How to Back Up and Wipe Your Chromebook

When Chromebooks first appeared in 2011, they were often criticized for their limited functionality compared to Windows and macOS systems. Over time, however, many of these limitations have been addressed, and the simplicity of ChromeOS has become a well-acknowledged strength. Sometimes, less truly is more.

One of the key advantages of using a Chromebook is that almost everything is instantly backed up. With a few exceptions, all your apps and files live online. If you lose your laptop or accidentally drop it into a lake, simply sign in to another Chromebook with your Google account, and you're right back where you left off.

Related

• How to back up and wipe your Windows PC

• How to back up and wipe your Mac

Wiping a Chromebook is quick and easy, too, whether you’re troubleshooting issues or preparing to pass the laptop on to someone else. Here’s what you need to know about backing up and wiping your Chromebook, including those bits of data that might not automatically be backed up.

These steps were tested on an Acer Chromebook Spin 714 and should apply to any Chromebook running ChromeOS 125 or later.

First, Back Up Your Chromebook

With most of your data running online, there's no need to back up your Chromebook in the traditional sense. Your data is already in the cloud and synced whenever you have an internet connection. If you've been using Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides offline, you should get online to save your changes to the web.

Syncing Browser Data

To ensure all your browser data is synced:

1. Open a Chrome Tab: Click the three dots (top right), then Settings.

2. You and Google: Select Sync and Google services.

3. Manage Sync: Click Manage what you sync to choose what gets backed up online, including bookmarks and passwords.

Syncing System-Level Data

For system-level data:

1. Time and Date Panel: Click the panel (lower right).

2. Settings: Select the gear icon to open ChromeOS Settings.

3. Privacy and Security: Choose Privacy and security.

4. Manage Sync: Select Sync and Google services and then Manage what you sync. Options include apps and settings.

You should now be mostly covered, but there are a couple of additional points to consider. You might have local files that aren’t backed up, such as downloaded photos. Open the ChromeOS Files app to check and drag any files you want to keep to the Google Drive heading to back them up to the cloud.

Backing Up a Linux Partition

If you've set up a Linux partition on your Chromebook, this won’t be backed up automatically.

1. Settings: Go to your Chromebook Settings.

2. Advanced: Open the Advanced tab and click Developers.

3. Linux: Choose Linux, then Back up and restore.

4. Backup Location: Click Back up, then select a location for your files — this can be Google Drive or a connected USB device.

With all of that taken care of, your Chromebook should be comprehensively backed up, which means you’re ready to do a reset.

Reset Your Chromebook

Resetting your Chromebook is straightforward. In ChromeOS, a reset is known as a "powerwash," which restores everything to its original state, just as it was when you bought it.

1. Time and Date Panel: Click the panel (bottom-right corner).

2. Settings: Click on the gear icon to open Settings.

3. Powerwash: Choose System preferences and scroll down to Powerwash. Select the Reset button.

4. Restart: Click Restart to reboot your Chromebook.

5. Powerwash and Continue: After the restart, choose Powerwash and Continue to wipe and reset the Chromebook.

After a few moments, you’ll be met with the setup screen. If you're keeping this computer, simply log in using your Google account, and you should find your Chromebook largely the way you left it.

By Kushal Bharat, Tech News

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