Laptops are a very popular choice for personal computing because manufacturers are able to fit increasingly powerful components into ever-smaller places as computer technology advances. Currently, laptops surpass both desktop and tablet computers in popularity as the most common type of personal computer.
Approximately one out of every eight laptops sold are Chromebooks, making them one of the most popular computers overall. Their affordability is the main reason for their popularity, but in order to get a working machine for a few hundred dollars, some sacrifices must be made. Chromebooks save relatively little on the device itself and instead rely on web-based apps and storage. This keeps costs down by enabling manufacturers to use less potent internal components.
It also indicates that you have few resources on board and that there isn’t much of a difference between performing well and poorly. The limited internal resources of your Chromebook might rapidly become overloaded with regular usage. Before you know it, a bright new item that was in the box can turn into a headache when it comes to technology. These easy fixes should keep your Chromebook in top condition if it’s not performing as well as you’d like or if you’re looking for ways to ensure it stays operating properly.
1 Check Your Network.
Our initial reaction when something isn’t working as it should is to assume the machine is broken. There is an issue with your blender if it refuses to blend. There’s an issue with your car if it won’t start. But since computers are generally linked devices, there’s a chance that some of their issues may originate from outside sources. This is particularly true for Chromebooks, whose operation is highly dependent on an internet connection.
Before you say something to your computer that you’ll later regret, it’s worth examining your network if your Chromebook starts acting strangely out of the blue. Your network connection, located at the bottom of the screen, is the first location to check. Another way to get there is to click Network & Internet under Settings. You may check the condition of your network there and use troubleshooters to locate and fix any issues.
It’s also feasible that there’s an issue with the network outside of your house. Even in situations where there isn’t a clear problem, service and speed variations occur throughout the day. You may find out your upload and download speeds by doing a speed test. It’s a quick and simple method to determine whether you’re having issues with your network.
2. Restart
Turn the machine on and off again if it isn’t working. It’s been a tried-and-true method for so long that it’s almost become a cliché, but only because it usually works. This could entail turning off the machine, taking out the batteries, or hitting the power button a few times, depending on what kind of machine you’re working with. Although it is feasible to remove the battery from a Chromebook, we advise against doing so unless you are very skilled at it. Besides, restarting a Chromebook is completely superfluous. It is sufficient to press and hold the power button.
Restarting your computer is an easy fix, but it works because of internal computer processes. Instead of completely shutting down our Chromebooks when we’re done using them, a lot of us have the habit of just closing them. This kind of inactivity on your laptop increases the likelihood that updates will accumulate and that background activities you’ve stopped using may still be active. They could all be factors in a rising slog.
All of those processes end when you reboot. That way, you’ll have a fresh start the next time your computer boots up. Both your Chromebook and you suffer from poor performance when you stay up too late. Let it take a power sleep.
3. Check the Task Manager
Open the Task Manager and poke around for a more focused approach if you don’t want to completely restart and shut everything off. On a Chromebook, hit the ESC key and the Search key (the one that sits where the Caps Lock should be) simultaneously to launch the Task Manager.
A window displaying all of the processes that are active on your computer listed as tasks will appear. You can view the memory, CPU, and network speed used by each running task next to them. You can check which jobs are using up all the resources by scrolling through the list. To view the jobs that require the most resources for each category, you may also sort each column.
After determining who the digital glutton is, all you need to do is choose the problematic task and click End process. Hopefully, everything will go smoothly and you may resume your work or whatever you were doing.
4. Clear Cache and Cookies
The majority of the time, your computer operates more smoothly thanks to the cache and cookie storage. That’s what they do all day. Websites that you visit may create temporary files called cookies to make them load faster and function better when you return. User preferences and passwords are among the things they can recall. Similar functions are performed by the cache, which saves portions of web content—like images—for a long time. In this manner, the next time you want to retrieve them, they will load more quickly.
Your computer may begin to slow you down over time as a result of the information it accumulates over time to improve performance. It would be similar to holding all of the things you would need for a day in your hands. Granted, it facilitates key locating, yet you still manage to drop items. Any machine, like your Chromebook, that is virtually entirely dependent on the internet may have issues with this.
Furthermore, it’s likely that the majority of the data kept on your computer is useless. They assist with frequently visited websites, but you have most likely visited a plethora of sites that you will never visit again, thus all of those files are idling about pointlessly. Click the three vertical dots in the upper left corner of Chrome when it opens, then select More Tools > Clear Browsing Data. You have the option to clear the history, tick the boxes for cookies and cache, and choose the time period you wish to remove.
5. Close Excess Apps or Tabs
If you’re the kind of person who always has dozens of tabs open and idle applications running, you may be unknowingly experiencing resource bottlenecks. The number of tabs or apps you can have open before experiencing a slowdown may vary significantly depending on the type of processor and RAM your Chromebook is utilizing, which is probably not much.
