Chromebooks randomly turning off can be quite irritating, especially if the problem continues. Chromebooks are usually low-cost hardware solutions as compared to Macbooks and Windows laptops.
And this explains why some cheaper Chromebooks may cause some hassle, such as when a Chromebook keeps turning off randomly while you are trying to enjoy your favorite movie. So, you must have asked yourself, Why does my Chromebook keep turning off?
In this article, we will take a closer look at the problem and learn possible solutions to help you prevent your Chromebook from turning off again and again.
Why Does My Chromebook Keep Turning Off?
There are some possible reasons for a Chromebook turning off again and again. These reasons can be:
- Your Chromebook’s power settings need to be changed.
- Your Chromebook is outdated.
- Your Chromebook is overheating.
- Your Chromebook needs a restart or hard reset.
- Your Chromebook’s battery life has shortened.
- Your Chromebook is running low on RAM. This may be due to:
- Opening too many apps and tabs.
- Your browser is accumulating excessive cache data and cookies.
- Your Chromebook’s charger might not be working.
- Some apps or extensions might cause your Chromebook to malfunction.
- Your Chromebook has a technical fault.
Check all of these potential reasons and see if you suspect any. See the solutions given below to your potential problem.
How To Fix Chromebook Keep Turning Off
Here are some solutions you can use if you believe any of the issues listed above are affecting your Chromebook:
Change Chromebook’s Power Settings
One of the reasons your Chromebook might be turning off is because it is set to turn off automatically.
Chromebooks are designed to save battery life and keep overall battery life optimal. So, it might be shutting down automatically when not in use or when the lid is closed to save battery.
To prevent this auto-shutdown, you need to change your Chromebook’s power settings. Here’s how to do it:
- Open Settings and click on Device.
- Click on Power.
- Under the When Idle section, you will see two idle modes: while charging and while on battery.
- Tap on the drop-down menus in both idle modes, and you will see the following options:
- Sleep
- Keep display on
- Turn off display
- Select Keep display on for both idle modes. This will prevent your Chromebook from sleeping or turning its display off when idle.
- Additionally, toggle off the last idle mode that’s called “Sleep when lid is closed.”
This will prevent your Chromebook from sleeping when idle.
Update Chrome OS
An out-dated Chromebook will likely face issues like turning off randomly. Ensure your Chromebook is running the latest version of the Chrome OS to minimize any software issues.
Follow these steps to update your Chrome OS to the latest version.
- Go to Settings.
- Click on About Chrome OS from the left pane.
- Under the About Chrome OS section, click Check for updates.
This will update your Chromebook to the latest version, and if you’re lucky, it will stop turning off automatically.
Check Chromebook Overheating
Another reason why your Chromebook might be shutting down on its own is because it might be overheating. When overheating, Chromebooks tend to shut down to prevent it.
Check your Chromebook’s temperature and make sure it’s not exceeding the recommended temperature threshold. Keep it in a cool environment. For instance, you can try placing your laptop on a cool surface, such as a wooden or glass table.
Wood and glass are poor heat conductors; they will not absorb the heat and help prevent the surroundings of your device from heating up.
Powerwash Chromebook
Powerwashing a Chromebook means resetting to factory settings. A powerwash may prevent your Chromebook from auto-shutting down. A powerwash deletes all of your data stored in the Chromebook, including files and settings.
Check Battery Health and Cycle Counts
A common reason behind the issue lies in how well your Chromebook’s battery is performing. The battery’s cycle counts determine how many times it has been fully charged and discharged.
An average Chromebook battery should last 300–500 cycles. Most devices will have their battery life reduced over time, as batteries inherently only last several years.
There can be two reasons why your Chromebook’s battery health is poor:
- The device has been used for a long time, and its battery health has decreased significantly.
- Your device’s battery was mistreated (kept plugged in even after full, etc.), so its health decreased, reducing the amount of charge it can store. This can happen even if the device is relatively new.
Here’s how to check your Chromebook’s battery health:
- Open Settings and go to Chrome OS from the side panel.
- Click on Diagnostics.
- Now click on System from the side panel.
- Under the section, you can see the battery health and cycle counts.
You can also run a charge test by tapping on the Run Charge Test button. It’ll help you determine how well the battery is performing. Consider replacing your device’s battery If its health is below 60% or the cycle count has exceeded 500–600,.
