When it comes to Operating System and Applications, Chromebook is lightweight as compared to Windows and macOS. But every Operating System has its own share of errors and issues and does Google’s Chrome OS. The worst error you can receive on your Chromebook is “Chrome is Missing or Damaged” which equals the BSOD on Windows 10.
If you see this error message on your Chromebook’s screen, then know that there is no way to go back and you have probably lost all your data stored on the hard drive. The back up on cloud storage will always remain safe and is accessible on any computer, provided you remember the credentials. The next step is to restore your Chromebook back to the factory settings so that you can start using it again.
Reasons as to Why the “Chrome OS Is Missing or Damaged” Error Occurs.
The “Chrome OS Is Missing or Damaged” Error generally occurs when you start your Chromebook. It is mainly due to the fact that the Operating Systems files were not able to load properly during the bootup process. Try restarting your Chromebook, and if the same error occurs, then it seems some of the important system files have been corrupted. There are instances, which shows that this error could occur while a user is working on the computer, which could be resultant of a hardware issue or a malware activity.
Also Read: Factory Reset your Chromebook in Quick & Simple steps
Steps to Fix Chrome OS is Missing or Damaged Error?
If you are facing the Chrome OS is missing or damaged error, then it is obvious that the next step would be to restore your Chromebook. Follow the below-mentioned steps to take your Chromebook out of oblivion:
Before proceeding, you must know that upon performing the below-mentioned steps, you will lose all your files that were stored on the local drive
Step 1. Press CTRL + D on the keyboard to open the Chrome recovery window.
Step 2. Press the Enter Key and follow the on-screen instructions.
Step 3. Restart your Chromebook when prompted.
Step 4. Your Chromebook will be restored back to normal.
Also Read: How To Speed Up Chromebook
Steps to Fix Chrome OS is Missing or Damaged Error, Please Insert a Recovery USB Stick.
The above steps mentioned can restore your Chromebook without any external disk, but if you are facing the Chrome OS is Missing or Damaged, Please Insert a Recovery USB Stick error, then the CTRL + D will not work, and you must carry out a different set of steps.
Step 1. Create a recovery media on a USB disk using another computer. You can use any computer with any OS, including Windows, macOS or Chrome OS. All you need is the Chrome Browser installed.
Step 2. Install the Chromebook Recovery Utility extension on your Chrome Browser. You can reach the install page by clicking on the link below.
Download Chromebook Recovery Utility
Step 3. Once Installed, it will take you to the Chrome Apps page. You can directly access the chrome apps by typing “chrome://apps/” in the address bar of your Chrome browser.
Step 4. Choose the Recovery app to initiate the process of creating a recovery USB disk. You will require a minimum of 4 GB USB flash disk that is empty.
Step 5. Select the Manufacturer and Model of your Chromebook, and click on Continue.
Step 6. Plugin in the USB Flash Drive and wait for some time. The important files required to restore your Chromebook will be copied, and the USB recovery drive will be created.
Step 7. Once the USB drive is created, unplug it and insert it in the affected Chromebook. The screen will display Chrome OS is Missing or Damaged, Please Insert a Recovery USB Stick error and automatically detect the flash disk and begin the recovery process.
Also Read: How To Capture Screenshot On Chromebook
The Final Word on Steps for Chrome OS is Missing or Damaged Error Fixes.
Those are the steps to fix the most frightening “Chrome OS is Missing or Damaged” Error. Once you reinstall the Chrome OS, you can restore everything back, thanks to Google. However, the pain losing data is, of course, unbearable. The only solution that can reduce the pain if not eliminated completely is to make a habit of taking a regular backup of your data. All data backups taken to Cloud Storage can be restored back to any computer with the correct credentials.
If you know of any other steps that could help Chromebook users, then drop in a note in the comment section below.