It’s important to keep in mind that all of the tabs and open applications are using up system resources. Furthermore, not all tabs and applications have the same interface. More resources will be used by a tab containing videos than by one containing text. Similarly, compared to other activities, playing video games or editing films would use up more of your resources. Even while they might not load much on their own, tabs and apps can pile up. A twenty-pound box might be easy for you to handle, but try stacking five or ten on top of one another and you’ll probably trip and fall. When you overburden your Chromebook, it’s not your fault if it moves a little more slowly.
Your Chromebook will operate more smoothly and free up resources if you close out tabs or applications that you’re not using or can remember when you really need them.
6. Uninstall Unnecessary Apps
Short-term resource problems can be resolved by terminating unused apps, but once an issue arises, it is likely to recur. Chromebooks don’t have a lot of internal storage, so if you run out of memory, it may become difficult for the device to save small files or load webpages.
You probably don’t need most of the programs that are on your computer and don’t use it frequently. Choose the Launcher (which appears as an open circle) in the lower left corner of the screen to remove an application. That will bring up an application menu. To uninstall an application, simply right-click on it (you may also tap the trackpad with two fingers).
Be careful not to remove anything necessary, get rid of anything you don’t need or won’t use, and make room. Both you and your Chromebook will appreciate that it is operating more smoothly as a result of it.
5. Clean up Browser Extensions
Everyone enjoys using browser extensions. Extensions let us personalize our online experiences and see the world through unique lenses. They come in a variety of forms, from ad blockers to real-time translators and much more. While installing browser extensions can temporarily enhance your browsing experience, if you use too many, they may cause your computer to lag.
Installing extensions on a desktop computer can seem like a freebie. They only work while you’re connected to the internet, and you typically have plenty of room to keep them. However, since your browser is used for everything on a Chromebook, those extensions are tagging you at every turn. Each time you load a website, it must check for those extensions and adjust the content accordingly. When your machine has to perform a foxtrot each time it passes through a door, it should come as no surprise that it slows down.
If you have many extensions open at once, you should think about sorting through them to determine which ones are truly essential and delete the rest. It is comparable to deleting your browser’s history. choose the three vertical dots in your browser’s upper right corner, choose More Tools, and finally choose Extensions. There will be a list of all your extensions, which you can disable or remove.
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6. Preload Pages
There is a feature in Chrome that lets your browser load specific sites or parts of pages it anticipates you may visit first. For instance, your browser can recognize and preload webpages as you visit them. In this manner, the page will load practically instantly when and if you click them.
Consider it the digital counterpart of someone waiting for you to knock while holding the doorknob on the other side. You can turn on preloading pages on any machine running the Chrome browser, but Chromebooks can benefit greatly from this feature. Click the three vertical dots in the upper left corner and choose Settings to enable it. From the menu on the left, select Cookies and Other Site Data by clicking Privacy and Security. Click the toggle to turn on the Preload pages section after swiping down to find it.
It’s important to remember that Chrome preloads pages via cookies, and if those accumulate, they may become problematic on their own. You should periodically empty your cookies if you allow Preload sites to ensure that you aren’t hidden behind them.
7. Update ChromeOS
Chromebooks are no different from other computers in that they require frequent upgrades in order to run the newest software and see online content. Updates are also helpful in reducing or eliminating the possibility of malware and other viruses. Your computer will require updates to its operating system as new programs are released and websites update their content.
Your Chromebook may have trouble executing particular programs or retrieving particular web content if it is running an out-of-date version of Chrome OS. When updates become available, your Chromebook ought to download them; however, you might have to restart in order for the update to install. Occasionally, though, your computer may fail to download an update at the appropriate moment. Thankfully, it is possible to manually search for and initiate operating system updates.
After turning on and establishing a Wi-Fi connection, click the time in the lower right corner of the screen. From the menu that appears, choose the Settings (tool) icon. From the menu on the left, select About ChromeOS at the bottom. The ChromeOS version that is currently installed on your computer will be shown next to an update check button. It will inform you if you’re current. It will notify you and initiate the download automatically if an update is required.
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8. Power Wash
You may have to drop a bomb when all else fails. Powerwashing your Chromebook accomplishes exactly what its name suggests, naturally without using any water. All of your user data and the majority of non-user data will be removed from the hard disk when you start a Powerwash. It only stores information that is operational or diagnostic. In the end, you should have a system that functions just as it did when you first pulled it out of the box, and effectively returned to factory defaults.
Click Settings, then the time, to start a Powerwash. By going to Advanced, choose Reset Settings. In the Powerwash menu, select Reset at the end, then watch the magic unfold. A powerwash should take care of the majority of your issues, excluding hardware-related ones. Wiping out the RAM on your computer won’t fix faulty components. A Powerwash’s drawback is that it destroys all of your personal files. Generally speaking, you shouldn’t treat something like that lightly.
The constraints of your Chromebook are advantageous to you in this situation. All of your files should be kept online in OneDrive, Google Workspace, or another cloud-based storage service because Chromebooks are web-based devices. However, before you Powerwash your Chromebook, make sure everything is correct and make a backup of everything you wish to keep. Once you log into your immaculately clean Chromebook, all of your files will instantly restore and resync, provided you have a backup.
