No error message is more frightening to Chromebook users than "Chrome OS is missing or damaged." Fortunately, you can address it in a number of ways that will get your laptop back up and running.

Instructions in this article apply to laptops with Chrome OS, regardless of which company made the device.

How to Fix the 'Chrome OS Is Missing or Damaged' Error on Chromebooks

Try these steps in order until your Chromebook can boot successfully:

1. Powerthe Chromebook off and on. Press and hold thePowerbutton until the device turns off, then wait a few seconds and press thePowerbutton again to turn it back on.

2. Powerwash (reset) the Chromebook to factory settings. If you're able to log in to the Chromebook, powerwash Chrome OS to return the machine to its original state.

   Performing a factory reset erases your locally stored files, so make sure you back up everything to your Google Drive.

3. Recover Chrome OS. If the computer is still stuck at theChrome OS is missing or damagedscreen, then your only option is to perform a fresh install of the operating system. You can find instructions on how to do that below.

   Reinstalling Chrome OS in recovery mode completely wipes the hard drive, including your downloads and personal files.

4. Reinstall Chrome OS.To reinstall a Chromebook's operating system, you need another working computer with Chrome OS, macOS, or Windows, as well as a formatted USB flash drive or SD card with a minimum of 8 GB of space.

   • Using the Google Chrome browser on a working computer, download and install the Chromebook Recovery Utility by selectingAdd to Chromein the Chrome Web Store.
   • Launch the program. You're asked to provide the Chromebook model number, which you can enter manually or choose from a list. (If prompted to grant the OS permission to make changes to the USB drive or SD card, select Yes or Allow. )
   • Plug in your USB flash drive or SD card, and then follow the on-screen prompts to download Chrome OS to your removable media.
   • Once the download is complete, remove the USB drive or SD card.
   • With the Chromebook powered on, holdEsc+Refreshon the keyboard, then press thePower button to reboot in recovery mode.
   • At theChrome OS is missing or damagedscreen, insert the SD card or USB drive containing Chrome OS. You should then go through the operating system's installation process.

Your Chromebook should function now as it did when you first purchased it. If the problem still isn't fixed, you may have a hardware issue. Contact Google or the device manufacturer for further assistance.

Causes of the 'Chrome OS Is Missing or Damaged' Error

The "Chrome OS is missing or damaged" error appears when a machine encounters problems loading the operating system. You usually encounter it during startup, but the message can also appear at random while you're using the computer. The error screen looks slightly different depending on the device model, but the potential solutions are the same for all Chromebooks.

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