Temporary workaround
A short-term workaround could be to downgrade Chrome to an earlier version. Be aware that:
- Google only supports the most current stable channel release.
- Chrome will try to update itself automatically, and you need to prevent that.
- You will miss any security updates, bug fixes, or new features.
In the long run, you will be stuck with an old, outdated browser. The single feature you're missing might have been brought back in the meanwhile, or not. As a backup plan, playing with a different browser is worth the effort, even if you don't plan to switch right away.
File information
Considering Google won't endorse old Chrome versions, you have to rely on third parties who can provide a standalone, offline installer. Any web installer would automatically retrieve the most updated version, thus making it totally useless.
The latest stable version released in the 31.x branch is 31.0.1650.63. Here are the basic details and hashes of the official installer:
File: 31.0.1650.63_chrome_installer.exe
Size: 33.7 MiB (35337056 bytes)
Version: 31.0.1650.63
---
CRC32: 14b5a4cf
MD5: 8d8e67e5a438e9906cc90c5ed4aa1ad7
SHA1: a022ceeb5523145efbcf50c30426b8f2cec33716
SHA256: 2aaee6f9da598b483833e541ed8cc1671e3f034624834ad9c5ed1decedafa5a4
Additionally, the file is digitally signed by Google Inc, and countersigned by Symantec Time Stamping Services Signer - G4. Both signatures must be valid. You can check them by opening the file properties dialog.
For newer or older Chrome versions, here's a reliable (albeit unofficial) page containing the details about each installer: Chrome Installer Information.
Download links
You can use any of the link below, or find an alternate source yourself. While the actual file name could be different, the other details provided above must match exactly.
Make sure to scan the files using your antivirus, and upload a copy to VirusTotal to feel confident enough. If possible, test the program in a safe environment first. When you're done, make a backup of the setup executable.
Prevent updates
Make sure all Chrome-related processes are completely closed, then open an elevated command prompt. Type or paste the following commands to disable the auto-update features via the registry:
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Update" /v "UpdateDefault" /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Update" /v "AutoUpdateCheckPeriodMinutes" /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Update" /v "DisableAutoUpdateChecksCheckboxValue" /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Update" /v "Update{8A69D345-D564-463C-AFF1-A69D9E530F96}" /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
Disable (but not delete) all Google Update scheduled tasks and services:
for /r "%windir%\System32\Tasks" %A in ("GoogleUpdate*") do @schtasks /change /tn "%~nA" /disable
for /f "delims=" %A in ('"reg query "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services" | findstr /i /c:"gupdate" "') do @sc stop "%~nA" & @sc config "%~nA" start= disabled
As pointed out by @Synetech, you should avoid deleting the Google Update tasks "because Chrome will simply re-create them the next time you run it; it will not re-enable them if they already exist but are disabled." I wouldn't recommend deleting them anyway, should you want to enable them in the future.
Prevent the GoogleUpdate.exe application from running:
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\GoogleUpdate.exe" /v "Debugger" /t REG_SZ /d "systray.exe" /f
If you're interested in how that works exactly, check this question: How to block programs from running (Windows 7).
Type chrome:plugins in the Chrome address bar, and disable the Google Update plug-in.
Reverting back
In case you want to enable updates again, follow the steps below.
Make sure all Chrome-related processes are completely closed, then open a command prompt as administrator. Type or paste the following commands:
reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Update" /f
reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\GoogleUpdate.exe" /f
for /r "%windir%\System32\Tasks" %A in ("GoogleUpdate*") do @schtasks /change /tn "%~nA" /enable
for /f "delims=" %A in ('"reg query "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services" | findstr /i /c:"gupdate" "') do @sc config "%~nA" start= demand
Type chrome:plugins in the Chrome address bar, and enable the Google Update plug-in.
