Skip to Main Content

Chromebook Quick Start Guide: Troubleshooting

This Guide is intended to help OSU students access most of the features they are used to on Windows/macOS through the Borrowing and Information Desk's Chromebooks or their own Chrome-compatible devices.

Is your personal laptop broken?

The IS Service Desk in Milne 201 can do free repair of personal devices for students and staff!

Google Chrome OS Help Pages

On-screen Keyboard Always On

This happens when the on-screen keyboard accessibility feature is turned on

  1. Select on the user icon in the lower right corner of the screen
  2. Select the "accessibility" option from the menu
  3. Select the "On-screen keyboard" option to toggle the keyboard off

Unusual Keyboard Behavior

If the keyboard is set to "US international keyboard" or another international keyboard, some keys like the apostrophe key may type unexpected characters for users who normally use the "US keyboard".

  1. Just change the keyboard to "US keyboard". You don't even have to log in to the Chromebook to do this because keyboard setting are one of the settings that appears in the Chromebook's bottom right menu.

Screen Zoom Issues

This is mostly two issues:

  1. The screen resolution setting set to zoom
    1. Press ctrl+shift+0 to reset
  2. Accessibility magnifier left on
    1. Find the accessibility icon on the lower right hand user account/settings menu
    2. Scroll through till you find the magnifier setting and disable it

Screen stays black and the device is unresponsive

  1. Plug the laptop into the charger and do a hard reset by holding down the power button for 20 seconds
  2. If the device still doesn't work, bring it back to Borrowing and Information Desk staff for additional troubleshooting

Contact the Library Borrowing and Information Desk

541-737-7254 | valley.library@oregonstate.edu | Hours