How to Use the Chromebook Recovery Utility Extension

What does the Chromebook Recovery Utility extension do?

The Chromebook Recovery Utility is a free Chrome extension published by Google that creates recovery media for a Chromebook. It downloads a fresh copy of ChromeOS matched to your device and writes it to a USB drive or SD card, which you then boot from to reinstall the operating system.

It only works as an extension inside Chrome or another Chromium-based browser, but Google's own listing confirms it also runs on Windows and Mac, so you can build the recovery media on a different computer if the Chromebook itself is too broken to use.

Before you start: what recovery erases and how to back up first

Recovery permanently erases everything on the Chromebook's internal storage, including downloaded files that never made it to Drive. Back up anything local before you begin, since there's no undo once the process starts.

If your Google Account is already synced, most of what matters — bookmarks, saved passwords, installed extensions — comes back automatically after you sign back in. The gaps are local downloads, open tabs you haven't saved anywhere, and anything stored only in a password manager's local, unsynced vault.

How to install the Chromebook Recovery Utility extension

You can install it on the affected Chromebook if it still boots into Chrome, or on a separate Windows or Mac computer if it doesn't.

1. Open Chrome and go to the Chromebook Recovery Utility listing on the Chrome Web Store.
2. Click Add to Chrome, then confirm with Add extension.
3. Click the extension's icon in the toolbar once it's installed (use the puzzle-piece menu and pin it if it's hidden). See how to add extensions on a Chromebook for the general steps.
4. The utility opens as a small standalone app window rather than a popup — that's expected behavior.

Google's listing notes the tool works on M55+ Chromebooks as well as Windows and Mac, so if the Chromebook you're fixing can't run Chrome at all, install the extension on any other computer instead.

How to create a recovery USB drive step by step

Before you start, plug in a USB flash drive or SD card of at least 8GB. Recovery formats it completely, so move anything already on it elsewhere first.

1. Open the Chromebook Recovery Utility and click Get started.
2. Choose Select a model from a list and pick your Chromebook's manufacturer and model, or enter the 8-character recovery code shown on a Chromebook's error screen if you have one.
3. Insert your USB drive or SD card and select it when the tool prompts you to choose media.
4. Click Continue, then Create now to confirm — the tool erases the drive and downloads the matching recovery image.
5. Wait for the download and write process to finish; don't remove the drive until the utility confirms it's done.

How to boot a Chromebook into recovery mode and run the USB

With the recovery media ready, the rest of the process happens on the affected Chromebook itself, not in the extension.

1. Disconnect any mouse, external drive, or other accessory from the Chromebook.
2. Press and hold Esc + Refresh, then press Power, and let go of Power first.
3. When the "ChromeOS is missing or damaged" screen appears, insert the recovery USB drive or SD card.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions; the Chromebook reboots automatically once recovery finishes.
5. Remove the USB drive when prompted, then complete the normal Chromebook setup screens.

Chromeboxes and Chromebits use a small physical recovery button instead of a key combination, so check Google's support page for your exact device type if you're not working with a laptop-style Chromebook.

Can you run the Chromebook Recovery Utility on Windows or Mac?

Yes. The extension installs the same way in Chrome on Windows and Mac, and it's the standard option when the Chromebook itself won't boot far enough to run the tool locally.

The workflow doesn't change on another computer: install the extension, pick your Chromebook's model or enter its recovery code, and write the image to a USB drive. The main advantage is that you can prepare recovery media in advance, before something actually goes wrong.

What to do if the Chromebook Recovery Utility extension isn't working

Most failures come down to the USB drive itself, not the extension.

• Try a different, known-good USB drive or SD card — some drives aren't reliable enough for writing a bootable image.
• Make sure the drive is at least 8GB and isn't write-protected.
• If your model doesn't appear in the list, use the 8-character recovery code from the device's error screen instead.
• If recovery fails partway through on the Chromebook, try Recover using internet connection first, since it doesn't depend on USB hardware at all.

Chromebook Recovery Utility vs. Powerwash: which one do you need?

Powerwash (factory reset) and the Recovery Utility solve different problems, and trying the wrong one first just wastes time.

Powerwash

Resets ChromeOS settings and local data but keeps the existing operating system installation. Use it for a sluggish or misconfigured Chromebook that still boots normally.

Recovery Utility

Reinstalls ChromeOS entirely from a fresh image. Use it when the Chromebook shows "ChromeOS is missing or damaged", won't boot, or a Powerwash itself won't complete.

Google's own guidance recommends restarting, then trying Powerwash, before moving to full recovery. Recovery is the more invasive, last-resort step, and it's the only one that requires the extension and a USB drive.

What to do after recovery finishes

Sign back in with your Google Account to restore synced bookmarks, saved passwords, and most extensions that were installed before the wipe.

Extensions don't always reinstall themselves silently, so check your toolbar and reinstall anything missing, including a password manager like Bitwarden if you rely on one — see the best Chromebook extensions for other essentials worth re-adding, and confirm your saved logins carried over correctly.

If the Chromebook is managed by a school or employer, it likely needs to be re-enrolled through the organization's admin console before it's usable again — that step happens outside the recovery utility itself.