Google redirect fails on Canon printers fix

Quick answer for advanced users

Clear your browser cache and cookies for the last hour, then restart the browser. If that doesn't work, switch to incognito mode or a different browser to test.

What's actually happening here

You search Google for something like "print Canon support page" and click a result. Instead of the printer's setup page loading, you get a blank tab or it stays on Google. This isn't a printer hardware fault. It's your browser getting stuck because it's holding onto old redirect data from a prior session. Chrome and Edge are the worst for this—they cache redirects too aggressively. Firefox handles it a little better, but even Safari can glitch on Mac.

The real culprit: your browser's cache has a corrupted entry for the site you're trying to reach. When you click the link, it tries to load the cached redirect, but that cache is stale or broken, so the page just hangs. The printer itself has nothing to do with this—it's 100% a browser issue. But because you're searching for printer drivers or setup, you think the printer is broken. It's not.

Step-by-step fixes

Fix 1: Clear browser cache and cookies (takes 2 minutes)

1. Open Chrome (or whatever browser you're using).
2. Click the three dots in the top-right corner (menu).
3. Hover over More tools, then click Clear browsing data.
4. A window pops up. At the top, set Time range to Last hour.
5. Check the boxes for Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files.
6. Click Clear data. After a few seconds, you'll see the data cleared confirmation bar at the bottom.
7. Close the browser completely. Not just the window—quit the app. On Windows, use Task Manager to end all Chrome processes if needed.
8. Open the browser again and repeat your Google search. Click the link. It should now redirect you properly to the printer's page.

If you're on Firefox, the steps are similar: menu button (three lines) → Settings → Privacy & Security → Clear Data → select Cached Web Content and Cookies → Clear.

Fix 2: Use incognito or private mode (diagnostic test)

1. In Chrome, press Ctrl+Shift+N (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+N (Mac) to open an incognito window.
2. Go to Google and search for the printer page again.
3. Click the same link. If it works now, you've confirmed it's a cache issue in your normal browser profile.

Incognito mode doesn't use your regular cache, so it bypasses the problem entirely. If that works, you can stick with clearing cache normally. If it doesn't work even in incognito, try a different browser entirely (Edge, Firefox, Safari).

Fix 3: Disable redirect caching in Chrome (advanced)

1. In Chrome, type chrome://net-internals/#dns in the address bar and press Enter.
2. Click the Clear host cache button. This flushes the DNS cache, which can also cause redirect issues.
3. Now type chrome://net-internals/#sockets in the address bar and press Enter.
4. Click Flush socket pools. This closes all open connections and forces fresh ones.
5. Close all Chrome windows and reopen. Test the redirect again.

Alternative fixes if the main ones fail

• Restart your router. I know it sounds cliché, but routers can cache redirects too. Unplug it for 30 seconds, plug it back in, wait for lights to stabilize, then try again.
• Check for browser extensions. Ad blockers or privacy extensions (like uBlock Origin or Ghostery) sometimes block redirects. Disable them temporarily to see if that helps.
• Reset your browser settings. In Chrome, go to Settings → Advanced → Reset and clean up → Restore settings to their original defaults. This wipes all extensions and cache but keeps bookmarks and passwords.
• Try a different network. If you're on a work VPN, disconnect and use your home Wi-Fi. VPNs can interfere with DNS redirects. Firefox and Chrome both have built-in DNS over HTTPS that can conflict with some sites.

Prevention tip for next time

Set your browser to clear cache automatically on exit. In Chrome: Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data → toggle on Clear cookies and site data when you close all windows. In Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → History → set Firefox will to Use custom settings → check Clear history when Firefox closes → click Settings and check Cache. This keeps your redirects fresh and stops this problem from happening again.

Also, when you search for printer stuff, use the printer manufacturer's direct URL instead of Google. Type canon.com/support directly in the address bar. No search, no redirect, no problem.