session not created: This version of ChromeDriver only supports Chrome version 74 error with ChromeDriver Chrome using Selenium

🚀 How to Fix the "session not created: This version of ChromeDriver only supports Chrome version 74" Error in RSelenium 🚀

So, you're trying to use RSelenium with the rsDriver function, but you're running into an error. You're getting a message that says "session not created: This version of ChromeDriver only supports Chrome version 74". But when you check your Chrome settings, it tells you that you're already running the latest stable version (73.0.3683.75). What's going on here? Do you really need version 74 to use ChromeDriver with RSelenium?

🤔 Understanding the Issue

The error message seems to suggest that you need Chrome version 74.0.3729.6 to use ChromeDriver, but this version appears to be a pre-release development version of Chrome. So, do you really need to install this version to make RSelenium work? The answer is no!

💡 The Solution

You don't need to install Chrome version 74.0.3729.6 to fix this error. Instead, you can simply use a compatible version of ChromeDriver. Here's what you need to do:

1. Visit the ChromeDriver website: https://sites.google.com/a/chromium.org/chromedriver/

   • Make sure to download a version of ChromeDriver that is compatible with your current version of Chrome (73.0.3683.75 in your case).

2. Replace the existing ChromeDriver binary with the downloaded one.

   • Locate the directory where your ChromeDriver binary is stored. This could be different depending on your operating system and installation method.

   • Replace the current ChromeDriver binary with the downloaded version.

3. Install the necessary packages in R.

   • If you haven't already, make sure to install the RSelenium package in R.

   • You can install it using the following command:

     install.packages("RSelenium")

4. Restart R and try running rsDriver() again.

   • After completing the above steps, restart R and try running rsDriver() again.

   • It should now use the compatible version of ChromeDriver and work without any issues.

🌟 Alternatives

If you're still facing issues with ChromeDriver and RSelenium, don't worry! You have alternatives.

1. Use Firefox with RSelenium.

   • If you're not particularly attached to using Chrome, you can try using Firefox instead.

   • When calling rsDriver(), specify browser = "firefox" to use Firefox instead of Chrome.

2. Check the compatibility of Firefox and GeckoDriver.

   • Before using Firefox with RSelenium, make sure to check the compatibility of Firefox and GeckoDriver.

   • Visit the GeckoDriver website (https://github.com/mozilla/geckodriver/releases) to find the appropriate version of GeckoDriver for your version of Firefox.

💪 Conclusion and Call-to-Action

In conclusion, you don't need to install the pre-release version of Chrome (74.0.3729.6) to fix the "session not created: This version of ChromeDriver only supports Chrome version 74" error in RSelenium. Simply download and use a compatible version of ChromeDriver.

If the ChromeDriver issue persists, consider using Firefox with RSelenium by specifying browser = "firefox" in rsDriver().

Did this guide help you fix your RSelenium issue? Let me know in the comments below! And don't forget to share this post with your fellow tech enthusiasts who might be facing the same problem. Together, we can conquer any tech challenge! 👊