How to Fix Multiple Chrome Tabs Appearing When Pressing Alt + Tab on Windows 11.

How to Fix Multiple Chrome Tabs Appearing When Pressing Alt + Tab on Windows 11.

This is a super random issue and one that's not entirely linked to Chrome, although Microsoft has not officially addressed this issue, there are several things you can try to fix the problem of multiple Chrome tabs appearing when pressing Alt + Tab.

Re-enter and Exit Full-Screen Mode in Chrome

Switching in and out of full-screen mode can reset the graphical interface and remove phantom tabs.

• Open Chrome.

• Press F11 to enter full-screen mode.

• Press F11 again to exit full-screen mode.

Restart Windows Explorer

Restarting Windows Explorer can refresh the user interface and clear any visual glitches.

• Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.

• Click "More details" if needed.

• Find "Windows Explorer."

• Right-click and select "Restart."

Reset Google Chrome

Reset Chrome, this is a quick fix that has a pretty solid track record for fixing random issues like this in Google Chrome.

• Launch Chrome from your desktop or start menu.

• Click the three-dot menu icon in the upper right corner.

• Select "Settings" from the dropdown menu.

• Scroll down and click "Advanced" at the bottom to expand more options.

• Under the "Reset and clean up" section, click on "Restore settings to their original defaults."

• A prompt will appear asking if you want to reset settings. Click "Reset settings" to confirm.

• This will reset your homepage, new tab page, search engine, and pinned tabs. It will also disable extensions and clear temporary data like cookies.

• Close Chrome and reopen it to apply the changes.

• Test by pressing Alt + Tab to see if the phantom tabs are still appearing.

Clean Install Chrome.

If resetting Google Chrome didn't work just reinstall it and see what happens. If this fails you will have to work on some of the Windows-based solutions for this problem because it looks like Chrome isn't the issue.

Install All Available Windows Updates

Updating Windows ensures you have the latest bug fixes and improvements that may resolve the issue.

• Type "Updates" in Windows search and press Enter.

• Click "Check for updates" (or "Install all" if updates are pending) and wait.

• If optional updates are available, install them as well.

• After updating, restart your computer.

Repair Corrupted System Files with SFC and DISM

This method can fix corrupted system files that might be causing the issue.

• Type "cmd" in Windows search.

• Right-click on "Command Prompt" and select "Run as administrator."

• When the User Account Control window appears, click "Yes."

• In the Command Prompt window, type the following command and press Enter:

• After the scan completes, run the following commands one by one, pressing Enter after each:

Note: If you get an error with the last command, add /Source:C:\RepairSource\Windows /LimitAccess and try again.

• Restart your computer.

Repair-Install Windows

While this is a working solution I think it's probably easier just to switch browsers than having to setup your entire PC again. So maybe try Brave, Edge, or even Firefox. But if that isn't something you're willing to do then here are the steps you need to full.

• Download the Windows 11 Installation media from the official Microsoft website.

• Double-click the MediaCreationTool.exe file to launch it.

• When the User Account Control window appears, click "Yes."

• Accept the license terms.

• Select Language and Edition or choose "Use the recommended options for this PC" and click "Next."

• Choose the ISO file and click "Next."

• Select a location for your ISO file and wait for the download to complete, then click "Finish."

• Go to the location of your ISO file, right-click, and select "Mount."

• Run the setup.exe file.

• When asked if you want to update Windows to the latest version, select "Not right now" and click "Next."

• Accept the Terms and Windows will perform several checks.

• Click "Change what to keep."

  • Choose from: "Keep your files and apps," "Keep files only," or "Keep nothing" – select what suits you best. Click "Next."

• Finally, click "Install" to start the installation process.

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