ChromeOS Is Missing or Damaged? How to Fix Your Chromebook

If your Chromebook shows “ChromeOS is missing or damaged,” the device cannot find a usable copy of its operating system, so it stops before the sign-in screen. The fix is recovery, which reinstalls ChromeOS from Google. Try the on-device internet option first if your Chromebook offers it, and build a USB recovery drive if it does not.

Before you start

Applies to Chromebooks, Chromeboxes, Chromebits, and Chromebook tablets. ChromeOS, not version-specific. You do not need your Google Account to start recovery, only to sign back in afterwards. If a school or an employer gave you the device, the steps below still describe what is happening, but the fix usually sits with the administrator.

What do you need before you start?

Recovery asks for exact details, and guessing costs you a wasted drive and a wasted hour.

The model number. It is printed at the bottom of the error message on the broken screen. This is not the brand name on the lid, and not the serial number on the sticker underneath. Write it down before you walk away from the device.
A second computer with Chrome installed. Windows, Mac, or another Chromebook all work.
A USB flash drive of 8 GB or larger that you can erase completely.
The charger. Recovery writes a fresh system to internal storage, and losing power part way through puts you back at the same screen.

Why does this happen?

Four situations produce the same message. One signal usually tells you which one is yours, so you do not have to try everything.

An update that stopped part way. The battery ran out, or the charger was pulled while the new system was being written. The clue is timing. The message appeared on the first restart after an update.
A damaged system partition. ChromeOS checks its own system files at every startup and refuses to load them when they do not match what it expects. The clue is a run of freezes, hard shutdowns, or forced power-offs in the days before.
Something plugged in at startup. A USB drive or an SD card left in a port can send the device down a boot path it cannot finish. The clue is easy to spot once you look. Something was connected when you turned it on.
Failing storage or a security module fault. The message comes straight back after a clean recovery, or recovery itself stops with a message about the security module. That one is hardware, and reinstalling will not move it.

Recover over the internet

Recovery permanently erases everything stored on the Chromebook, including files sitting in the Downloads folder. Anything already synced to your Google Account comes back when you sign in. Local files do not.

Plug in the charger.
Unplug everything else, including mice, USB drives, SD cards, dongles, and hubs.
Hold Esc and Refresh, then press Power. Release all three when a message appears on screen. On some models the second key is Maximize rather than Refresh.
Look for Recover using internet connection on that screen, then select it.
Join a Wi-Fi network when you are asked, then leave the device alone. It downloads the system image and restarts itself when it has finished.

On a Chromebook tablet there is no keyboard to use, so hold Volume Up, Volume Down, and Power together for at least ten seconds instead. On a Chromebox or a Chromebit, press the recovery button with a paperclip while you connect the power.

If Recover using internet connection is not on the screen, your device does not offer it. Use the USB method next.

Build a USB recovery drive on another computer

On the working computer, open Chrome and install the Chromebook Recovery Utility extension from the Chrome Web Store. It is published by Google.
Open it from the Extensions menu in the Chrome toolbar, then select Get started.
Enter the model number you copied off the error screen, or pick your manufacturer and model from the lists instead.
Insert the USB drive and choose it from the dropdown. Everything on that drive is erased.
Select Create now and wait for the message saying your recovery media is ready.
Put the Chromebook back into recovery mode with the keys above, insert the USB drive, then select Recover using external disk.
Leave it alone until the Chromebook restarts on its own, then remove the drive.

What if recovery itself fails?

Recovery has its own error messages, and each one points somewhere different.

“The device you inserted doesn’t contain ChromeOS.” The drive holds the wrong image, or no image at all. Check that it was built for the model number shown on the error screen, then erase the drive and build it again.
“An unexpected error has occurred.” Erase the drive and build the media again. If it fails a second time, use a different USB drive. Google says plainly that some drives do not work for this, and that wall is more common than people expect.
“Please remove all connected devices and start recovery.” Unplug everything, the hub included, then start recovery again from the key combination.
“The security module on this device isn’t working.” Stop here. This one is a hardware fault rather than a software one. Contact the manufacturer, or your administrator if the device is managed.

What does not fix this

Powerwash. A factory reset runs from inside ChromeOS. When the system files are missing there is nothing left to run the reset, which is why the standard advice to factory reset the device goes nowhere on this screen.
Signing in with a different Google Account. The failure happens before any account is read, so no account gets further than another.
Restarting over and over. Verified boot checks the same files every time and reaches the same verdict every time. Restarting does not change the files.
Charging it overnight. A flat battery can cause the failed update behind this, but power does not repair the damage afterwards.
A recovery drive made for a different Chromebook. Recovery images are tied to the model, so the drive that rescued a friend’s device is rejected on yours.
Developer mode. Turning it on wipes your local files and still leaves no working system to boot.

Frequently asked questions

Will I lose my files?

Everything stored on the Chromebook itself is erased, including the Downloads folder. Files in Google Drive, your bookmarks, and anything else synced to your Google Account come back when you sign in again.

Can I recover without a second computer?

Only if your device shows Recover using internet connection on the recovery screen. If it does not, you need another computer running Chrome to build the USB drive.

Does this mean my Chromebook is dead?

Usually not. Most of these are software faults that recovery repairs. Treat it as a hardware problem only if the message returns right after a clean recovery, or if recovery stops with the security module message.

Will recovery remove my school or work enrollment?

No. Enrollment is recorded against the device in the admin console rather than in the local system files, so a recovered Chromebook asks to enroll again. Ask your administrator before you start.

Most Chromebooks showing this message are fine once ChromeOS is reinstalled. Get the model number off the error screen first, try the internet option, and build a USB drive only if you have to. If recovery finishes and the same message comes back, the storage is the problem and the device needs service.