• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Technipages

Tutorials and fixes for smartphone, gadget, and computer problems

  • Topics
    • Android
    • Browsers
    • Gaming
    • Hardware
    • Internet
    • iPhone
    • Linux
    • macOS
    • Office
    • Reviews
    • Software
    • Windows
    • Definitions
  • Product Reviews
  • Downloads
  • About
Chromebook: Your System Is Applying a Critical Update

Chromebook: Your System Is Applying a Critical Update

September 30, 2021 by Madalina Dinita 4 Comments

Your Chromebook may sometimes pop up a screen that says, “Your system is applying a critical update. Please do not turn it off.” Unfortunately, Chrome OS never seems to finish applying the update. It often gets stuck in an endless update loop.

Even if you wait for two or three hours and then restart the device, you won’t get rid of the “Applying a critical update” screen. Some users said that Chrome OS might sometimes take days to finish installing the update. If you can’t wait that long, let’s see what else you can do to fix this problem.

Fix: Chromebook Is Applying a Critical Update

Unplug All Peripherals and Force Restart the Device

Make sure to disconnect all the external devices connected to your Chromebook. Unplug your headphones, mouse, external hard drive, and so on. Then press and hold the Power button until your device shuts down. Wait for one minute, power up your Chromebook and check if the issue is gone.

You can also unplug your router and leave it unplugged while your Chromebook is booting up. Check if you notice any improvements when restarting your Chromebook in offline mode.

Reset Chromebook Hardware

power-and-refresh-keys-chromebook

If your device is still applying critical updates, press the Power button until it shuts down. Then wait for one minute. Press and hold the Refresh and Power buttons. Release the Refresh key when your device starts up. Check if your laptop boots up correctly.

Reinstall Chrome OS

Other users managed to solve this problem by reinstalling Chrome OS.

  1. Press and hold the Esc, Refresh, and Power buttons on your keyboard to enter Recovery Mode.
  2. Then release the Power button. Release the Esc and Refresh keys when a message pops up on the screen.
  3. Insert your USB Recovery drive.
  4. Follow the on-screen instructions to reinstall the OS.
  5. Remove the recovery drive when prompted. Your Chromebook should restart automatically.

To create a USB Recovery drive, you need to download the Chrome Recovery app. For more information on creating a USB recovery drive to recover your Chromebook, go to Google’s Support page.

Conclusion

If your Chromebook got stuck while installing a critical update, unplug all the peripherals and force restart the device. Additionally, reset your Chromebook hardware. If the problem persists, reinstall Chrome OS with the help of a USB recovery drive.

Did you manage to solve the problem? Let us know in the comments below. Don’t forget to share this guide on social media.

You Might Also Like

  • Fix Chromebook: Your System Is Repairing Itself
    Fix Chromebook: Your System Is Repairing Itself
  • Chromebook: The Battery Is Too Low to Update
    Chromebook: The Battery Is Too Low to Update
  • How to Fix Chromebook Update Errors
    How to Fix Chromebook Update Errors
  • Windows Stuck at "Applying Group Policy"
    Windows Stuck at "Applying Group Policy"
  • Windows: How to Prevent Group Policy From Applying
    Windows: How to Prevent Group Policy From Applying
  • Fix Google Chrome Critical Error Red Screen
    Fix Google Chrome Critical Error Red Screen

Filed Under: Hardware Tagged With: Chrome OS, Chromebook

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Paul Bell says

    May 10, 2022 at 3:11 am

    I have tried the above and made a recovery os usb drive however the screen goes on to installing a critical update screen and then the screen goes black turns off then comes back on and continues this cycle all the time, as the screen is doing this the power seems to be turning off and coming back on as well?
    Any ideas

  2. Ellen McMeekin says

    March 12, 2022 at 12:09 pm

    We tried all of the above, Any more ideas?

  3. Paul says

    March 11, 2022 at 7:38 am

    I resorted to pressing Esc/Refresh/Power. I didn’t have a USB drive with Chrome OS on it so I chose the option to Power Off. The laptop started after that, so problem solved so far. I still need to check if this happens again if it tries to apply that same critical update. Maybe there was a bug which has now been fixed by Google?
    Thank you.

  4. tom says

    February 17, 2022 at 12:30 pm

    I have tried all of the above and it still just keeps coming up crucial update then shuts down and then repeats its message. Also disconnected the battery.

Did this help? Let us know!

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • 15 Best iOS 16 Beta 3 Features You Should Try Now
  • Android: How to Record and Add Custom Alarm Audio
  • What is a Hackathon?
  • How to Enable Samsung Adapt Sound for the Best Audio
  • What is Social Engineering?
  • Google Voice Typing Not Working: Fix
  • How to Combine Two Columns in Excel: 5 Best Methods
  • Google Docs: How to Type Faster With Speech-to-Text

Who’s Behind Technipages?

Baby and Daddy My name is Mitch Bartlett. I've been working in technology for over 20 years in a wide range of tech jobs from Tech Support to Software Testing. I started this site as a technical guide for myself and it has grown into what I hope is a useful reference for all.

You May Also Like

  • Safety-Critical System
  • System/360
  • Trusted System
  • X Window System
  • Distributed Operating System

© Copyright 2023 Guiding Tech Media · All Rights Reserved · Privacy