5 ms·

To auto-update, Chrome needs to be restarted. If you never quit Chrome, it will never update. Could this be the issue?

dangus 3y ago
This is probably what’s happening especially if the relatives are using a Mac and don’t realize that the red close window button doesn’t quit the application.
- hiccuphippo 3y ago
  In Mac Chrome lets you know an upgrade is available and shows you a button to restart itself to receive the upgrade. I have gone days without pressing the button but never to the point of it asking to download a new version manually.
  - dangus 3y ago
    Right, I'm still a little perplexed that both OP and their family is having these issues, the browsers basically yell at you to update.
    - nathan_phoenix 3y ago
      This assumes that you use your computer and browser regularly. There's nobody to yell at you if you don't use your computer... (which my older relatives don't, they just use it once every few months for some gov sites and such, as for me, I don't use Chrome except when a website says "sorry works only on Chrome" which doesn't happen that often thankfully). And herewith lies the core of the issue, the browser just refuses to auto update if not updated in a while and tells you to re-install it.
      - dangus 3y ago
        It seems like it’s doing the expected and logical action then: it yells at you when you come back to the system but if it can’t update itself it sends you to the manual download. This seems completely reasonable. It doesn’t really matter why the browsers can’t auto-update with too large of a delta, that’s a concern to the authors of the software. If you really want to solve this I would write some kind of update script that runs on startup of your computer or manage your browser installations with a package manager. Or you could use a browser like Safari on Mac where the OS software updates manage the browser.
lproven 3y ago
I've seen the issue too. Note that, as the OP says, it affects Firefox too, so, no, it could not be the issue.
nathan_phoenix 3y ago
I usually don't use Chrome so it's perma closed and see this behavior only after not opening Chrome for some time (around two (?) months or more). Then when I do opened it, after some time (guess checking for updates in background) it shows the update button in red which just links to re-download Chrome. Furthermore, sometimes I just ignore the warning and keep using the old version and even after closing/reopening it again it still says the same, so, no, I wouldn't say that this is the issue.
- anamexis 3y ago
  This doesn't rule it out. In both your case and the case of keeping Chrome open constantly, Chrome doesn't get updated in a long time, leading to this issue.
  - nathan_phoenix 3y ago
    Yeah exactly, it refuses to update itself automatically after not being updated in a while. That's the issue in my case, why does it want me to re-download it manually, can't it do that itself?

This is probably what’s happening especially if the relatives are using a Mac and don’t realize that the red close window button doesn’t quit the application.

hiccuphippo 3y ago
In Mac Chrome lets you know an upgrade is available and shows you a button to restart itself to receive the upgrade. I have gone days without pressing the button but never to the point of it asking to download a new version manually.
- dangus 3y ago
  Right, I'm still a little perplexed that both OP and their family is having these issues, the browsers basically yell at you to update.
  - nathan_phoenix 3y ago
    This assumes that you use your computer and browser regularly. There's nobody to yell at you if you don't use your computer... (which my older relatives don't, they just use it once every few months for some gov sites and such, as for me, I don't use Chrome except when a website says "sorry works only on Chrome" which doesn't happen that often thankfully). And herewith lies the core of the issue, the browser just refuses to auto update if not updated in a while and tells you to re-install it.
    - dangus 3y ago
      It seems like it’s doing the expected and logical action then: it yells at you when you come back to the system but if it can’t update itself it sends you to the manual download. This seems completely reasonable. It doesn’t really matter why the browsers can’t auto-update with too large of a delta, that’s a concern to the authors of the software. If you really want to solve this I would write some kind of update script that runs on startup of your computer or manage your browser installations with a package manager. Or you could use a browser like Safari on Mac where the OS software updates manage the browser.

lproven 3y ago

I've seen the issue too. Note that, as the OP says, it affects Firefox too, so, no, it could not be the issue.

nathan_phoenix 3y ago

I usually don't use Chrome so it's perma closed and see this behavior only after not opening Chrome for some time (around two (?) months or more). Then when I do opened it, after some time (guess checking for updates in background) it shows the update button in red which just links to re-download Chrome. Furthermore, sometimes I just ignore the warning and keep using the old version and even after closing/reopening it again it still says the same, so, no, I wouldn't say that this is the issue.

anamexis 3y ago
This doesn't rule it out. In both your case and the case of keeping Chrome open constantly, Chrome doesn't get updated in a long time, leading to this issue.
- nathan_phoenix 3y ago
  Yeah exactly, it refuses to update itself automatically after not being updated in a while. That's the issue in my case, why does it want me to re-download it manually, can't it do that itself?