Chromebook Won't Turn On: How to Fix It Step by Step

When a Chromebook won’t turn on, it is easy to assume it has died. In practice, most cases come down to a battery that has drained to zero, a charger or port problem, or a power controller that needs a hard reset. All of those can be fixed at home in a few minutes, and none of them erase your files. This guide goes from the quickest fix to the more drastic ones.

This is an independent guide that applies to Chromebooks from any maker. Key names below refer to the Chromebook keyboard: Refresh is the circular arrow key above the number 3 or 4.

1. Charge it the right way

A Chromebook that has run completely flat may show nothing at all, not even a light, when you first plug it in.

1. Use the charger that came with the Chromebook, or one with the same wattage. Many cheap USB-C phone chargers are not powerful enough.
2. Plug it directly into a wall outlet, not a power strip or a computer’s USB port.
3. Check the small charging light near the port or on the side. On most models it turns orange or amber while charging and white or green when full.
4. Leave it for at least 30 minutes, longer if the battery was empty for weeks, before pressing power.

If the light never comes on, try the other USB-C port (many Chromebooks have one on each side), another outlet and, if you can borrow one, another charger. A charger that charges a phone but not the Chromebook is usually underpowered. If you are not sure the battery is healthy, see how to check laptop battery health and our general guide to a laptop that is plugged in but not charging.

2. Press and hold the power button

Hold the power button for three to five seconds rather than tapping it. On some Chromebooks the button is on the side of the case, not on the keyboard. If you hear a fan or see the keyboard backlight but the screen stays black, go to step 4.

3. Do a hard reset

A hard reset restarts the Chromebook’s hardware, including the keyboard and power controllers. It fixes a surprising number of “dead” Chromebooks.

• Most Chromebook laptops: turn the Chromebook off if it is on. Press and hold Refresh, then tap Power. When the Chromebook starts, release Refresh.
• Chromebook tablets and detachables: hold Volume up and Power together for about 10 seconds, then release.
• Some older or business models: unplug the charger, insert a straightened paper clip into the small reset hole on the bottom, plug the charger back in while holding it, then press Power. Others need the battery disconnected. Check your model’s support page if the first method does nothing.

Google notes that a hard reset might delete files in your Downloads folder on some devices, so once it is working, move important files to Google Drive.

4. Check the screen and accessories

If the Chromebook seems to be running but the screen is dark:

• Press the brightness up key (a sun icon in the top row) several times.
• Connect an external monitor or TV with a USB-C to HDMI adapter. If a picture appears there, the internal screen or its cable has failed and needs repair. Our guide to HDMI no signal helps if the external screen also stays blank.
• Unplug every USB device, SD card, dock and hub, then try again. A faulty accessory can stop a Chromebook from starting.

5. Let it cool down or dry out

A Chromebook that shut down while hot may refuse to start until it cools. Leave it on a hard surface for 20 minutes. If liquid was spilled on it, do not try to power it on: unplug it, turn it upside down to drain and take it to a repair shop.

6. If it starts but gets stuck

• Stuck on the logo or a blank white screen: do a hard reset as in step 3, then let it sit for a few minutes, as updates can take time.
• “ChromeOS is missing or damaged”: you need recovery mode (step 8).
• Turns on, but you cannot sign in or it keeps crashing: try signing in as a guest. If guest mode works, a Powerwash (step 7) usually fixes your profile. Problems connecting to Wi-Fi after starting are covered in Google’s connection help and our Wi-Fi works on phone but not laptop guide.

7. Powerwash (factory reset)

A Powerwash returns ChromeOS to factory settings and removes all local files and user profiles. Anything saved in Google Drive, your Google account, bookmarks synced to Chrome and apps you reinstall are not lost.

1. Sign out of the Chromebook.
2. At the sign-in screen, press and hold Ctrl + Alt + Shift + R.
3. Select Restart, then Powerwash, and follow the prompts.

Do not Powerwash a school or work Chromebook; take it to the IT team.

8. Recover ChromeOS with a USB drive

Recovery mode reinstalls ChromeOS when it is damaged. You need another computer with Chrome and a USB flash drive or SD card of at least 8 GB that you can erase.

1. On the other computer, install the Chromebook Recovery Utility extension in Chrome and follow its steps to create recovery media for your Chromebook model.
2. On the Chromebook, press and hold Esc + Refresh, then press Power. Release Power, and release the other keys when a message appears on the screen.
3. Choose to recover using an external disk, insert the USB drive and follow the instructions.

Recovery erases everything stored locally on the Chromebook.

When it is time for a repair

If there is no charging light with a known-good charger, no response to a hard reset and no picture on an external display, the motherboard, battery or charging port is likely faulty. Check whether the Chromebook is still under warranty on the maker’s support site, or ask a local repair shop for a quote. If the Chromebook is old, compare the repair price with a replacement, and when you retire it, see how to recycle old electronics safely.