Chromebook Troubleshooting

For a Chromebook that won't turn on, please try the following steps in order. For a Chromebook that turns on but is malfunctioning, skip directly to the Powerwash procedure. 

For physical damage such as cracked screens or broken plastic housing, please submit a ticket to help@d-e.org.

Hard Reset

If a Chromebook does not turn on, first try a hard reset:

1. Press and hold the Refresh key (circular arrow) and tap the Power button.

2. When your Chromebook starts up, release Refresh.

3. Continue to the next step, Powerwash.

Note: If a hard reset fails to wake the device, check that the charging indicator is lit on the side of the device while plugged in to the power adapter. If the charging indicator is not lit, the battery may have failed. Please submit a ticket to help@d-e.org. 

Powerwash 

If a Chromebook turns on but is malfunctioning, try to Powerwash (factory reset) the Chromebook:

1. Sign out of your Chromebook.

2. Press and hold Ctrl + Alt + Shift + r.

3. Select Restart.

4. In the box that appears, select Powerwash > Continue.

5. Follow the steps that appear and sign in with your Google Account.

6. Continue to the next step, Update Software.

Update Software

Once a Chromebook has been powerwashed (factory reset), always check for software updates to fix any remaining bugs.

1. At the bottom right of the desktop, click the time and select Settings.

2. At the bottom left of the Settings page, select "About ChromeOS."

3. To update to the latest version, select Check for updates.