Where stuff is, and what to do, in order to get Brave Browser running well-enough, for you to gather info.
Sometimes, you may see the following method of writing a Windows OS path:
NOTE: %LOCALAPPDATA% is a substitute for the beginning portion:
C:\Users\your_username\AppData\Local
Copy the Bookmarks files to a safe location on your computer (or an external drive), beyond/outside the Brave Browser installation paths.
Bookmarks and Bookmarks.bak files:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\Bookmarks%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\Bookmarks.bak
(If Brave Browser was working, you could back up - ie export - the bookmarks to a “bookmarks.html” file.)
Delete the ‘Caches’ folder, and delete the ‘Cookies’ file.
Caches (folder):
%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\Cache\
Cookies (file):
%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\Cookies
The Brave Browser executable, brave.exe, is located in one of:
64 architecture
"C:\Program Files\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\Application\brave.exe"
x86 architecture
"C:\Program Files(x86)\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\Application\brave.exe""
Change the path within the Brave Browser shortcut on your computer’s Desktop, to include switches that are intended to:
- start up Brave Browser, showing a New Private Window
- disable all experiments at
brave://flags - disable extensions
- disable GPU ie disable Hardware Acceleration
- enable leak detection and if that failure occurs, then crash the browser (–enable-leak-detection --crash-on-failure are a combo)
- produce error/log output to a file named ‘brave_console_out.txt’ on the Windows OS Desktop
For example:
64 architecture (change the path to):
"C:\Program Files\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\Application\brave.exe" --incognito --no-experiments --disable-extensions --disable-gpu --enable-leak-detection --crash-on-failure 2> %USERPROFILE%\Desktop\brave_console_out.txt
x86 architecture (note the switches to add):
"C:\Program Files(x86)\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\Application\brave.exe" --incognito --no-experiments --disable-extensions --disable-gpu --enable-leak-detection --crash-on-failure 2> %USERPROFILE%\Desktop\brave_console_out.txt
Notice that the existing path, BEFORE the additions, is enclosed by double-quote marks. And, everything added to the existing path, is located after the existing path.
Start Brave Browser via the Brave Browser shortcut.
IF Brave Browser keeps running . . .
Proceed to follow the guidance according to “steeven”.
When you think appropriate, restore the Brave Browser shortcut . . .
64 architecture
"C:\Program Files\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\Application\brave.exe"
x86 architecture
"C:\Program Files(x86)\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\Application\brave.exe"