Chrome OOM Error STATUS_INVALID_IMAGE_HASH on Windows 10 with 16GB RAM

You're in the middle of something — maybe 10 tabs open, a few extensions running — and suddenly a tab goes gray with "Something went wrong while displaying this webpage" or just "Aw, Snap!" Then you check the error details and find STATUS_INVALID_IMAGE_HASH. Task Manager shows Chrome using maybe 2GB of RAM, but you have 16GB. So why is Chrome crying about memory?

This error is a common false alarm. It's not really about RAM. What's happening: Chrome's security code (called Renderer Code Integrity) is checking the digital signature of every loaded .dll file. If a file has been modified — by antivirus, by a previous tool, or by Windows itself — Chrome flags it as untrusted. When that file is needed for a tab, Chrome kills the tab to protect you. But it blames memory as a catch-all. The real fix is to tell Chrome to stop running those checks for your session.

What triggers this exact error

I've seen this most often after a Windows update — especially KB5025239 or later. Also after installing certain antivirus apps (Avast, McAfee) that hook into browser processes. Some users trigger it by running a tool like CCleaner or Driver Booster that modifies system files. The result: a corrupted hash check that makes Chrome panic.

Fix: Disable Renderer Code Integrity

This is safe. It doesn't turn off all security — just the overly strict check that's causing the false alarm. Here's how.

1. Open Chrome. If it's completely crashing on launch, hold Shift while clicking the Chrome icon to open it in safe mode (no extensions).
2. In the address bar, type chrome://flags and press Enter. You'll see a warning page about experimental features. That's normal.
3. In the search box at the top, type Renderer Code Integrity. You should see one flag appear below — it's called "Renderer Code Integrity" and is set to "Default."

   Expected outcome after typing: The flag will highlight and show a dropdown on the right.

4. Click the dropdown and select Disabled. Not "Default," not "Enabled" — specifically Disabled.
5. At the bottom right, click the blue Relaunch button. Chrome will close and reopen automatically. Save any work first — it will restart all open tabs.

After Chrome restarts, try opening the tabs that crashed before. In most cases, they'll load fine now. The error should be gone.

If it still fails after the fix

If the crash continues, there's something else going on. Here's what to check next.

• Third-party antivirus interference: Temporarily disable your antivirus (especially McAfee, Avast, or Norton). Open Chrome again. If that fixes it, add Chrome to the antivirus's exclusions list. For Avast: go to Settings > General > Exclusions > add C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe.
• Corrupted user profile: Close Chrome. Press Win+R, type %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data, and press Enter. Rename the Default folder to Default.old. Restart Chrome — it will create a fresh profile. You'll lose extensions and settings (bookmarks survive if synced), but it can fix deeper hash corruption.
• Windows memory integrity: Check if Windows Core Isolation (Memory Integrity) is on. Search for "Core Isolation" in Windows search. If it's enabled, try turning it off temporarily. This feature also checks .dll signatures and can conflict with Chrome. Reboot after changing it.
• Overclocking instability: If you've overclocked your RAM or CPU, try resetting to stock speeds in BIOS. Unstable overclocks can corrupt memory reads, which Chrome's hash check interprets as tampering.

One last thing: if you're using Chrome Canary or Beta builds, they're more likely to hit this bug. Switch to stable Chrome (version 120 or later) if you can. The flag fix works on all channels, but stable has fewer edge cases.

That's it. You don't need to reinstall Chrome or upgrade your RAM. Just turn off that one check and you're back to work.