How to Reset your Chromebook to Factory Settings (2022)

Are you looking for a tutorial to reset your Chromebook to factory settings? You might experience a problem and see it as a solution to fix it. Or, you want to sell your computer so you need to wipe off the content in your hard drive. Whatever your reason, you need to do it with care.

This guide will show you how to restore your Chromebook to factory settings. Or, in Chromebook, it’s called Powerwash. A factory reset or powerwash means that your computer will go back to the condition when it was still brand new. The installation Chrome OS will also go back to the version once you had for the first time.

Why and How to Powerwash or Factory Reset Chromebook

When you do a factory reset to your Chromebook, you should be aware that your hard drive will be fully formatted. All the stored data in your hard drive will be completely erased. So, backing up all your data before you reset your Chromebook is a wise thing to do.

Thankfully, Chromebook is fully integrated with cloud storage services like Google Drive. So most of your data are already stored online and it will not take long to back up the data in your hard drive. Just make sure that you don’t forget your Google account’s password.

So, why would you reset your Chromebook? There are two main reasons:

• First, you are experiencing issues with either your computer system or hardware that require you to restore Chromebook to its original factory settings. The errors can be like your computer acts slow and some functions cannot work normally. A factory reset will fix those.
• Second, when you want to sell or give away your used Chromebook, you probably want to clear your data in advance. It’s to protect your private files so that no one is able to access.

The factory reset on Chromebook will not take a long time like other computers. It takes around 2 minutes to complete because you don’t need to install a new OS. And it is a lot easier to do. Most importantly, you’ll get a fresh operating system afterward.

What to Do Before You Restore Chromebook to Factory Settings

If you want to powerwash your Chromebook to fix some problems, there are several methods you can do before conducting a factory reset. If these methods work, powerwash will no longer be necessary.

Turn Off Extensions

Extensions can be the culprit of errors that you have on your Chromebook. Follow these instructions to turn off all installed extensions on your Chrome web browser:

1. Open Chrome web browser.

2. On the upper right corner, click More (three dots) > More tools > Extensions.

3. Turn off all extensions.

If you no longer need the extensions, click Remove to delete the extensions on Chrome.

RELATED: 20 Must-Have Chrome Extensions to Increase Your Productivity in 2021

Reset Chromebook Hardware

If you have issues with the hardware, such as the keyboard and touchpad, a hard reset might be able to fix them. By performing a hard reset to your Chromebook, you will restore the hardware to its default settings. However, this action might remove the files in your Download folder. So, you’d better back up your files before proceeding.

Here’s how:

Laptops

1. Turn off your Chromebook: Go to the clock at the bottom right and select Shut down.

2. Press and hold Refresh and Power at the same time.

3. Release Refresh when your Chromebook starts up.

Another method to do a hard reset

Some Chromebooks have different ways to reset their hardware. If the previous method didn’t work on your laptop, try the following instructions: