How to Fix ERR_NO_BUFFER_SPACE in Chrome on Windows

Chrome shows ERR_NO_BUFFER_SPACE when Windows cannot set aside enough network buffer space to open another connection. The matching Windows message is “No buffer space available”. It usually means something is opening far too many connections, or a network driver, VPN or security tool is misbehaving. It rarely means your internet is down. The steps below go from quick checks to deeper fixes.

What causes ERR_NO_BUFFER_SPACE

• An app or browser tab opening a very large number of connections at once.
• A VPN, proxy or security tool with a faulty network driver.
• An outdated or damaged network adapter driver.
• Too many virtual network adapters, such as those added by virtual machine software.
• Low available memory, or a memory leak in a network-related program.
• Malware that opens many connections in the background.

1. Restart Chrome and the PC

Close Chrome completely, including any background Chrome process, then restart Windows. This releases buffers that a stuck program was holding, and fixes many cases at once.

2. Close what is using many connections

Close unnecessary tabs and programs that move a lot of data, especially download managers, torrent clients, cloud backup and sync tools. To see which program has many connections, open Task Manager, go to Performance, choose Open Resource Monitor, and look at the Network tab under TCP Connections. A program with hundreds of connections is the likely cause.

3. Turn off VPN, proxy and web shields

Disconnect any VPN and turn off proxy settings in Settings > Network & internet > Proxy. Pause the web protection feature of your security software for a quick test. If the error disappears, update or reinstall that software, or ask its support team about the issue.

4. Reset the network stack

Right-click the Start button, choose Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin), and run these commands one at a time:

netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset
ipconfig /flushdns

Restart the PC afterwards. These commands reset network settings only and do not touch your files.

5. Check the dynamic port range

Windows uses a pool of ports for outgoing connections. To see yours, run this command:

netsh int ipv4 show dynamicport tcp

The Windows default is a start port of 49152 with 16384 ports. If your numbers are much smaller, something has changed the range, and you can restore the default:

netsh int ipv4 set dynamicport tcp start=49152 num=16384

6. Update or reinstall the network adapter driver

Open Device Manager, expand Network adapters, right-click your Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter and choose Update driver. If the problem started after an update, open Properties > Driver and choose Roll Back Driver if available. Laptop and motherboard makers often provide newer network drivers on their support pages than Windows Update does.

7. Disable unused virtual adapters

Virtual machine software and some VPN programs add extra adapters. In Device Manager > Network adapters, right-click adapters you do not use, such as unused virtual or TAP adapters, and choose Disable device. Do not disable your real Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter.

8. Scan for malware

Open Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, choose Full scan and run it. Software that secretly opens many connections can exhaust buffer space.

9. Reset Chrome settings

If the error only happens in Chrome, open Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their original defaults. This turns off extensions and resets startup and search settings, but keeps your bookmarks and saved passwords.

Frequently asked questions

Is ERR_NO_BUFFER_SPACE a virus?

Usually not, but malware can cause it by opening many connections. Run a full scan if the error is frequent and other steps do not help.

Do I need more RAM to fix it?

Rarely. It is more often a connection or driver problem than a shortage of RAM, although a PC with very little free memory can be affected.

Why does it only happen on some websites?

Pages that open many connections at once, such as ones loading lots of images or streams, can trigger it sooner on a system that is already near its limits.

When to contact support

If the error continues after a clean restart and network reset, and happens in more than one browser, contact your PC maker or your IT team. For related Chrome errors, see how to fix ERR_CONNECTION_FAILED, ERR_CONNECTION_RESET, or our Wi-Fi and internet overview.