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HP Chromebook won’t turn on – possible causes and how to fix

Experiencing Chromebooks issues? Not for long.
Last Updated on January 12, 2024
Hp chromebook won't turn on.
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If your HP Chromebook won’t turn on, you’ve come to the right place, as we have multiple ways to fix this issue.

Hewlett-Packard, or HP, has been in the electronics market for a while and keeps surprising the masses with powerful yet elegant machines each year. Whether you’re a businessman or a hardcore gamer – HP has something in store for you. That said, electronics are prone to being damaged from falling or an electricity surge, which makes them unresponsive.

So, if your HP Chromebook is suffering from the same issues, we’ve put together a list of possible causes and their solutions that are easy to follow and should get your Lenovo laptop up and running in no time. So, without further ado, let’s get right to it. 

Why isn’t my HP Chromebook turning on?

Here is a list of issues that could be resulting in your HP Chromebook not turning on:

  • Faulty power adapter
  • Software glitch
  • Damaged charging port
  • External devices interfering with the boot-up process
  • Damaged battery
  • Faulty power strip or surge protector

Step

1

Make sure that your Chromebook is charging

Before trying anything else on this list – ensure that your HP Chromebook is charging and getting enough power to turn on.

You can check this by looking at the charging light, which should be on if your laptop is getting power.

If the light isn’t turning on, that means the issue could be in the charging port, the power adapter, or even the light itself.

In this case, first check your power adapter and the cable for any damage, cuts, or bends that could indicate that is isn’t performing optimally.

Second, inspect your charging port for damage or lint. Lint in some cases can block your charger and the pin from connecting properly – which leads to your device not getting charged. However, if you do see signs of damage, you should get that fixed or replaced from a repair shop or from ASUS support – if your Chromebook is still under warranty.

If you do go to a repair shop, consider getting it thoroughly checked to fish out any other issues, such as the LED light not working.

Step

2

Hard reset your Chromebook

Hard resetting your Chromebook basically flushes its RAM and brings it back to the starting point to start all the processes again.

So, if your Chromebook isn’t starting due to software related issues – hard setting it should fix those issues. Simply follow the steps below:

  • Locate the Refresh key and the power button on your Chromebook.
  • Press them together.
  • This should hard reset your Chromebook.
  • Try turning it on.

If this doesn’t work, the maybe the next method will help resolve this issue.

Step

3

Remove any peripherals

If you have external devices such as a mouse, keyboard, or webcam connected to your Chromebook – they could be the cause for it to not turn on.

This is because peripherals come with firmware, particularly gaming peripheral which have their designated software, that can meddle with the boot up process.

When the boot up process starts, the OS needs to be fetched from whenever you have it installed. However, these peripherals override it and the command goes to them but they don’t have an OS – so your device gets stuck and doesn’t boot up.

This is easy to fix. You just need to remove any external devices connected and try turning on your HP Chromebook.

If it works, then that doesn’t mean you’ll have to work without your peripherals. Try connecting them on different ports and turning on your device – this should allow your Chromebook to turn on even with them connected.

Step

4

Check the power button

At times, we don’t even think about how much our power button gets used.

Like any other key or button, it is prone to getting damaged or have dirt stuck in it.

So, carefully inspect it and remove any dirt from the edges with a toothpick or a pin.

Stuck dirt could be causing the power button to not connect properly resulting in your HP Chromebook not turning on.

Step

5

Remove any recently added apps or extensions from Chrome

If your laptop turns on even briefly, then crashes, any applications or extensions you might’ve added recently to Chrome may be the cause for that.

To fix this, you simply need to remove these apps and extensions and your Chromebook should work as normal.

Step

6

Check for battery damage

If your Chromebook isn’t turning on even with continuous power supplied to it, your battery might be dying or its already dead.

To check this, flip your Chromebook over and see if you notice any bloating.

If you do, that means that your battery has reached its end of term and needs to be replaced.

You can do this if you have the technical expertise to do so. However, it is recommended to contact ASUS support or take it down to your local repair shop.

Step

7

Try a different power outlet

If your HP Chromebook isn’t turning on, the cause could be something external and not your device.

Check the outlet that your power adapter is connected to and see whether that is working or not.

You can do this by connecting something else with it or connecting your Chromebook adapter with another socket.

If the other device works with the same outlet, then the issue is something else. However, if your Chromebook turns on after being connected to another socket, then congratulations and call over an electrician to get the faulty socket fixed.

Step

8

Remove any power strip or surge protector

If you’re using a power strip to connect multiple electronics or have a surge protector in place to protect against electricity spikes, then either of them could be causing your Chromebook to not turn on.

If your power strip or surge protector is faulty, that means that your device isn’t getting enough power or power at all to turn on.

Try connecting your power adapter directly into a socket and see if that works. If it does, then the issue is either in the power strip or the surge protector.

To see which one is faulty, follow the steps below:

  • Remove the surge protector
  • Connect your Chromebook directly with the power strip.
  • If it works, the surge protector was the culprit.
  • If it doesn’t work, that means the power strip is faulty.
  • Just to be completely sure, connect the power surge again with another socket or power strip and see if your device is turning on.

Step

9

Contact HP support

If none of these steps helped to resolve this issues, then the underlying problem could be severe, such as faulty RAM or a damaged motherboard. In this case, contacting HP support should help.

FAQs

How do you restart a frozen Chromebook?

If your Chromebook is stuck on a screen or froze in the middle of work, force restarting could put things back on track. Simply press and hold down the Back, Refresh, and Power buttons for 10-15 seconds, and it should do the trick.

Conclusion

Your HP Chromebook could be unresponsive due to many reasons, such as a dirty power button, dead battery, faulty power cord, and more. These issues are easy to fix as most items just need to be cleaned or repaired, and your Chromebook should jump back to life.

However, if there is no sign of damage and your device still isn’t turning on, that could indicate that there are some internal issues with it. This can be anything from a damaged capacitor to a fried motherboard. In this case, it is best to get in touch with HP support and check whether your HP Chromebook is under warranty and get these issues fixed professionally.

So, if it turns out that you’re looking for a new laptop, we’ve rounded up some of the best HP gaming laptops available on the market to help you make an informed decision.

Ussamah works as a content writer and editor at BGFG. He is experienced in tech, hardware, gaming, and marketing.