# Help with Chrome browser problem?



## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

(I'd go to the google chrome forum, but I've found that pretty useless in the past)
i use chrome all the time. all of a sudden yesterday, when i go to chrome, there's a new little box right up in the top bar (next to the minimize, restore, "X" area) that shows a kind of version of my gmail account name (not exactly it, but similar...?) where did that come from? I didn't DO anything. It's looks like I'm now maybe "synced" or something??? I'd like to get rid of it & go back to the way it was. tried a few things, but that only seems to shag things up more. 
any help / suggestions? thanks.


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## bgc_fan (Apr 5, 2009)

It's just a feature for Chrome to sync your google accounts. You can simply sign out under the settings page. It just means that when you go on sites like Google Mail,Calendar, etc you don't have to sign in again.

As well, it shares your bookmarks and history with all other devices/computers that you have signed into on Chrome.


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## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

ok -signed out - thanks.
Question- why would that have appeared there all of a sudden in the first place? I didn't change anything I was doing.


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## bgc_fan (Apr 5, 2009)

It has been there for a while. Maybe you signed in once to gmail and clicked a choice to keep signed in or something. Other than that, when you run Chrome for the first time, it offers the choice to sign in. I think there are a variety of ways that it can happen, I just don't remember off hand.


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## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

bgc_fan said:


> It has been there for a while. Maybe you signed in once to gmail and clicked a choice to keep signed in or something. Other than that, when you run Chrome for the first time, it offers the choice to sign in. I think there are a variety of ways that it can happen, I just don't remember off hand.


It's kinda odd though, my gmail address is a combination of 3 letter & 3numbers, let's say it's "abc123" @ gmail.com. 
The little box that popped up says "123abc" (i.e. not "abc123" like in the actual email address) Weird?


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## OnlyMyOpinion (Sep 1, 2013)

Indeed odd. Maybe the wife is logging on to set up that romantic dinner (with someone)? :biggrin:
Or maybe your google contacts see abc as a first name and 123 as the surname and are set up to display surname first?


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## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

it's either gremlins....or the gremlin in the Kremlin!


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

i don't have/never had this problem but i think the cause might be the fact that g-mail recently changed its log-in page.

most log-in pages have a "remember me" or similar button that one can un-check if one doesn't want to keep the account open. But new g-mail log-in doesn't have this feature. There's no un-check option nor is there any sign-out/log-out button or window. Evidently new g-mail intends to keep its accounts open like a pit bull.

the fastest way to sign out of g-mail nowadays is to delete cookies. This is a bit complicated to do in chrome because the auto-clear-cookie setting doesn't work. Cookies have to be deleted manually.

work through "delete" "history." There are several ways to get there. Delete all cookies since the beginning of time. This primary cookie level will be sufficient to sign out of g-mail & it wlll likely prevent that g-mail icon jargey has started seeing top right of his screen.

however, there's a 2nd level of stored cookie settings that one might want to delete as well. Go to advanced settings/privacy/content/site cookies & you will likely find a few more cookies that weren't removed by the "delete cookies" action. Click on "remove all" + "done."

it's all too much trouble, just for e-mail. They say yahoo is a good e-mail interface.

.


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## like_to_retire (Oct 9, 2016)

humble_pie said:


> i don't have/never had this problem but i think the cause might be the fact that g-mail recently changed its log-in page.
> 
> most log-in pages have a "remember me" or similar button that one can un-check if one doesn't want to keep the account open. But new g-mail log-in doesn't have this feature. There's no un-check option nor is there any sign-out/log-out button or window. Evidently new g-mail intends to keep its accounts open like a pit bull.
> .


I don't seem to have this problem. I am able to log-in, and log-out of Gmail and Chrome any time I like (although I admit as soon as you log-out it jumps to the log-in screen, which you can easily exit out of). 

I like that when I am logged into both that it keeps all my bookmarks synced between Chrome and my cell phone, and my Contacts synced between my PC Gmail and cell phone Gmail.

