Chromebook won’t turn on? Possible causes & how to fix them

If your Chromebook won't turn on, we'll explain the probable reasons and the best solutions

Updated: Mar 29, 2023 4:22 pm

Aaron Ritchie

Chromebook how to guides

Share this article...

Chromebook won’t turn on? Possible causes & how to fix them

WePC is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Prices subject to change. Learn more

If your Chromebook won’t turn on, then you may have already gone into panic mode. Hopefully our list of possible causes (and how to fix them) will get you back on track. There are a multitude of reasons why your Chromebook won’t turn on, so you don’t have to assume the worst straight away. Even if you have the very best Chromebook out there, you may still run into some common issues, many of which should be solvable with this guide.

We’re going to run you through all the most common reasons why your Chromebook won’t turn on. More often than not, this is a quick, easy – and in many cases cheap – solution. Despite that, we have to admit that some specific problems will require some additional work or cash to fully solve.

That’s enough chatting though, go ahead and move on to the guide and see if we can resolve your issue without any more hiccups. Let’s get your laptop up and running again.

Chromebook won’t turn on? We show you all the possible to resolve this issue in several easy steps.

This guide will run through the many possible reasons your Chromebook won’t turn on, and some potential fixes for these problems. Often, there can be a pretty quick, easy (and cheap) solution to the issue, though some problems will require more drastic measures to be taken. Read through each of the steps below in order to deduce what is the most likely cause of your Chromebook boot issue.

Chromebook deals:

My Chromebook won’t turn on – potential causes

There are four main areas that could be the source of your Chromebook’s malfunction issues. These are as follows:

External hardware issues
The charger or the battery
Software issues
Issues with the operating system (Chrome OS)
Internal hardware issues

External hardware issues

Sometimes external devices plugged into the Chromebook via USB ports or other sockets can interrupt the Chromebook’s boot-up cycle.

Simply remove all these devices from the Chromebook and try to start it up again.

Chromebook charger & battery issues

Chromebook wont turn on

Charger and battery issues are a common source of problems for both Chromebooks and laptops. Follow the below steps in order (some are fairly obvious, but it’s always best to make sure) to ascertain if the issue lies with the charging adapter or the battery.

Chromebooks are shipped in a sort of dormant state that requires a power cord to bring them out of. Sometimes they can return to this state and require a jump start.

Disconnect any charging cable from both the power outlet and the Chromebook.
Close the lid of your Chromebook.
Plug the charging cable into the power outlet, and then into the Chromebook.
Open the Chromebook without pressing any buttons or keys.
With any luck, the Chromebook may boot itself up.
If this doesn’t work, let the Chromebook completely run out of charge and then try this method again.

Have a look at the charging port when the Chromebook is plugged in and check the light which should be visible. Different colors (or lack thereof) signify the following:

Orange / Red / blinking light = charging
Green/ White = charged
No Charging Light = indicates an issue

If no charging light is visible then this could signify an issue with either your charging cable, the charging port it plugs into, or the system board.

Try switching to a different charger (if you can borrow one from someone else) to see if this resolves the issue. If so, you’ll have to buy yourself a new one.

If not, you’ll have to get a professional to look at your Chromebook. If the problem lies with the charging port then this can usually be replaced. If it’s an issue with the system board then, unless it’s under warranty, it likely won’t be be worth you replacing it compared to just getting a new Chromebook.

If the Chromebook is charging, leave it to charge overnight and see if it turns on in the morning.

If the Chromebook does appear to be charging, but won’t ever charge higher than 1%, then this is very likely an issue with the battery.

Other signs of this is if your notice bulging / swelling on your keyboard or elsewhere in the body of your Chromebook, as this could be the battery swelling.

You can either buy yourself a new battery and attempt to replace it using online tutorials, or pay extra and get a professional to do it.

Application conflicts / Software updates

If your Chromebook isn’t turning on at all then this step won’t be of much use to you, but sometimes certain applications and software updates can cause conflicts with the operation of your Chromebook, including the boot cycle.

If you do manage to get your Chromebook to turn on once but are still experiencing issues repeating this, it could be worth uninstalling any recently installed applications, and make sure your Chrome OS is fully up to date.

Try a hard restart

If your Chromebook turns on to a point but refuses to properly load up / the screen remains black, try a hard restart by holding down the following keys (this will cause any RAM storage and caches to be flushed, potentially removing corrupt files):

Refresh key + Power button

Factory reset a.k.a. Powerwash your Chromebook

Again this method will only work if you manage to get your Chromebook to turn on intermitently but are still having problems.

If so, sometimes returning the Chromebook back to its factory settings will resolve any issues or conflicts that may be interfering with the boot cycle.

To factory reset you Chromebook:

Hold down the following keys: Ctrl + Alt + Shift + r.
Press Restart when it appears.
Select Powerwash and then press Continue.
Go through each of the steps then sign back in with your Google Account.

Contact the manufacturer

If all else fails, your last resort is to contact the manufacturer of your specific model of Chromebook. If you have a warranty on your Chromebook, then you may be able to get it serviced / repaired for free, or at least at a reduced rate.

If the price of the repair is too high, then it may be worth just buying a new Chromebook entirely, assuming there is nothing saved to the hardrive of your old one that you need to recover (being a Chromebook, it should hopefully be mostly saved on the cloud).

Chromebook won’t turn on? : Final Word

This has been our guide on what to do if your Chromebook won’t turn on. Hopefully, it’s been of some help and the underlying issue was not a major one. Do be sure to check out our other Chromebook how-to pages for more help on getting the most out of your mobile machine, or see our best Chromebook guide if you’re looking to pick up a new device.