automatic Proxy Detection

This is the most common fix.

On Windows:

1. Open the Start menu, type “Internet Options”, and hit Enter.
2. Go to the Connections tab.
3. Click LAN Settings.
4. Uncheck “Automatically detect settings”.
5. Click OK, then OK again.

On macOS:

1. Go to System Settings > Network.
2. Choose your network (Wi-Fi or Ethernet) and click Details.
3. Go to the Proxies tab.
4. Uncheck “Auto Proxy Discovery” and anything else that’s selected under “Select a protocol to configure”.
5. Click OK and Apply.

Restart Chrome and the message should be gone.

2. Check Chrome’s Proxy Settings

If you’ve installed any Chrome extensions that manage proxies (like VPNs), they might override your system settings.

1. In Chrome, go to chrome://settings.
2. Scroll down and click Advanced.
3. Under System, click “Open your computer’s proxy settings”.
4. Double-check that “Automatically detect settings” is still off.

Also, disable or remove any suspicious extensions under chrome://extensions.

3. Update or Reinstall Chrome

Sometimes the browser itself is the problem.

• Make sure you’re running the latest version:
  Go to chrome://settings/help and let Chrome check for updates.
• If issues continue, uninstall Chrome completely and reinstall it from google.com/chrome.

4. Try Incognito or a Guest Profile

To rule out profile-specific issues:

• Open an Incognito window (Ctrl+Shift+N) and see if the problem persists.
• Or click your profile icon in the top right of Chrome and choose “Guest”.

If it works fine there, your Chrome profile might be corrupted.

5. Use Google DNS

In some cases, slow DNS resolution can cause delays during startup. Try switching to a faster DNS like Google’s.

On Windows/macOS:

Change your DNS to:

8.8.8.8  
8.8.4.4

This is done in your network adapter settings (Windows) or network preferences (Mac).

Final Thoughts

The “Downloading proxy script” message usually comes down to Chrome trying to auto-detect a proxy that doesn’t exist. Disabling that feature fixes the issue for most users.

If you’re still stuck after trying everything above, it could be a deeper network issue—like a misbehaving VPN, malware, or firewall rule. But in 90% of cases, turning off “Automatically detect settings” clears it right up.

Need help with more Chrome or browser issues? Drop a comment below and I’ll help you out.