How To Fix Your Chromebook If It Won’t Turn On

More users are reporting that their Chromebooks are not turning on or the screen stays black. For some the problem comes and goes but for others their machine just stays off all the time. If your Chromebook doesn’t turn on there is a few different problems that can be the cause.

This article will go through all the possible causes. I’ve arranged them in order from simplest to fix to most complex so that you can go through them one by one until your Chromebook turns on again.

So just try each fix and stop when your Chromebook turns on! Cheers!

Fix #1: Connect Your Chromebook To Power

Let’s start with a very simple solution that worked for one of my customers at my computer shop. Simply take your Chromebook, plug it into the wall power outlet, and try to turn it on.

If that doesn’t work no worries move onto Fix #2.

Fix #2: Power-Cycle Your Chromebook

  1. Unplug your Chromebook from power.
  2. Remove the battery is that is possible on your model of Chromebook (it isn’t on most Chromebooks)
  3. Press and Hold the power button for one whole minute.

Now try to turn on your Chromebook.

Fix #3: EC Reset Your Chromebook

Fix #4: Let Your Chromebook Charge For A Few Hours

If the Chromebook is very low on charge it may just need to charge. Let it sit plugged in and charging for around four hours. I suggest leaving it plugged in over night.

Try turning it on in the morning.

Fix #5: Disconnect Battery And Power-Cycle (Advanced)

Most Chromebook machines have a built in battery that is sealed inside. However most of the batteries are not that difficult to reach if you have a screwdriver and are careful.

Look up a disassembly video for your chromebook model on youtube and watch it to see where the battery is located.

  1. Unplug your chromebook.
  2. Open your chromebook to get to the battery.
  3. Disconnect the battery cable.
  4. Carefully move the chromebook so that you can reach the power button. Press and Hold the power button for one minute.
  5. Re-connect the battery cable. Make sure the connection is secure.
  6. Close up your chromebook. Plug it in.

Try turning it on now.

132 thoughts on “How To Fix Your Chromebook If It Won’t Turn On”

  6. Hi – Had my Acer Chromebook for a few years, been great. Then the other day screen went black and would not restart (light flashes five times). I have sussed out this is due to the battery failing so ordered a new one. In the meantime I have worked out another way to get it working until the new battery arrives – namely remove the battery, plug in power supply as normal. If it resets and stops working again, simply temporarily put the battery in and then turn on (it won’t work), remove it and re-plug the power in again.

  9. Number 2 worked for me, but I am curious why it does this in the first place. I am also concerned that my new Acer Chromebook R11 will continue to do this. That would be a serious downer for this machine I find, otherwise, heavenly.

  10. I tried every one of your suggestions. Nothing work thank you anyway maybe it’s time for a new computer but this one is only 3 y/o maybe i will take it some where to be looked at t l thanks again.

  12. Great advice! I didn’t even have to remove my battery. I press and held the power button for about 70 seconds. Then I turned the laptop on and voila! Not sure what happened in the first place, but it’s fixed. THANK YOU!

  13. I have an Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 14 and nothing will come on the screen. It powers on and the screen is part black and blue. I can hear all the power on sounds but nothing appears on the screen.

  14. Fix number 5 worked for my Chromebook Asus C200. I just removed the battery cable connector and then connected again after removed the bottom screws. Didn’t need to press the power button. Great ! Many thanks.

  15. Thank you very much! Holding the power button down for one minute, then turning on did the trick! Appreciate the help!

  18. I have a brand new ASUS Chromebook (ASUS C100PA-DB02 10.1-inch Touch Chromebook Flip (1.8GHz, 4GB Memory, 16GB eMMC, Google Operation System), Silver.

    Upon opening the box, I immediately charged it overnight and pressed the ‘Power’ button the next morning. Nothing. I looked at the forums and tried pressing ‘On’ along with the Refresh button. I’ve never seen the screen light up; not once. Now it’s plugged in again. I hit ‘Power’ and it just beeps twice but nothing appears on the screen. Don’t know what to do!

    Thanks for whatever you can suggest; otherwise, I have to return it to Amazon and wonder whether I should get a replacement or a completely different model.