But I'm certainly able to log-out of both gmail and Chrome.

ltr


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## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

yes, i've logged out of gmail / chrome ok now.
but it still shows that little box with the head & shoulders outline in it, (the log-in icon) up in the top bar.
it's like he's watching me all the time....spooky....


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

jargey3000 said:


> yes, i've logged out of gmail / chrome ok now.
> but it still shows that little box with the head & shoulders outline in it, (the log-in icon) up in the top bar.
> it's like he's watching me all the time....spooky....




try deleting all cookies in chrome

also delete all content settings


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

like_to_retire said:


> I don't seem to have this problem. I am able to log-in, and log-out of Gmail and Chrome any time I like (although I admit as soon as you log-out it jumps to the log-in screen, which you can easily exit out of).
> 
> I like that when I am logged into both that it keeps all my bookmarks synced between Chrome and my cell phone, and my Contacts synced between my PC Gmail and cell phone Gmail.
> 
> ...




agree that one can certainly log out

but at a deeper level, google is keeping its cookie eye on you
where you go
what you do
who you contact
each:
the only way to shake em off is to delete cookies & settings

remember what the google veep told the ivy league graduating class where he was the keynote speaker

"we don't need to survey you to find out what you are thinking," said the veep. "We already know what you are thinking."

.


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## olivaw (Nov 21, 2010)

jargey3000 said:


> yes, i've logged out of gmail / chrome ok now.
> but it still shows that little box with the head & shoulders outline in it, (the log-in icon) up in the top bar.
> it's like he's watching me all the time....spooky....


Humble is right, Google _is_ watching you. They say it is to provide you with helpful targeted ads.

I keep seeing ads for leather lederhosen. :smilet-digitalpoint


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## like_to_retire (Oct 9, 2016)

olivaw said:


> Humble is right, Google _is_ watching you. They say it is to provide you with helpful targeted ads.
> 
> I keep seeing ads for leather lederhosen. :smilet-digitalpoint


haha, for sure. I'm almost scared to search for stuff sometimes because I know what will happen. I look for toys for one of my grand-kids and I'm overwhelmed with advertisements for kids toys the next month or two. Sheesh.

ltr


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

Yea I buy something on Amazon, eBay or Costco and then I get ads for similar products.


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

kcowan said:


> Yea I buy something on Amazon, eBay or Costco and then I get ads for similar products.




is it necessary to "buy" though

i get ads when i just look at a product


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## like_to_retire (Oct 9, 2016)

humble_pie said:


> is it necessary to "buy" though
> 
> i get ads when i just look at a product


Me too......... something does feel a bit creepy about it.

ltr


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

It's important to frequently clear your cookies. In Chrome, simply hit: CTRL + SHIFT + DELETE, then say clear all items from the beginning of time. I do this every day.

Also, if you are logged into your Google account (say for gmail or search) in the same browser where you do other web browsing, then Google can track much of your online activity.

Because of this, I use a totally separate browser to access gmail. That web browser (Firefox) is the only one I ever use to sign into Google. My other browser is used for everything else but never signs into Google. Keeping them isolated in this way will impede Google's ability to track you.


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## like_to_retire (Oct 9, 2016)

james4beach said:


> .......
> 
> Also, if you are logged into your Google account (say for gmail or search) in the same browser where you do other web browsing, then Google can track much of your online activity.
> 
> Because of this, I use a totally separate browser to access gmail.


But remember, when you use Gmail it's being read by Google. It has been since 2004, although I read today that they are going to stop that practice. It always creeped me out.

ltr


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## Retired Peasant (Apr 22, 2013)

You can check what google has stored on you by logging into your google/gmail account. Then go into My Account. Under Personal Info and Privacy, choose Manage your Google activity. Then 'Go to My Activity' you can see all the pages/history it has stored while you were logged in. Deleting cookies/history does nothing to remove this. You can delete the activity (but don't kid yourself, they've already backed it up).

Spend some time in the Info and Privacy settings, as most is on by default. You can turn off lots of stuff - location tracking, history, search history, etc.

By the way, clearing cookies using the browser, doesn't actually clear them all. I use CCleaner and FlashCookiesCleaner, and both find more stuff to delete.


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