Brave Beta 1.97.42 - existing profiles no longer open on Windows, new profiles work, downgrade fixes immediately

Feedback Beta Builds
1

Description of the issue

After Brave Beta updated to 1.97.42, Chromium 154.0.8037.41, 64-bit, all of my pre-existing browser profiles stopped opening on Windows.

Brave itself could launch and display the profile selector, but clicking any existing profile produced no usable browser window. In several cases Brave generated crash reports.

Creating a completely new profile worked normally.

The same general issue also affected my Brave Origin Beta installation, which also contained several existing profiles.

Steps to reproduce

  1. Have multiple existing profiles in Brave Beta.
  2. Update to Brave Beta 1.97.42.
  3. Launch Brave.
  4. Select an existing profile.
  5. The profile does not open / browser window crashes or fails to appear.
  6. Create a brand-new profile.
  7. The new profile opens normally.

Troubleshooting performed

  • Direct launch using --profile-directory="Profile X"
  • --disable-extensions
  • --disable-gpu
  • Incognito launch
  • Temporarily removed saved Sessions
  • Reset the profile Preferences file

None of these allowed the existing profiles to open.

Important finding / workaround

I backed up the entire Brave Beta User Data directory, uninstalled Brave Beta without deleting browsing data, disconnected from the internet, and installed the previous standalone Beta build.

With the exact same existing User Data, all profiles immediately started opening normally again.

I performed the same downgrade procedure on Brave Origin Beta and the existing profiles there also started working again.

This appears to be a regression in the newer Beta build affecting existing profile state rather than actual corruption of the profiles.

Actual result

Existing profiles fail to open. Newly created profiles work.

Expected result

Existing profiles should continue to open normally after updating.

Reproduces

Every time on all pre-existing profiles tested.

Affected version

Brave Beta 1.97.42
Chromium 154.0.8037.41
Windows 64-bit

Uploaded crash report IDs

0fbf0200-40e3-6010-0000-000000000000

05bf0200-40e3-6010-0000-000000000000

bdbf0200-40e3-6010-0000-000000000000

Additional information

Downgrading the browser application while retaining the same profile data fixes the problem immediately.

Brave Origin Beta displayed the same class of failure with its existing profiles.

2

Can confirm, I have the same issue with Brave Beta on Windows 10.

3

We’ve opened an issue and have escalated the matter. We should have more for you soon. Thanks for reporting!

4

Fix for Beta should be available soon. https://github.com/brave/brave-core/pull/39951

5

ETA please. @Evan123

thanks a lot

6

It’s fixed now, thanks. But, please, don’t do it again. :slight_smile: