Unable to install AdBlock from the Chrome Web Store

We believe that most of the time this issue is caused by malware on your computer. The malware is modifying Chrome to prevent you from installing any extensions, including AdBlock. Here are two suggestions. Try them in order, proceeding to the next step only if you're still getting the error.

Try this first: Edit your Hosts file

You'll be restarting your computer, so bookmark this page to make it easy to come back to (or print the instructions before you begin).

1. Follow these instructions from HowToGeek.com to edit your computer's Hosts file in Windows, MacOS, and Linux.
2. Find the line  that looks like this: 127.0.0.1 clients2.google.com 
   Note: If that line isn't in the Hosts file, just close the editing window without saving the file and skip to Reinstall Chrome, below.
3. Delete that line.
4. Save the file and close the editing window.
5. Restart your computer.
6. Reinstall AdBlock

 

Try this if the first suggestion didn't help: Reinstall Chrome

Warning: This step will completely erase your bookmarks, saved passwords, extensions, and Chrome settings on your computer. Before you proceed, be sure to turn on Google Chrome sync and synchronize everything through your Google account.

1. Uninstall Chrome. Be sure to check Also delete your browsing data.
2. Reinstall Chrome.
3. Reinstall AdBlock.

 

If you're trying to install AdBlock (or any extension) in Chrome and you see a message like this one: An error has occurred: Download interrupted, it's an issue with Chrome, not the extension. Here are three suggestions. Try them in order, proceeding to the next step only if you're still getting the error.

1. Restart your computer

Just like you, your computer starts getting a little weird if it works for a long time without a break. Yes, this goes for Macs, too.

1. Restart your computer.
2. Reinstall AdBlock.

2. Change where Chrome downloads files

1. Typechrome://settingsin the address bar, scroll to the bottom of the Settings page, and click Show advanced settings.
2. Scroll down to Downloads. Click Change and browse to a location you can find easily; say, the Desktop if it's currently set to your Downloads folder, or your Downloads folder if it's currently set somewhere else.
3. Leave checked Ask where to save each file before downloading.
4. Reinstall AdBlock.

3. Edit your hosts file

According to this post in the Google Chrome Help forum, removing the line "127.0.0.1 clients2.google.com" from your hosts file seems to be a pretty consistent solution. Here's how to edit your hosts file in both Windows and OS X and what to do with it.

 

4. Try troubleshooting Chrome

If you continue to see the error, please check out these suggestions: Chrome troubleshooting.

 

If you see the error message "This item is already being downloaded and added into Chrome" when trying to install AdBlock, this is a known issue with Chrome. It can affect any extension, not just AdBlock.

First try restarting Chrome. If that doesn't help, restart your computer.  And if that doesn't help, try this workaround:

1. Type chrome://flags in the address bar. Find the text Enable Enhanced Bookmarksand select Enabled in the list below.
2. Click Relaunch Now.
3. You should now be able to install AdBlock from the Chrome Web Store.
4. After AdBlock is installed, put things back the way they were. In chrome://flags select Default under Enable Enhanced Bookmarks and click Relaunch Now.

If you don't see that option in chrome://flags, turn off Chrome syncing, then try to install AdBlock again.

If that doesn't help, try these basic Chrome troubleshooting steps: Chrome troubleshooting