How-To

How to Fix a Chromebook That Won’t Turn On

By Brian Burgess

Updated March 5, 2024

If your Chromebook won’t turn on, don’t panic, as there are some troubleshooting steps you can try. Check out this guide to get started.

When your Chromebook won’t turn on, it is concerning. That is especially true if it’s your only device and you need to get things done. Luckily there are some ways you can get it up and running again.

You’ll need to follow some basic steps, like ensuring it’s plugged in and charged or doing a hardware reset when your Chromebook won’t turn on. A simple problem requires a simple fix, but if it’s a bigger problem, you’ll need to dig deeper to find the cause and troubleshoot it.

Before you panic, however, let’s look at some fixes you can try if you can’t turn on or restart an unresponsive Chromebook.

Why Won’t My Chromebook Turn On?

If your Chromebook isn’t turning on, it’s usually a power problem. You could have a faulty battery or power cord or there isn’t power to the cord. Either scenario could prevent it from booting up or charging.

It could also be caused by too many connected devices (such as external hard drives) drawing more power than is available. Don’t rule out a software issue, as a bad upgrade could brick your device — you’ll need to powerwash or perform a full factory reset if this is the case.

Otherwise, it’s a hardware problem with the Chromebook itself (outside of battery or power issues). If your hardware is faulty, it won’t boot up, and you’ll need to investigate a warranty repair or try to have your Chromebook serviced to repair the issue.

1. Check Your Power

If there is foreign material obstructing the power cord or battery, removing it will help get your Chromebook running. This allows you to clean your Chromebook and ensure it’s plugged in correctly.

Most modern Chromebooks have an integrated battery. This means you can’t disconnect and reconnect it. However, if you have an older model, it may have a detachable battery that you can reseat.

If your Chromebook has an accessible battery, remove it, clean it, and plug it back in. While the battery is disconnected, ensure no dirt or debris might be obstructing the battery’s terminal contacts. To aid in the cleaning of the battery, grab a can of canned air and remove dust and debris from the battery connector. You can contact the manufacturer or find a replacement online if the battery is damaged.

Also, unplug the power cord and clear any dust or debris accumulated in the power cord’s port or its connectors. For example, if your Chromebook uses a USB-C connector, blow the dust out of the port, and plug it back in.

Sometimes cleaning the power options will allow your Chromebook to reestablish its external power and boot up again. If your Chromebook is particularly dirty, you might want to clean the screen while you’re at it.

2. Ensure Your Chromebook is Charging Correctly

If you drain your Chromebook’s battery to zero, it will not turn on unless you plug it in. Ensure the power cord is plugged into a working outlet and plugged into your Chromebook. Wait at least 30 minutes; it should have enough juice to boot.

Let your Chromebook charge overnight to avoid battery draining problems and ensure you have enough juice. While you’re at it, check the power cord for any damage and ensure it plugs into your computer correctly. A power icon will display in the lower right corner when it’s plugged in and charging. When you hover over it, you can see the amount of charge it has.

Also, check that the AC adapter is plugged into the proper charging port. If your Chromebook has multiple ports (USB-C, for example), try using a different one. If you’re unsure of the correct port, check the manufacturer’s support site for help.

3. Remove External Devices

Another reason your Chromebook isn’t booting could be an external drive or other connected device conflicting with the boot process. While USB devices are commonly the main culprits, you need to unplug everything. That includes headphones, keyboards, drives, and mice — everything.

Once you have everything unplugged, try booting your Chromebook; hopefully, that will fix the problem.

4. Do a Hardware Reset to Force Your Chromebook to Start

If your Chromebook won’t turn on after trying the options above, it’s time to do a hardware reset. It’s possible your Chromebook isn’t turning on due to failing or non-working hardware components.

To do a hardware reset, turn the Chromebook off and remove the power cord and all external devices.

Press and hold the Power and Refresh buttons. Wondering where the reset or refresh button is on your Chromebook? The Refresh key is on the top row above the 3 and 4 keys. The location of your Power button will vary. Some power buttons are at the top right corner above the Backspace key. Others are a physical power button located on the Chromebook’s side.

Release both keys when the Chromebook starts up, which takes 10-15 seconds. The process refreshes the embedded controller, which turns your Chromebook on and off. It will also reset other components like the keyboard and trackpad. So, if you have any trackpad, touchscreen, or keyboard configurations, you’ll need to reconfigure them following the reset.

It’s also important to note that doing a hardware reset varies among Chromebooks. For example, some have a dedicated reset button that you can reach with a paperclip. If you’re not sure, contact manufacturer support.

5. Do a Factory Reset (Powerwash)

If your Chromebook doesn’t turn on correctly, you can try to reset it to factory settings. Remember that this will remove everything from your device — files, apps, settings, etc.

Also, you’ll need to get the Chromebook to power on for this to work. A reset is a good option if your Chromebook powers on sporadically and nothing else seems to fix the problem.

There are a couple of ways to reset your Chromebook. If you can get to the login screen, hit Ctrl+Shift+Alt+R before signing in to bring up the Reset or “Powerwash” wizard and follow the onscreen instructions.

Open Advanced Settings, scroll to the bottom, under the Reset Settings, and choose the Powerwash option. Your Chromebook will restart and be returned to the state it was out of the box.

6. Contact Manufacturer Support

If nothing works, you could have faulty hardware. And if the Chromebook is still under warranty, the manufacturer might give you a new Chromebook. The help desk technician might also walk you through a series of steps to get it on.

If it’s no longer under warranty, have a repair tech look at it if one is nearby. However, fixing the Chromebook might cost as much as you paid for it. The cool thing about Chromebooks, however, is that your files are stored online, so you can easily swap them to a new device without losing them.

When you get a new Chromebook, sign in with your Google account. Your files will be there, ready for you to start working again.

Troubleshooting Your Chromebook Issues

When your Chromebook won’t turn on, using one of the solutions above will get you up and running. When a Chromebook is new and under warranty, you should be able to get a free replacement from the manufacturer. If it’s an old Chromebook and doesn’t power on, you might need a new one anyway.