How to fix the “This setting is enforced” error in Google Chrome

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When you go to the chrome://extensions/ screen in the Google Chrome web browser, some extensions may be disabled because the “Enabled” setting is grayed out and cannot be disabled. This is usually due to a message on the extension that says, “This extension is managed and cannot be removed or disabled.”

These extensions are usually installed with other applications or maybe part of adware. If you cannot remove these extensions by unchecking the “Disabled” box, you can do it another way.

If you are also experiencing this error, here are some troubleshooting tips to help you fix the “This setting is forced due to extension/your admin” error in Windows.

What causes the “This setting is forced” error in Google Chrome

The “This setting is forced by your administrator” policy is a legitimate tool that allows administrators to create policies that control how the Chrome browser works on a computer. These policies are designed to make it easier for administrators to manage Chrome settings for all users in their organization.

The browser now displays this message when a group policy is configured for the browser. Unfortunately, the malware uses this method to force the installation of extensions on Windows and Mac computers because they know they will be difficult to remove.

The reason is that a malicious Chrome extension imposed by group policy cannot be removed or disabled from the Chrome extensions page. When a user tries to right-click on an extension to remove it, the normal “Remove” option is not available. Instead, the Chrome user sees a hidden message that says “This setting is applied by your administrator.

To fix the “This setting is applied” error in Google Chrome, follow these steps

Change the policy from the command line

1. Press the Windows key.
2. Type cmd.
3. Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
4. When prompted, click Yes to continue.
5. At the command prompt, type one by one the following command and press Enter to execute:
6. RD /S /Q “%WinDir%System32GroupPolicyUsers”.
7. RD /S /Q “%WinDir%System32GroupPolicyUsers”.
   gpupdate / force
8. If the commands run correctly, close the command line.
9. Restart Google Chrome and check if the error This setting is applied by the extension / your administrator.

Remove the policy from the registry editor

1. Press the Windows + R key to open “Run”.
2. Type Regedit and click OK to open the registry editor.
3. If UAC asks you for administrative privileges, click Yes to continue.
4. In the registry editor, navigate to the following location:
5. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesGoogleChrome.
6. You can also copy and paste the above path into the registry editor to access it.
7. In the right pane, highlight the values that look suspicious.
8. Right-click on the values and select Delete.
9. Once all suspicious values are deleted, close the Registry Editor.
10. Restart Google Chrome and check if the error is fixed.

Disable the Google Docs offline extension

1. Start Google Chrome.
2. Click the menu icon (three horizontal bars).
3. Select Tools, then click Extensions.
4. This will give you a list of all the Chrome extensions installed for the browser.
5. Find the Google Docs offline extension and drag the switch to disable this extension.
6. Restart Google Chrome and see if the error is fixed.
7. If the error persists, uninstall the Google Docs offline extension.
8. To remove the extension, open the Extensions option.
9. Under Google Docs offline, click the Remove button.
10. Restart Google Chrome and see if there is any improvement.

Check for malware infection

1. Check your system for malware and adware before manipulating the registry files.
2. If you have an anti-virus program installed, run a full scan of your system for hidden browser hijackers.
3. After a thorough scan, remove all Trojans, malware, and potentially unwanted programs.
4. Restart Google Chrome and see if the situation has improved.

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Carter Blakefield