How to Revert ChromeOS to Older Version on a Chromebook

Did the latest ChromeOS update leave you with a Chromebook that’s annoying to use? Well, you are not alone. Upgrades are not always more beneficial. They tend to ruin the functionality of your favorite applications or reduce your Chromebook’s performance. In this article, we discuss the various methods to revert ChromeOS to older versions, and we go over steps that click.

Table of Contents

Reverting ChromeOS: The Why

Let’s first discuss the reason behind wanting to go back a version. The unexpected changes that are brought in with the performance updates are: decreased speed, increasing workload, device freeze, interruptions in the apps, or changes in the user interface that disrupt your workflow. The silver lining is that Google has provided protection in the form of recovery options, if only you know how to use them.

Method 1: Recommended Powerwash and Revert Strategy

For consumer Chromebooks, this is the most effective and dependable strategy. This approach always gets you back to stable and here is how to accomplish that.

Step 1: Backup All Your Crucial Data

This is the first step of the first technique that will ease you towards your stable device. It is critical to back up everything that you do not wish to lose. This method eliminates your local files, thus any critical files should be saved to Google Drive or any external storage.

Step 2: Starting the Powerwash Process

Tap the status area on the bottom right of the screen.
Tap on the Settings gear icon.
Scroll down to “Advanced” and click on it.
In “Reset and clean up,” click on “Powerwash.”
When asked to confirm, click on “Restart.”

Your Chromebook will reboot and display the reset screen.

Step 3: Use the Revert Option

Now, to do the steps that will undo the last changes:

When the welcome screen appears (after the powerwash has finished), press Ctrl+Alt+Shift+R.
You will be prompted with a dialog that will ask if you want to revert to the previous version.
Press the key combination to confirm.
Your Chromebook will restart and the rollback process will commence.

Tip: As a helpful note, you can only undo the last change using this method. Reverting back multiple changes is not possible.

Step 4: Finish the Setup

Once the revert process is done, you will be walked through the ChromeOS setup, which is standard. Signing in will allow restoring the settings back with the Google account.

Method 2: Custom Recovery Method

Should the powerwash method not work, creating a custom recovery drive is a method worth exploring. This is best suited for older Chromebook models not newer than 2021.

What You Will Need:

A USB drive or SD card with a capacity of 8GB or higher
Another PC (windows, Mac, Linux)
Chromebook Recovery Utility

Step By Step Procedure:

Install Recovery Utility on your other computer
Look for a sticker on the bottom of your Chromebook. That is your model
Go to the listed repositories and get the corresponding recovery image
Using the utility, make the recovery media
Insert the recovery drive to your Chromebook and boot it.

Using the on-screen instructions, reinstall the older version.

Reality Check: Most Newer devices will not allow the use of older recovery images due to compatability checks. Don’t be surprised if this method fails to work on recent Chromebooks.

Enterprise Users: You Have More Options:

If your dealing with a managed Chromebook, your admin has significantly more control. Enterprise Admins can downgrade control any Chromebook managed under him to any of the three latest major versions of ChromeOS using the Google Admin console.

Admins can:

Define target versions for entire device fleets
Plan gradual rollouts by department
Enforce no rollback policies for systems where security is pivotal.

What to Keep in Mind After Reverting

Following a rollback there are a few things to keep in mind:

Updates Will Automatically Resume: ChromeOS checks for updates within a day or two. If you would like to not receive a specific version, you will have to either disconnect or apply enterprise policies to stop updates.

Limited timeframe: Revert option tends to expire after a few weeks, so if there are concerns with an update, don’t delay too long.

Older versions of ChromeOS might not support some newer applications. Make sure you verify the critical applications after performing a revert.

Resolving Common Problems

Missing revert option: If a revert option is not available, and the device is not supporting a specific feature, the device may have been eligible for a feature until too much time has passed since the last update. Try the recovery drive approach instead.

Fails partway through: This is a sign of certain hardware compatibility problems, often found in newer Chromebooks, which are stricter about running older software. Sometimes the device needs to go through a verification process by the manufacturer.

Requires developer mode: Some approaches require the developer mode to be switched on, but keep in mind that on enterprise devices, admins usually disable that option.

The Bottom Line

Figuring out how to revert ChromeOS to an older version on a Chromebook is not too challenging, but it requires some careful steps to take. For most consumer devices, the powerwash and revert method will work, and for enterprise users, there are more thorough options available through admin controls.

Do keep in mind that Google’s the aggressive updating strategy will make it a losing battle to try and stick to older versions of the software for longer. Consider rollbacks as a waiting strategy to try and bide time until stability fixes are implemented rather than a long-term method.

Do you have any questions regarding the process, or are you experiencing issues? The ChromeOS community is available 24/7 to assist you with densely packed problems.