Chromebook frozen? There are several ways to fix that, but first you need to know why a Chromebook may malfunction before you can address the problem.
Many companies today can make Chromebooks, so you can get any lightweight laptop running Chrome OS, but all of them will most likely have similar problems.
Chromebooks freeze, stop responding or lock up owing to software or hardware issues. Among the culprits that can get your Chromebook frozen or running slowly include running programs, Chrome OS problems, devices plugged into the Chromebook, or internal hardware issues.
Fixes To Use When You Find Your Chromebook Frozen
Quick fixes
- Unplug external devices like headphones or USB drives just to rule them out as causes of the Chromebook freezing up or becoming unresponsive
- Check for any error messages and do a quick Google search of what they may represent so as to get further insight and assistance
- Close currently running apps and web pages that may be hogging memory. You can use the CTRL+ALT+DEL to bring up Task Manager on Chrome OS and end such tasks
Hard Reboot or Shutdown
If there’s no way of controlling the cursor on your Chromebook, do a hard reboot by holding down the Power key till it goes off. Turn it back on and open Task Manager to see any programs or apps eating up memory. You can uninstall those you don’t need, and check for the apps you don’t recognize and remove them.
Drain battery
If you find your Chromebook frozen and unresponsive, or it won’t even turn off, unplug it from the main power source and let the battery drain. Give this about three hours to allow the CPU to cool down. Once done, reconnect the charger and power on the device.
Hard Reset
To perform a hard reset when the Chromebook is frozen, or won’t boot up at all, hold down the Refresh+Power keys together for five seconds. Check your device’s user manual to find the Refresh key as some Chromebooks have different icons for it.
Note that a hard reset could cause configuration preference losses for the keyboard and trackpad. However, you won’t lose files or apps, except what’s in your Downloads folder as the reset restarts the hardware.
Factory Reset
If a hard reset and other solutions don’t work, reset the Chromebook to factory settings. This will erase all files, returning your Chromebook back to its original state.
If all else fails, get an expert to check your Chromebook.
Elsie is a tech writer with 8+ years professional experience. For Tech News Watch, she brings rich experience contributing to topics such as Windows, MacOS, Android, and iOS among others. In her spare time, she loves checking out the latest tech trends, gadgets, and news, listening to music and cars.
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