Chromebook is an evolution that runs on Chrome OS. It works similar to that of an Android OS. Sometimes you may face some issues like device malfunction or error or freeze screen on your Chromebook. It needs to be immediately fixed to access the device any further. In any such scenario, you need to reset your Chromebook device to speed up your device performance in many ways. In this article, let’s see how to reset the Chromebook in detail.
When to Reset Chromebook?
You can put Chromebook back to its factory settings in the following scenarios.
- If you see “Reset this Chrome device” on your Chrome OS.
- Restarting the device fails to fix up the issues.
- When there is an issue with the user profile or settings.
- If you want to change the owner of the Chromebook.
Try This Before Full Reset!
We recommend the following things to be carried out before you opt to reset the Chrome OS.
You could turn off the Chrome extensions one by one and check if the device works each time.
Opt to reset or power your Chromebook hardware down. It reset the trackpad and keyboard. With this, files causing issues on the Downloads folder get deleted. Just turn off your Chromebook, press the Refresh and Power button.
If any of them doesn’t resolve, then you should carry out the resetting process.
Important! Make sure to back your files and important information on your Chromebook’s hard drive. Optionally, you can sync your data and settings to Google Account.
Ways to reset Chromebook
- Hard reset Chromebook
- Reset via Powerwash
- Using Chrome OS Keyboard Shortcut
- Using the Recovery mode
Hard Reset Chromebook
[1] Navigate to the bottom of the screen to select the Time to expand the Control Panel.
[2] Select the Shutdown (power) icon from the top.
[3] Press and hold the Refresh button, followed by the Power button.
[4] Release the refresh button once your device starts to restart.
[5] Now, your Chromebook device has been hard reset successfully.
Related: Learn to Reset Xbox 360
Reset via Powerwash
[1] Select the Time at the bottom to expand the Control panel.
[2] Click on the Settings (gear) icon from the top.
[3] Click Advanced from the Settings, and it expands.
[4] Choose Reset Settings from the menu.
[5] Click on the Reset button under the Powerwash section.
[6] Now, your Chromebook device will begin to start resetting to default.
Using Chrome OS keyboard Shortcut (Factory Reset Chromebook Without Password)
[1] Restart your Chromebook device. ( With this, you will be logged out of Google account)
[2] When the login screen appears, press the Ctrl + Alt + Shift + R combination on your keyboard.
[3] Click on the Powerwash button below.
[4] Then, click on Reset.
[5] Now, your Chromebook device will start resetting.
Using the Recovery Mode (Chrome OS Missing or Freeze)
[1] Turn off your Chromebook device.
[2] Press and hold the Refresh key, followed by the Power key simultaneously.
Note: If you are using a Chrome OS tablet, press Volume Up instead of the Refresh key.
[3] It shows a screen with a huge exclamatory mark saying Chrome OS is missing or damaged.
Note: If the screen does not show, press the Esc key along with Refresh and the Power key.
[4] Release all the keys and press Ctrl + D to open the recovery screen.
[5] Now follow the on-screen instruction to reset your Chromebook device.
Related: Own Roku, and it brings issues? Learn to reset Roku devices
Reset School, Work, or Enterprise Chromebook
You can reset your Chromebook provided or enrolled from your school, work, or enterprise. As they are linked under an administrator, you can request a reset. If not, you need to unenroll your Chromebook device from school, work, or enterprise to gain access and reset.
Note: Unenrolling results in wiping out all data, and it is similar to that of resetting your device. So have a backup of all data from your Chromebook before resetting.
Reset Older Chromebook device
To reset an older Chromebook device, your need to press and hold the recovery button on your device using the Paper clip or some blunt pin. Different Chromebook devices have different locations for recovery holes.
- Acer AC700
- Asus Chromebit
- CR-48
- Samsung Series 5
- Samsung Series 5 550
- ASUS Chromebox 3 CN65
- Samsung Series 3 Chromebox
- ASUS Chromebox 2 CN62
- Dell Chromebox
- AOPEN Chromebox
- Acer Chromebox
Conclusion
These are some of the ways to reset your Chrome OS device. You can choose any of the methods based on your scenario. Once after the reset, your Chromebook will get back its factory settings, and it will function properly. If you have any queries, feel free to comment us below. For more Chromebook guides and articles, explore the site.