Chromebook won’t start? Where your files really are

Your Chromebook will not switch on, is stuck on a “ChromeOS is missing or damaged” screen, or someone has Powerwashed it, and now you are worried about the files that were on it. Chromebooks handle data very differently from Windows laptops and Macs. In many cases the important files are safe in your Google account; in others, the local copies are protected by encryption that makes conventional recovery impossible. Knowing which situation you are in will save you time and money.

Where Chromebook files actually live

Open the Files app on a working Chromebook and you will see several places that look similar but behave very differently:

• Google Drive – stored in your Google account online. Files here are not lost if the Chromebook dies; sign in on any computer at drive.google.com.
• My files / Downloads – stored only on the Chromebook itself. This is where downloads, screenshots and many saved files end up by default.
• Play files – data saved by Android apps, also on the device.
• Linux files – files inside the Linux development environment, if you turned it on.

Photos taken on an Android phone may also be in Google Photos, and documents created in Google Docs, Sheets and Slides are saved in Drive automatically.

Step one: check your Google account from another device

Before doing anything to the Chromebook, sign in to your Google account on a phone or another computer and look through Google Drive, Google Photos and Gmail. Many people find that everything they care about is already there. If you cannot sign in to the account, recover it first through Google’s account recovery process; you will need that account later anyway.

Why local Chromebook data is hard to recover

ChromeOS encrypts each user’s local files, and the keys are tied to that user’s Google account sign-in and to the security chip on the Chromebook’s own motherboard. In practice this means:

• if the storage chip is removed and read in another machine, the files come out encrypted and unreadable;
• the realistic way to get local files back from a dead Chromebook is to get that same Chromebook working again so you can sign in as yourself and copy them off;
• most Chromebooks use storage soldered to the motherboard (eMMC or a small SSD), so it cannot simply be moved to another computer in any case.

Things that erase local files permanently

• Powerwash (factory reset) removes all local user data. Once complete, the files in My files, Play files and Linux are gone for good. Because of the encryption, there is no realistic recovery route after a Powerwash.
• Recovering ChromeOS from a USB recovery image also wipes local data.
• Removing your user profile from the sign-in screen deletes that person’s local files.
• Turning off Linux deletes the Linux environment and its files.

If the Chromebook offers any of these while you are troubleshooting, stop and think about what is stored locally before you agree.

Safe checks for a Chromebook that will not start

1. Charge it properly. Use the original charger, leave it connected for at least an hour, and look for a charging light.
2. Try a hard reset. On most Chromebooks, hold Refresh and press Power. This restarts the hardware and does not delete files. Some models use a reset button or a different key combination, so check the maker’s instructions for your model.
3. Check the screen. If you can hear sounds or see the keyboard light up but the screen stays black, try an external monitor; the problem may be the display rather than the whole laptop.
4. “ChromeOS is missing or damaged”. The usual fix is a recovery image, which erases local data. If you need files from My files, do not go ahead until you have decided whether a repair is worth attempting first.

When repair is the way to get the files

If the Chromebook has a hardware fault, such as a failed charging circuit, liquid damage or a dead screen, and your important files were only stored locally, the route to your data is usually repairing the Chromebook so it boots and lets you sign in. Be realistic about the cost: compare it with how much the local files are worth to you, because many Chromebooks are inexpensive to replace. If your files were in Google Drive, you do not need the old machine at all.

Not every laptop is a Chromebook. If you are not sure what you have, or it is a Windows laptop with a removable drive, our laptop data recovery page explains what we can do.

Avoiding this next time

• Save important work to Google Drive rather than My files.
• Move downloads and screenshots you want to keep into Drive regularly.
• If you use Linux on the Chromebook, back up the Linux container from its settings, or keep project files in Drive or a code repository.
• Make sure you can always sign in to your Google account, with up-to-date recovery phone and email details.

Need advice?

If you are not sure whether your files can be saved, call Data Retrieval on 020 7064 4996. We offer a free assessment with no obligation. You can also request a quote online.