In Summary
Chromebooks generally don’t slow down with time. But sometimes resetting it to default factory settings might refresh your experience. A factory reset can be performed in several ways on a Chromebook. We have shared three of these methods in this article. All of the methods provided in this article can be used on both Chromebook PCs and Tablets.
By resetting your device from time to time, you can keep the operating system clean and keep your Chromebook running like new. If something goes wrong with your Chromebook, you can easily reset your device to factory settings using the methods described in this article. Let us get started.
How to Factory Reset Your Chromebook
A factory reset or powerwash (Chromebook-specific option) can help you fix some of the issues that may occur with your device after prolonged use. It can also help you remove old or unnecessary user profiles from your Chromebook if you bought a used device.
Reset Your Chromebook From the Settings
You can reset your Chromebook directly from the ChromeOS settings. This method is useful if you have full access to your computer. Follow the next steps to reset your Chromebook.
Open the Quick Settings in the bottom right corner and tap on the settings icon. Similarly, you can also open the app drawer on the bottom left and look for the Settings app.
Once you are in ChromeOS settings, click on Advanced in the left pane to expand it. Click on Reset Settings from the drop-down menu that comes up. Inside the Reset Settings, you will find an option called Powerwash. Click the Reset button on the right side and follow the on-screen instructions to Hard Reset your Chromebook. Make sure your Chromebook is either plugged in or is at more than 50% battery level during this process.
Reset Your Locked Chromebook With Keyboard Shortcuts
Sometimes you might encounter a Chromebook where the owner has either forgotten the password, or they have bought a used device without resetting it. In this case, you can use keyboard shortcuts at the lock screen to Hard Reset the Chromebook.
Restart your Chromebook using the power button. Once you are on the login screen, press the CTRL + ALT + SHIFT + R keys at the same time. The above key combination will trigger the reset screen on your Chromebook. Click on the Powerwash button. On the next screen, click on Continue. This will start the reset process on your Chromebook.
Hard Reset Your Chromebook Using Recovery Mode
A hard reset is helpful if your Chromebook is stuck or will not trunk up. This is not a kind of powerwash where only the software is reset. Instead, a hard reset resets both the hardware and the software to factory settings. We are going to use the Recovery mode of your Chromebook to reset it. Here are the steps to follow.
Completely turn off your Chromebook using the power button. Press and hold the Refresh key from the keyboard and the Power button simultaneously. In case you have a Chromebook tablet, press and hold the Volume Up and Power button together to enter the recovery mode. You will encounter a “Chrome OS is missing or damaged” screen, you can release all the keys now. On this page, press the CTRL + D keys to open the Chrome OS Recovery Screen. Follow the on-screen instructions to Hard Reset your Chromebook.
3 Ways to Reset Chromebook to Factory Settings
You can follow the methods mentioned above in order to Hard Reset your Chromebook to the default factory settings. Just make sure that your Chromebook is either plugged in or the battery is charged more than 50% before using any of the methods. Resetting your Chromebook to default settings is like a breath of fresh air. Since ChromeOS stores, everything in the cloud, setting it up after a hard reset is a simple task. I hope this article was helpful in some way.
