2 Easy Ways to Enable USB Booting on Chromebook

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A step-by-step guide to enabling USB booting in Developer Mode & recovering from an external disk
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If you want to boot up your Chromebook from a USB drive or another external device, such as an SD card, you can enable that option in Developer Mode . In this article, we’ll talk you through that process, as well as how to recover a Chromebook using a USB drive when there’s a problem with your OS.

Things You Should Know

  • To enable USB booting on a Chromebook, start up in Developer Mode and enter the USB booting command in Command Prompt.
  • Once USB booting is enabled, boot from the USB disk by pressing Ctrl + U in the Developer Mode startup screen.
  • Chromebook’s Recovery Mode also lets you recover your system from a USB disk.
Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

USB Booting from Developer Mode

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    Starting your Chromebook in Developer Mode will cause it to reset to factory settings. Some things, like your browser settings and files stored in the cloud, should be automatically backed up if you have syncing set up in Chrome . But if you’re worried about losing any of your data, particularly any Linux files or apps, do a backup first. [1]
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    Hold the Esc and Refresh keys down at the same time, then press the Power button. This will cause your Chromebook to reboot in Recovery Mode. [2]
    • On some models you’ll need to hold down Esc + Maximize instead. The Maximize button looks like 4 right-angle brackets arranged into a square shape.
    • If neither key combination works, try shutting your Chromebook down first.
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    Press Ctrl + D to activate Developer Mode . Once you see the Recovery screen, this combination will ask if you want to turn off OS verification.
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    You'll see a message that confirms you've disabled OS Verification.
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    You'll then see a message that says "Your system is transitioning to Developer Mode," and a timer at the top of the screen. Once the timer runs out, your Chromebook will enter Developer Mode.
    • This process can take up to 15 minutes.
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    The F2 key is also the right-pointing arrow. This displays a login prompt.
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    This user has no password, so you won't need to enter one to log in. Once signed in, you'll see a prompt.
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    This gives you superuser access.
    • Because there is no root password, you will not need to enter a password now. If prompted, just press Enter . [3]
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    This mode allows you to boot from external media, such as a USB flash drive or SD card. To do this, just type crossystem dev_boot_usb=1 and press ↵ Enter .
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    If you haven't done so already, insert your flash drive now.
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    Your Chromebook will reboot once again to the warning screen. [4]
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    This prompts your Chromebook to boot from the connected USB flash drive.
    • Developer Mode will remain enabled until you disable it. To disable Developer Mode, reboot your Chromebook. On the Warning screen, hit Spacebar to boot up in Normal Mode.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Restoring from a USB Drive

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    If you want to recover a Chromebook using a bootable USB disk, the Recovery Extension will allow you to format your bootable disk easily. On a separate computer, install the Recovery Extension in your Chrome browser. Then: [5]
    • Click the Extensions button, which looks like a puzzle piece, in the top right corner of the Chrome browser window.
    • Select the Chromebook Recovery Utility extension. An extension window should pop up.
    • Click Get Started in the pop-up window.
    • Select your Chromebook model in the Select a model from a list menu. You can also type in your model number if you know it.
    • Select Continue , then insert your USB drive into the USB port on your computer.
    • Choose your USB drive from the dropdown menu, click Continue , then click Create Now . Remove the USB drive once you see a message telling you that your recovery disk is ready.
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    To do this on most models, hold down Esc and Refresh at the same time, then press the Power button.
    • On some other models, you may need to hold Esc and Maximize (which looks like 4 right-angle brackets arranged in a square) while pressing Power .
    • Let go of the keys when you see a message letting you know you are in Recovery Mode .
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    On the Recovery Mode screen, you should see a couple different recovery options. Choose Recover using external disk to boot up and restore your system from a USB drive.
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    Your Chromebook will guide you through the process of restoring your Chromebook from the USB disk. Insert the disk when prompted and follow the instructions to finish the recovery process.
    • If you get an error message saying The device you inserted doesn’t contain ChromeOS , you may need to erase the USB drive and try again, or use a different USB drive.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    Doesn't that wipe the Chromebook?
    Community Answer
    It is possible to do a clean install of the Chrome operating system using Chromebook Recovery Utility, available in the Chrome Web Store.
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    Not Helpful 117 Helpful 98
  • Question
    Then, can I boot to an Ubuntu install USB stick?
    Madhuri Barad
    Community Answer
    Yes, you can. Just use a Windows OS and Rufus software to do it and don't forget that you must have a 32 GB or more pendrive and select the device for installing.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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    Not Helpful 14 Helpful 30
  • Question
    How would one force a cyan OS Chromebook to boot from a live Kali USB? As it stands, Chrome doesn't want to allow anything except Chrome.
    Alisha Singh
    Community Answer
    Unfortunately, it is not possible to force a Chrome OS Chromebook to boot from a live Kali USB as Chrome OS is designed to only run Chrome OS and does not allow booting from external media.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/9592813?hl=en
      2. ↑ https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/1080595?hl=en
      3. ↑ https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Chrome_OS_devices
      4. ↑ https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromiumos/docs/+/HEAD/debug_buttons.md
      5. ↑ https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/1080595?hl=en

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Back up your Chromebook.
      2. Power it off.
      3. Boot into recovery mode.
      4. Press Ctrl + D and press Enter .
      5. Press Ctrl + D to log in.
      6. Open the console.
      7. Type "sudo crossystem dev_boot_usb=1" and press Enter .
      8. Insert the drive and press Ctrl + U .

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