Google Chrome remains the world’s most popular internet browser. Like any browser, it has its fair share of issues—and that’s without getting into the privacy concerns.
One such issue stems from Chrome Components, the building blocks that make up the Chrome browser. If a Chrome Component bugs out or becomes corrupt, it affects the entire browser.
So, what is a Chrome Component? Plus, can you use a Chrome Component to fix your Netflix DRM issues? Here’s what you need to know.
Google Chrome has many different modules that bring the websites and media services you love to life. These modules are known as Chrome Components, and together, they help keep Google Chrome ticking over.
A prime example is the Google Chrome Adobe Flash Player component. The Adobe Flash Player component deals with Adobe Flash Player content. Even though Flash Player support finishes at the end of 2020 and Chrome is already phasing the notoriously vulnerable browser plug-in out, a broken Adobe Flash Player component can cause certain online content to break.
Numerous other Chrome Components hold important roles in your browser. For the most part, you don’t need to worry about them. Chrome Components update as and when an update is available. Furthermore, you don’t pick and choose the components you want and don’t want, like a bag of pick & mix sweets.
There are several common Chrome Components. Here’s what they do, in brief:
- MEI Preload: Assists with media playback on your device, preloading content from websites.
- Intervention Policy Database: Pushes policies and settings to local devices.
- Legacy TLS Deprecation Configuration: Primarily deals with TLS security settings. Some older TLS versions are now out of date and require legacy management to remain secure.
- Subsource Filter Rules: Actively checks and filters malicious or dangerous content and filters out ads that do not comply with Google’s Better Ads rules.
- Crowd Deny: Uses the power of the crowd to block malicious sites from adding cookies, accessing permissions, using sound and video, and so on, based upon site reputation.
- File Type Policies: Deals with file handling policies, such as how Chrome should react after you download a certain file type.
- Origin Trials: A tool that allows developers to experiment with Chrome features and functions without breaking the browser in the process.
- Adobe Flash Player: Helps keep Adobe Flash Player content working within your browser.
- Certificate Error Assistant: Manages your signed SSL certificates, which in turn keep you safe online. The CEA helps resolve any issues between signed certificates.
- CRLSet: Maintains a list of bad signed certificates, such as those that are expired, untrustworthy, or just straight up malicious.
- Safety Tips: Enforces safety precautions as you use Google Chrome, such as a warning that the site you’re about to visit is hosting malware or is known for phishing scams.
- OnDeviceHeadSuggest: Used to create more accurate autocomplete suggestions in the Omnibox (where you type searches and input URLs).
- Widevine Content Decryption Module: Also known as the widevinecdm, this component unlocks digital rights management (DRM) protected content from media sources such as Netflix, Spotify, and so on.
- Software Reporter Tool: Provides the button and tracking service for Chrome users to report issues with the browser.
- Pnacl: Another developer tool, allowing devs to run untested code in a sandbox environment that doesn’t destroy Chrome in the process.
While Chrome Components are best left to their own devices, there are some instances where a manual update can fix an issue. Specifically, Netflix error M7701-1003 relates to the widevinecdm Chrome Component (also Netflix error M7357-1003).
If you encounter this Netflix error, it means the widevinecdm Chrome Component may require updating. Input chrome://components in the address bar. Scroll down to the Widevine Content Decryption Module, then select Check for Update. Netflix isn’t the only video streaming service to suffer this issue.
For example, there was a BBC iPlayer error that required the same widevinecdm fix (after installing a new version of the BBC iPlayer app), plus Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and so on.
The Chrome Component error isn’t the only Netflix issue, far from it. Here’s how you fix the most common Netflix error code, as well as how to fix Netflix’s most annoying problems.
There isn’t actually a way to manually install the Widevine Content Decryption Module as a single entity. If attempting to update the widevinecdm doesn’t work, and you still encounter errors, you have two options.
The first is to check if there are any outstanding Google Chrome updates for the entire browser.
Input chrome://settings/help in the address bar and press Enter. The About Chrome page will open, displaying whether an update is available. If an update is available, it will begin downloading automatically. When the download finishes, select Relaunch. Chrome will launch and update to the latest version.
In turn, the widevinecdm Chrome Component will also “update,” resolving your issue. Google Chrome updates are relatively automatic. However, if you want more control over Google Chrome, check how to stop automatic Google Chrome updates in Windows.
The absolute final fix is to reinstall Google Chrome. Head to the Google Chrome homepage and download the latest version. You’ll need this in a moment. Head to Control Panel > Programs and Features.
Scroll down and find Google Chrome, then right-click and select Uninstall. Once Chrome finishes uninstalling from your system, double-click the new version you downloaded, then complete the installation process.
Google Chrome Components are just some of the building blocks of the Google Chrome browser. You don’t need to interact with the Chrome Components much. They will update when they need too, and you don’t need to force them to update needlessly.
Unless, of course, you encounter the Netflix widevinecdm content error, then you can go ahead and attempt a manual Chrome Component update.