Additionally, here are some guidelines to keep the battery healthy:
Guidelines to keep your Chromebook’s battery healthy:
- Never use faulty chargers.
- Keep your Chromebook’s battery percentage between 25 and 85%.
- Do not overcharge your Chromebook; unplug it when the battery percentage is 80–90%. Prevent it from reaching 100%. (It’s okay if the battery reaches 100% sometimes, but this shouldn’t happen very often.)
- Do not completely drain your Chromebook’s battery. Start charging your device’s battery as soon as it hits 25–30%.
- Do not let your Chromebook overheat, especially while running.
- Do not leave it running in direct sunlight.
- Ensure your Chromebook is ventilated adequately.
- Turn off Bluetooth and other wireless utilities when not in use.
- Adjust the brightness according to your environmental needs. Keep the brightness lower if possible. Only increase it when needed.
If you follow these guidelines, your Chromebook’s battery will last much longer. It will minimize the chances of your Chromebook shutting down due to battery issues.
Check and Lower RAM Usage on Your Chromebook
If your Chromebook is running low on RAM, it may shut down whenever the memory gets full. You should check your Chromebook’s RAM statistics to see if it’s getting full. Here’s how to do it:
- Open Settings and go to Chrome OS from the side panel.
- Click on Diagnostics.
- Now click on System from the side panel.
- Scroll down until you find the memory section.
From there, you can check the RAM usage of your device. If it’s full, then this might be the root cause of the problem. To prevent RAM from getting full, here’s what you can do:
Shut Down Any Opened Apps and Tabs
Apps and tabs on idle occupy your Chromebook’s RAM to run in the background. If you have more than enough apps and tabs opened, your Chromebook will run out of RAM and shut down.
To prevent this problem, close all unnecessary apps and tabs, especially the ones that run multimedia. Such apps and tabs often take a lot of resources (like RAM) to keep running.
If you want to check how much RAM an app occupies, repeat the RAM check process while that specific app is running in the background. This will give you a clue as to which apps should be closed as soon as you are done using them.
Clear the Cache and Cookies of Your Browser
Your Chrome browser’s saved cache and cookies also contribute to filling your Chromebook’s RAM. As you continue to browse the internet, your browser keeps saving the website’s cache memory and accepting cookies.
So, if you haven’t cleaned your Chrome browser in a while, then this might be the culprit behind the low RAM, causing your Chromebook to shut down.
Here’s how to clean your browser’s cache and cookies.
- Open Google Chrome on your Chromebook.
- Tap the three dots in the top-right corner of the browser.
- Scroll down and select Clear browsing data. (Alternative way: Press and hold down the CTRL, Shift, and Delete keys at the same time.)
- Tick the following boxes: cookies and other site data, and cached images and files.
- Hit the clear data button below.
If there is any cache data or cookies saved, they will be deleted by following this method.
Change the Power Adapter
Have you checked whether your charger is working or not? If it’s not working, it will not charge your Chromebook, causing it to shut down.
Check the adapter and see if it works. Look for any damage to the wire or adapter. Also, check the power outlet you are plugging the charger into; that might be the issue. If the adapter is damaged, it’s time to replace it.
Uninstall Irrelevant Apps and Extensions
Uninstall any irrelevant apps and extensions installed on your Chromebook. Installing new apps and add-ons is really helpful, but what’s not helpful is that the apps and add-ons make the device malfunction.
It’s not often that apps and extensions cause problems, but sometimes it can happen. Some apps or extensions may not be fully compatible with your device, so this might be causing the issue. If you suspect that an app or extension is the culprit, it’s time to remove it.
Seek Technical Help
If nothing is working and the issue still persists, there’s a likelihood that your Chromebook has run into a technical issue that only a professional can solve. We recommend visiting Google’s official Chromebook Help Page for further help.
If you scroll down on this page, you will see an option to get help from Google’s online community. It often includes professionals answering technical questions online. So, if you’re lucky, a technical expert might address your issue.
Final Words
Over time, some Chromebooks may develop some faults, and users may experience a situation in which the device shuts down on its own.
The persistence of this problem creates an unpleasant experience for users, and they often wonder, “Why does my Chromebook keep turning off?”
In this guide, we take a deep look at how to resolve this issue. From fixing the power settings to uninstalling irrelevant apps and extensions, there are several common reasons why a Chromebook misbehaves.
These issues can be resolved by following the solutions given in our comprehensive guide.