  20. OMG! OMG! OMG! Thank you! #5 works! Hardest part is the dang tiny 12 screws.. Wasn’t sure if the lid had to be all the way open while holding the button down for 60 seconds so I ended upholding it about 20 secs and while doing so, I opened the lid all the way and ended up holding the button down for probably a total of 100 secs approx.. Snapped the back on, went in and plugged it in and it immediately loaded as normally expected.. even a 62 yr old grandma can now fix a chromebook :) I’ve put in extra memory or new batteries on old laptops/computers but just assumed chromebooks are so cheap they’d need to be replaced more often.. this worked great. Cleaned out the area while it was open too (cold hair dryer and a gentle cloth in one clogged area) .. even found a dog hair under the hood – so grateful for this fix! Thanks again.

  28. The last one worked for me too!! My Chromebook (Asus C300) didn’t charge, no light when the charger was plugged in, and wouldn’t turn on. tried everything and #5 did the trick. If you don’t have two left hands it will only take you 15 minutes. Be careful, though, because there are two different kinds of screws that go in the back. so place them in the right order on the table that you are working on.

    Unplug your Chromebook.
    Open your Chromebook to get to the battery.
    Disconnect the battery cable.
    Carefully move the Chromebook so that you can reach the power button. Press and Hold the power button for one minute.
    Reconnect the battery cable. Make sure the connection is secure.
    Close up your Chromebook. Plug it in.

    I Took out the entire battery held the power button for over a minute (just to be sure). I did have to plug in the power cable before he would turn on.

  29. Non of these worked for me. My Chromebook 2 runs while it is plugged in and the battery shows to be 100% charged. As soon as I unplug the power cord, the laptop turns off. I did not want to spend $58 on a battery if that was not the problem. On another site I found someone who had 2 Toshiba Chromebook 2s, one working and one with the same problem as mine. He took the battery out of the one that was working and put it in the broken one and it worked. The bad battery would not work in the other laptop. That was the clue I needed. I bought a new battery and that solved the problem. I can’t find any other place on the web that solved this problem.

  32. Hello all, I’ve tried all the steps and no one seems to work on my Toshiba Chromebook. Can’t come on without connection to power outlet.

    Battery indicator shows “Fully charged” but once the power cable is out it goes off. It never showed any sign of bad battery as I used it for almost 5 hours the very day it started.

    Please is there another way or is my Chromebook battery dead?

  35. I don’t know what to do because not many of these will work and mine doesn’t have a power button

  38. Wanted to add a solution that worked for me. I held down ESC, refresh, and power for almost a minute and it booted.

  44. Thanks, the refresh and power did the trick. My daughter was sweating it.

  45. Oh thanks god.. My samsungsung chromebook plus is now back to life..thank u for your knowledge being shared tp us.God bless

  47. I printed this off, then went over to my neighbor’s to help her problem of: “Last night it suddenly died, and it won’t turn on!!”
    Before I went over, I texted her back, “Is it plugged in?”
    Lady: “Yes! I plugged it in a new spot yesterday morning, in the same outlet my phone charger usually sits.. maybe the outlet isn’t strong enough for my laptop?!” – ehh, I told her, I doubted that, and told her, I would come over.
    I brought your list of fixes over. She gave me the Chromebook, and I sat on the couch.
    Nothing worked until the start of Fix 4. I put down the Chromebook, crossed the room, and reached for the cord. It came easily.
    Yes! It was plugged into the wall!
    Yes! It was plugged into the Chromebook over night.
    Guess what!: It wasn’t plugged into the transformer in the middle.
    oh, you crazy neighbor lady..that makes yummy “I’m sorry cake..”
    Perhaps include that hint too.. making sure the entire cord is plugged all the way from Chromebook to wall..

  48. I have an Asus c300m Chromebook, and it won’t wake up after opening lid. The green power light is on, but the screen is black. We tried everything suggested here and it still doesn’t work. Does anyone have any new suggestions for me to try?

  49. Thanks. Holding the power button down for a minute then pressuring again worked!

  50. #5 worked on my Dell Chromebook 13. Tough to get the bottom loose, but I eventually managed it. Amazing!

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