Powerwash is an admittingly unique name for giving the Chromebook a factory reset.


Every once in a while, your Chromebook will run into some issues. Whether the computer has completely frozen due to an overworked system, if the Chrome OS is constantly crashing, or if there is something completely different creating problems with everyday use. Nearly all of these problems can be resolved by Powerwashing the device.

Now, do not head over to your local Home Depot and ask about how power washers work. A Powerwash is what Google calls “factory reset”. This should be one of the user’s last resorts to solving a problem such as a Chromebook freezing because it wipes all user accounts and files and downloads. Meaning, once it finishes “washing,” the user will have to start over with downloading apps.

Need to know how to Powerwash your Chromebook after it keeps freezing? Read on…

Powerwashing can be done through two different methods. For instance, a user can go through the Login Screen:

  1. At the login screen, hold down the Shift, Ctrl, Alt, and R keys
  2. A window will pop up that is named Reset this Chrome device and click Restart.
  3. After the resetting process finishes, the login screen will appear with a new option titled Powerwash. Click on that.
  4. Click on the Continue button when the Confirm Powerwash window opens up.
  5. Sign in with your Google account to complete the process.

Or Powerwashing can be done through the Chrome browser:

  1. Open up Chrome.
  2. Click on the menu button in the upper right-hand corner.
  3. From this menu, click on Settings.
  4. Next, scroll down to the bottom and click on Advanced.
  5. In the Advanced settings, please scroll down to find the Powerwash option and click on it.
  6. A window titled Restart your device pops up; select Restart to begin the process.
  7. Finally, as the Powerwash process completes, sign in to your Google Account to set up the “freshly washed” device.

“Ah it feels like new!”

Who doesn’t want to have a Chromebook that feels brand new, especially after it has experienced a series of technological problems? This is why giving your Chromebook a powerwash can be incredibly helpful. Sure, you may have to re-log into apps and services, but your device will not freeze all the time. And that is a much better result.

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