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To restart most Chromebooks, select the time in the lower-right corner of the screen, select Power, then choose Restart. The physical power button is not a dedicated restart button; Google’s routine restart command is in the on-screen menu.
Where is the restart button on a Chromebook?
It is an on-screen command in the status panel, rather than a separate physical button. To use it:
- Select the time and status area at the bottom-right of the screen.
- Select Power.
- Select Restart.
These are Google’s standard instructions for restarting a Chromebook. Google Chromebook Help: Sign out or turn off your Chromebook.
How is Restart different from shutting down?
Restart closes the current session and starts the Chromebook again. To turn it off instead, select the time, select Power, then choose Shut down. Google also documents holding the physical power key for three seconds as a way to turn the device off. Turning it off and then back on is a separate troubleshooting step; it is not the same menu command as Restart. Google Chromebook Help.
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What if the Chromebook is frozen?
If you can still use the menu, start with the ordinary Restart command. If the Chromebook is unresponsive, Google’s first troubleshooting step for crashes or freezes is to turn it off and back on. If that does not help, try the following in order:
- Close apps and browser windows.
- Check whether a particular browser tab is causing the problem.
- Remove apps or extensions installed shortly before the issue began.
- Consider a hardware reset or recovery only after less invasive fixes fail.
Google’s troubleshooting sequence does not prescribe one universal button combination for every frozen Chromebook. Google Chromebook Help: Fix hardware and system problems.
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When should you use a hardware reset?
A hardware reset, sometimes called a hard reset, is a troubleshooting action—not the normal Restart command. Google recommends trying it only after other fixes have failed. For most Chromebooks, the general method is to turn the device off, press and hold Refresh, tap Power, and release Refresh when the Chromebook starts. Tablets and some models use different procedures, so follow the instructions for your exact model if these steps do not match.
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Google warns that a hardware reset might delete some files in the Downloads folder. Google Chromebook Help: Reset your Chromebook hardware.
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How do Restart, Powerwash, and recovery differ?
These actions are not interchangeable. Use the least disruptive option that fits the problem:
| Action | Purpose and control | Data impact |
|---|---|---|
| Restart | Routine restart from the on-screen Power menu. | Not described as an erase or reset operation. |
| Turn off, then turn on | Basic troubleshooting step for crashes, freezes, and some update issues. | Not described as an erase or reset operation. |
| Hardware reset | Later troubleshooting step using a key sequence or model-specific method. | Some files in Downloads might be deleted. |
| Powerwash (factory reset) | Resets the Chromebook to factory settings. | Erases user data stored on the Chromebook. Back up data and try less invasive troubleshooting first; work- or school-managed devices may require an administrator. |
| ChromeOS recovery | Removes and reinstalls ChromeOS; the controls vary for Chromebooks, tablets, Chromeboxes, and Chromebits. | Permanently erases files on the device’s hard drive. Back up if possible and try less invasive steps first. |
For Powerwash instructions and cautions, see Google Chromebook Help: Reset your Chromebook to factory settings. For recovery guidance, see Google Chromebook Help: Recover your Chromebook. Google’s paperclip instructions in the recovery guide apply to recovery buttons on certain Chromeboxes or Chromebits, not to restarting a Chromebook.
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Does an update notification have its own restart option?
Yes. When a ChromeOS update notification asks you to restart, select Restart in that notification to complete the downloaded update. Google Chromebook Help: Update your Chromebook’s operating system.
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