Offline google chrome extensions

google-chrome google-chrome-extension group-policy
Matt Ruge picture Matt Ruge · Feb 25, 2016 · Viewed 19.2k times · Source

Background:

  • I manage an offline network of workstations.
  • I have written a chrome extension that needs to be in the browser for our webapp to function
  • I have published it through the chrome store (but not made it public)

Question:

  • How do I install this extension without the internet

What I've tried:

  • Windows GPO: Requires the update URL to be http://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx
  • Windows Registry: same URL problem
  • Unpacked extensions: prompts users, requires developer tools, and disables the extension when chrome is restarted.
  • install crx: disables the extension when chrome is restarted.

Any other ideas, or ways around this? Chrome version 48.

Answer

James Dev picture James Dev · Mar 9, 2016

I was able to do this on a regular chrome installation by doing the following:

  1. Download the extension in crx format - how to download a crx file from the chrome web store for a given id
  2. Unzip the crx file
  3. I had to rename the _metadata folder to metadata
  4. Open the chrome extensions page
  5. Enable Developer mode
  6. Click "Load unpacked extension..."
  7. Select the unzipped folder

This worked for me when I needed to install Advanced REST client.

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