How to Avoid Selenium Chrome Profile Hang Issues Using `--user-data-dir`?

Solving Selenium Chrome Profile Hang Issues Using --user-data-dir

The Problem:

Selenium users frequently encounter hangs when loading Chrome profiles with --user-data-dir and --profile-directory. The browser often freezes for up to 60 seconds before timing out, disrupting automation.

The Solution: Avoid the Default Profile

The key is to avoid the default Chrome profile. Extensions, bookmarks, and browsing history within the default profile can conflict with tests, causing errors. Instead, create and use a dedicated profile.

Creating a Custom Chrome Profile:

1. Open Chrome settings (chrome://settings/).
2. Go to "People" and select "Manage other people."
3. Add a new user profile, choosing a name and icon.
4. Create a desktop shortcut for this new profile.
5. Locate the profile directory path in the shortcut's properties.

Using ChromeOptions:

Once you have your custom profile, use ChromeOptions to specify its location:

ChromeOptions options = new ChromeOptions();
options.AddArgument($"--user-data-dir={profileDirectoryPath}"); // Use string interpolation for clarity
options.AddArgument("--disable-extensions");
ChromeDriver driver = new ChromeDriver(@"pathtoexe", options); 

Replace {profileDirectoryPath} with the actual path you found in step 5 above. pathtoexe should point to your ChromeDriver executable.

Complete Example:

This code demonstrates using a custom profile:

ChromeOptions options = new ChromeOptions();
options.AddArgument("--user-data-dir=C:/Users/Me/AppData/Local/Google/Chrome/User Data/Profile 2");
options.AddArgument("--disable-extensions");
ChromeDriver driver = new ChromeDriver(@"pathtoexe", options);
driver.Navigate().GoToUrl("somesite");

Successful Test Execution:

By using this custom profile approach, Chrome should launch without the hang, allowing your Selenium tests to run smoothly. Remember to replace placeholder paths with your actual directory paths.

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