Chromebook Won't Turn On?
Chromebooks are usually rock solid. When one won't turn on, it's often something simple. Here's the order to try.
Quick fix to try first
Plug in the charger and wait 30 minutes before pressing power. A completely drained Chromebook battery may not show any signs of charging for the first 10-20 minutes, and the screen stays dark. Many "dead" Chromebooks just needed time.
1. Confirm power is reaching it
- Check the charger LED (if there is one). Should glow when plugged in.
- Try a different outlet
- Try a different USB-C cable
- If a friend has a USB-C laptop, borrow their charger. Most modern Chromebooks accept any USB-C PD charger.
2. Hard reset
The Chromebook equivalent of a hard restart. Different than restarting normally.
Most Chromebook laptops:
- Hold the Refresh key (circular arrow, top row)
- While holding Refresh, press the Power button
- Release both
- Chromebook should boot
Chromebook tablets: Hold Volume Up + Power for 10 seconds.
Chromeboxes (desktop Chromebook): Unplug power, hold the recovery button (small hole, use paperclip), plug power back in while holding, release after 5 seconds.
3. Clean the charging port
USB-C ports collect lint and dust. A blocked port can stop charging completely.
Power off, then look inside the port with a flashlight. If you see anything, gently scrape it out with a wooden toothpick (never metal).
4. Powerwash if it boots but won't sign in
If the Chromebook turns on but can't sign in or seems stuck, factory reset:
- From the sign-in screen, press Ctrl + Alt + Shift + R
- Click Restart, then Powerwash
- Wait 5-10 minutes, then sign in with your Google account
5. Chrome OS Recovery (the nuclear option)
If the Chromebook won't boot at all and you've tried everything, Recovery rebuilds Chrome OS from scratch.
- On another computer, install the Chromebook Recovery Utility extension in Chrome
- Use it to create a recovery USB drive (need a USB drive at least 8 GB)
- On the broken Chromebook, hold Esc + Refresh + Power to enter recovery mode
- Insert the USB drive
- Follow on-screen prompts
When it's truly dead
If recovery doesn't work, the hardware has failed. Common failures:
- Battery: can be replaced on some Chromebooks, on others it's soldered
- Power circuit: usually not repair-worthy on budget Chromebooks
- Screen: if you hear it run but see nothing, the display is dead
For budget Chromebooks (under $400 new), repair often costs more than replacement. A new entry-level Chromebook runs $200-400.
Video walkthrough
Video by ChromebookHQ on YouTube
Still dead?
We can take a quick look and tell you if it's worth repairing.