Power Down Devices

This is a reminder that we would like to have all students POWER DOWN your school Chromebook every Friday (if you missed Friday's power down, better late than never! Go ahead and power down).

This is important to make sure the computers are receiving the updates correctly which is important for software and most importantly for security updates! Is your computer not running right? Power it down and turn it back on.

To Power Down, it is not the same as closing the lid or signing off:

Turn off your Chromebook

• At the bottom right, select the time. Select the Power icon that looks like the circle with line at the top.
• Your Chromebook will shut down.

OR

• Press and hold the Power key for 3 seconds or until you see the Power Off menu
• Then select Power Off.

If you're a person who rarely uses your Student Chromebook, we are requesting that you power it on and leave it on for at least an hour, then power it back off.

1. Don't let your Chromebook run hot

It’s crucial to make sure that your Chromebook battery doesn't overheat, which means you have to be conscious about how you use the laptop itself. For example, don’t run too many high-intensity processing tasks on your Chromebook at once, because this will overwork the CPU and, in turn, can cause the battery to overheat.

You also want to keep your Chromebook in the proper weather conditions to avoid overheating.

• If you can, store it in a cool area.
• Never leave it running in direct sunlight, particularly during the hot summer months.
• Keep it away from heating vents so you’re not accidentally getting it toasty during winter months.

2. Avoid using faulty outlets

While out in public, you may be tempted to plug your Chromebook into outlets in a shared space. While this makes sense if you're in a co-working space or coffee shop, you want to make sure the outlet is working properly.

We know that you can’t exactly test a public outlet with a voltage tester, but you can mitigate the risk. How? Just make sure your Chromebook power adapter is in good condition, that it fits correctly, and that it matches the outlet’s plug type. If it’s damaged, don't use it in a public outlet. And make sure to avoid third-party chargers altogether.

3. Use a surge protector

Consider using a power strip with a surge protector when plugging in your Chromebook, no matter where you are. This will help you avoid any power-shortage issues, and it will increase your charging efficiency, lengthening the battery’s life.

It’s not as easy to use a power strip with a surge protector when you’re in a public space. However, you could travel with a small, portable surge protector if you’re concerned about faulty outlets or sudden power surges.

4. Properly ventilate your Chromebook

You can manually ventilate your device by connecting a USB cooling fan. This will help keep temperatures at a reasonable level and make sure that the Chromebook battery doesn't overheat. You could also elevate the device by using a compatible laptop stand.

5. Try to keep battery life between 40% and 80% at all times

Just like its other components, Chromebook batteries need their rest. If you continually let your Chromebook run out of juice and then charge it up to 100%, you’ll shorten the battery’s life by making it go through a full cycle each time. Instead, keep the battery between 40% and 80%, which gives it enough charge on a regular basis without overstressing it.

6. Adjust brightness and Bluetooth settings

The more you cycle through charges of your Chromebook, the more you will degrade its battery. Minimize your battery usage by reducing or turning off features and settings you don’t actually need. One example is lowering the brightness setting on the display to better match your environment. Also, turn off Bluetooth whenever you’re not using it.

7. Use a smart plug to automatically adjust charging mechanisms

Smart plugs may superficially resemble power strips, but they have many capabilities, including helping your Chromebook's battery. Unlike a traditional power strip, you can actually program a smart plug. For example, if you don't want your Chromebook battery to charge beyond 80%, you can program your smart plug to stop charging it after a certain amount of time. This can help to maximize the battery’s potential without needlessly degrading it.

8. Regularly monitor your battery health

It is an inevitable fact of life that all batteries eventually degrade, and Chromebook batteries are no exception. However, you want to keep a continuous eye on its health in order to best plan for how you’ll care for it.

9. Use new Chromebook power-saving options

One of the best things about Chromebooks is how easy it is to use Chrome OS. No surprise, then, that Chromebook OS features power-saving options to help extend battery life. To access these features:

• Click into the 'power' tab in the Settings menu
• In this menu, specify whether you want the Chromebook to go to sleep or stay awake both when you leave it idle and when you close the lid

These additional power-saving options allow users to control their Chromebook’s behavior when the device is in sleep mode or when the lid is closed. While you won't be able to directly specify a time limit on idling – the default is six minutes – you can specify whether you want your Chromebook to keep the display on, turn off the display and stay awake, or turn off the display and sleep. To save the most power for your Chromebook battery, you should choose the turn off the display and sleep option.

10. Close your Chrome tabs when you're done using them

One of the biggest drains on the Chromebook battery is the use of Google Chrome itself. The web browser can use quite a bit of your computer’s resources for several reasons, including extensions you use and the number of open tabs. Close tabs if you're not using them.

Summary

Like any device, taking care of your Chromebook battery requires care and attention. Not only do you need to regularly check on its health, but you need to make sure it’s not exposed to heat or similarly negative conditions. Likewise, keep it properly ventilated and charged.

When caring for your Chromebook battery, treat it like any piece of degradable equipment and try to preserve it as long as possible. While you can always swap out your Chromebook battery, it’s better for your budget and schedule to care for it now so you don’t have to worry about fixing or replacing it later.

One issue we've seen with the Chromebook is that they won't turn on. For some reason they get stuck and you have to force it to restart. This process is relatively simple and can be attempted in the classroom if you prefer.

• Hold down the Power button for 10 seconds. If that doesn't work, ⤵
• Hold down the Refresh and Power button. If that doesn't work, ⤵
• Plug the device in and hold down the Refresh and Power button. If that doesn't work, ⤵
• Send it to the office :(

This method usually works wonders to get the Chromebook up and running. We think this happens when the device battery is run completely out and it needs a quick reset to get up and running again.

One time this process didn't work was when the screen brightness was turned down all the way. I fixed it by clicking the screen bright key. Be Aware - The screen dimmer button will dim the screen to the point it looks completely off.

If these methods don't work, the device may need further troubleshooting and you should send it to the office for repair.

Another issue we've been seeing is a wifi connectivity problem that occurs before the device is logged into or as soon as it is logged in.

Chromebooks work a little differently than the laptops...ok a lot differently...and mostly for the better! Before logging in to any Chromebook, do not attempt to login to the wifi (on the old laptops you had to do the opposite and login to the wifi before logging into the computer). Instead, if it asks you, choose guest and go ahead and log in to the device. The first few seconds of being logged on, the Chromebook will automatically adjust your wifi settings and log you in to the correct wifi account.

This also leads me to the next issue of your first webpage that you open may look like you're having wifi issues. You may even get the little dino page that tells you, you don't have internet. Just open up a second tab or refresh after 5 seconds and your internet should be restored. Sometimes the Chromebook takes an extra couple seconds to get logged into the correct wifi profile. If these steps don't work, please put in a tech ticket.