Supermium Usage Guide: Download, Configuration, Tuning — Everything You Need to Know

The previous article introduced what Supermium is. Now for something practical — how to install it, configure it, and tune it to be exactly what you want.

Supermium is based on Chromium, so its operation is largely the same as Chrome. But it has many unique features and hidden settings worth covering separately.

Download and Installation

Where to Download

Supermium has two official download channels:

• Website: win32subsystem.live/supermium/
• GitHub Releases: github.com/win32ss/supermium/releases

The content is the same on both channels; the website may release slightly earlier than GitHub. The latest version is 144.0.7559.252 R4.01 (updated June 2026).

When downloading, pay attention to the architecture:

• 64-bit Setup (124MB) — Choose this for most modern computers
• 32-bit Setup (110MB) — Choose this for XP 32-bit, old Pentium 4 processors

Installation Steps

The installation process is the same as any normal software: double-click the installer → choose installation path → done.

A few things to note:

1. Antivirus false positives: 360, Tencent PC Manager, and even Windows Defender may flag it. The developer confirms in the FAQ that this is a false positive — as long as you download from the official site or GitHub, it’s fine. Temporarily disable your antivirus during installation, or add it to the whitelist.
2. Installation path: It’s recommended to install to the default path (C:Program FilesSupermium) so that subsequent overwrite updates with the same path won’t cause issues.
3. First launch: When you open Supermium for the first time after installation, it will prompt you to import Chrome data (if Chrome is detected). You can also choose not to import and start fresh.

About Updates

Supermium does not have an auto-update mechanism. When a new version is released, you need to manually download the installer and overwrite-install.

However, the project provides an RSS Feed (top-right of the website) — subscribe and you’ll be notified when new versions are released. On GitHub, you can also Watch the repository to receive email notifications for Releases.

Overwrite installation won’t lose your settings and data — configuration files and user data directories are kept separate.

Basic Settings: Make the Browser More Comfortable

Supermium’s settings page is almost identical to Chrome’s (chrome://settings), but a few things are worth special attention.

Set as Default Browser

After installation, it’s recommended to set Supermium as your default browser — otherwise, clicking links might open IE or Edge instead.

Setup methods for different systems:

• Win 10/11: Settings → Apps → Default apps → Web browser → Select Supermium
• Win 7: Open Supermium → chrome://settings → Default browser → Set as default
• XP: Add --make-default-browser to the end of the chrome.exe shortcut target (with a space before it), then run this shortcut as administrator

Sign in to Google Account for Sync

Supermium fully supports Google Sync. After signing in, bookmarks, passwords, history, and extensions can all sync to your Google account. Unlike Chrome — Supermium doesn’t do background privacy reporting; sync is just sync.

Set Search Engine

Default is Google. You can change it to Baidu, Bing, or others at chrome://settings/search.

Manage Extensions

Just like Chrome, type chrome://extensions in the address bar to access the extension management page.

Strongly recommended: install uBlock Origin — an ad blocker and Supermium’s officially endorsed extension. Search for it in the Chrome Web Store. Since Supermium retains Manifest V2 support, uBlock Origin won’t be forcibly disabled.

Supermium Exclusive Flags: Hidden Treasures

Everyone’s familiar with Chrome’s chrome://flags. Supermium adds many exclusive flags from the ungoogled-chromium project. Here are the most useful ones:

Dark Mode Enhanced

chrome://flags/#force-dark-mode

Set to Enabled. This doesn’t just turn the browser UI dark — it also forcibly converts light web pages to dark display, with better results than most “dark mode extensions.” For users who work late at night, this flag is worth turning on first.

GDI Font Rendering

chrome://flags/#force-gdi

Recommended for XP/Vista/7 users. On older systems, DirectWrite font rendering can look faint and blurry compared to GDI. Enabling this flag switches font rendering back to GDI mode, making text sharper and clearer. If you find Supermium’s text “looks blurry,” try this.

However, note that GDI mode doesn’t support font ligatures, so if you use programming fonts, some ligature effects will disappear.

Aero Glass Title Bar

chrome://flags/#windows10-custom-titlebar

Recommended for Win 7/Vista. Supermium uses the Aero Glass style title bar by default, but this flag makes it look even better. Combined with the system’s transparency effects, Supermium looks like it belongs natively.

Custom Tab Styles

Supermium supports three unique tab appearances:

• Trapezoidal Tabs — Similar to older Chrome’s trapezoidal tabs
• Transparent Tabs — Tab background is transparent
• Outlined Tabs — Tabs represented only by borders

Search for “tab” in chrome://flags to find these. Different styles suit different aesthetics; if you like retro looks, try trapezoidal tabs.

Privacy Settings: Remove Google’s Traces

While Supermium isn’t as aggressive as ungoogled-chromium in stripping out all Google services, it gives you the right to choose. Here are my recommended privacy settings:

At chrome://settings/privacy:

1. Turn off “Use prediction services”: Uncheck all prediction-related options
2. Turn off “Safe Browsing” enhanced mode: Select “Standard protection”
3. Turn off “Autofill”: If you don’t want the browser to save payment info
4. Manage site data: Regularly clear cookies and site data

Also search for and enable these in chrome://flags:

• #force-dark-mode — Reduces bright page stimulation in dark environments
• #enable-parallel-downloading — Parallel download acceleration

Common Issues

Web pages display incorrectly, icons not showing?

Especially on Windows 7, some web page icons (font icons, SVG icons) display as squares.

Cause: Missing KB2670838 (Windows 7 Platform Update) patch.

Fix: Install IE11 or apply the KB2670838 patch directly. XP users don’t have this problem.

Netflix, Spotify not working?

This is because Widevine CDM is unsigned. Supermium attempts to support Widevine on Windows 7 and above, but some streaming services restrict non-Chrome browsers.

Temporary fix: Use Chrome or Edge for DRM-protected streaming scenarios.

Feeling slow?

On older machines, Supermium’s experience depends on hardware:

• CPU at least dual-core, recommended dual-core or better
• At least 2GB RAM
• If using a mechanical hard drive, first launch may be slow

Optimization tips: Search for and enable #enable-parallel-downloading in chrome://flags, disable unused extensions, and reduce the number of simultaneously open tabs.

Getting “This application cannot run on this system”

Make sure you’ve downloaded the correct architecture version:

• 32-bit system → Download 32-bit version
• 64-bit system → Both 64-bit and 32-bit work

If your system is XP 64-bit, also use the 64-bit version.

Summary

The core of Supermium configuration boils down to a few points:

1. Install uBlock Origin — browse without ad harassment
2. Enable #force-dark-mode — protect your eyes
3. If on Win 7/Vista, enable Aero Glass title bar — fits better with older systems
4. If fonts are blurry, enable #force-gdi — instant clarity improvement

An old computer running Supermium, aside from not being able to run the latest AAA games, handles normal web browsing, watching videos, writing documents, and browsing social media without any issues.

Instead of letting it collect dust, let it serve you for a few more years.