This tutorial will show you how to use the Chromebook Recovery Utility to create recovery media for your Chromebook. You’ll also learn how to use the recovery media to recover your Chromebook if its operating system malfunctions.
Chromebook Recovery Utility Requirements
You need a USB flash drive or SD card with at least 8GB of free storage space. The Chromebook Recovery Utility will format the storage device when converting it to a recovery media. Hence, we recommend using a new flash drive or SD card, or an old one you don’t mind erasing. If you have important files on your flash drive or SD card, back them up to the cloud or a different computer. The Chromebook Recovery Utility works on any computer (Windows or Mac) with Google Chrome. If your Chromebook doesn’t turn on, you can create a recovery media on a different Chromebook or macOS and Windows computer.
Create Recovery Media Using the Chromebook Recovery Utility
Plug the flash drive or SD card into your Chromebook, open the Google Chrome browser, and follow these steps.
Proceed to the next step when you see a “Chromebook Recovery Utility has been added to Chrome” success message.
Select or tap Select a model from a list if the recovery tool doesn’t auto-detect your Chromebook’s model.
Choose your Chromebook’s manufacturer in the Select a manufacturer drop-down menu. Next, choose your Chromebook model name in the Select a product drop-down menu and select Continue.
Depending on your internet speed, the Chromebook Recovery Utility takes 10-30 minutes to download, write, and create a recovery image on the storage device.
Keep your device connected to the internet and select Done when a success message appears on the screen.
Recover Your Chromebook Using the Recovery Media
Performing a recovery can fix operating system (OS) corruption and resolve issues that a factory reset or powerwash fails to fix. You can also recover your Chromebook if it doesn’t boot past a black screen. Note: A recovery media is a backup of your Chromebook’s operating system, not a backup of your personal files, apps, or data. Recovering your Chromebook will erase everything on the device. If you can still sign in to your Chromebook, back up your files to Google Drive or an external storage device before performing a recovery. Refer to the following steps to recover your Chromebook using a recovery media. If you use a Chromebook tablet, press and hold the Volume Down, Volume Up, and Power buttons for at least ten seconds. Your Chromebook should display the recovery screen with an “External disk with recovery image detected” message. Wait for your Chromebook to start the recovery operation—this takes about 2-5 minutes. Keep your Chromebook powered on or connected to a power source. The system recovery process takes 5-15 minutes, depending on your Chromebook model.
Reusing Your Recovery Drive
You can’t use or store files on the USB flash drive or SD card containing your Chromebook’s recovery media. You must erase the recovery media to reuse the USB flash drive or SD card as a regular storage device. Connect the storage device to your computer and follow the steps below.
ChromeOS Recovery Made Easy
Contact your administrator to recover a work or school Chromebook. If your Chromebook displays an “An unexpected error has occurred” message during recovery, erase/format the storage device and try again. Google also recommends trying a different USB flash or SD card as some storage devices don’t work well with recovery. Contact your Chromebook manufacturer if the issue persists.
