Acer Chromebook 15 CB5-571-C09S Troubleshooting

The display screen randomly flickers when I’m using it.

Does the screen only flicker when the computer is being moved? If the answer is yes, then the screen may have a loose connection and may need to be replaced. Check out our screen replacement guide for instructions to replace the screen.

If the screen flickers when you are not moving the computer, try logging out of your computer as administrator and instead login as Guest. If the screen does not continue to flicker your Intel display drivers may require an update. If you have recently installed Crouton on your device this may be the issue. In order to update the display drivers press Ctrl + Alt + T to access the device’s crosh shell. This is analogous to the command prompt or terminal of other computers. Enter the commands listed below into the crosh shell:

sudo apt-get install software-properties-common python-software-properties

sudo add-apt-repository https://download.01.org/gfx/ubuntu/14.04...

wget --no-check-certificate https://download.01.org/gfx/RPM-GPG-KEY-... -O - | sudo apt-key add -

wget --no-check-certificate https://download.01.org/gfx/RPM-GPG-KEY-... -O - | sudo apt-key add -

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get upgrade

If after logging in as Guest the screen continues to flicker, contact Acer Repair.

The computer randomly shuts down while I’m using it.

First check to make sure that the battery is not depleted by plugging it in and fully charging the device.

If the battery does not appear to be charging see the instructions below for troubleshooting a battery that will not charge.

If the Solid State Drive or SSD is bad or is not working properly, then that could cause the system to random shutdown. Try replacing the SSD and see if this helps the random shutdowns.

If your computer keeps randomly shutting down, the system could be overheating. When this happens the system will automatically shutdown to avoid the system from burning up. The system may be overheating due to a bad or broken fan which keeps the system cool and prevents it from overheating. Try replacing the fan to see if this helps the random shutdowns.

The Chromebook is meant to sense when the lid has been opened and turn on automatically. When you press the power button and movement is not sensed, the computer will shut down immediately. This may indicate a faulty motion sensor. Contact Acer repair to replace the motion sensor.

If all else has failed, try resetting your Chromebook by enabling developer mode. This will restore your device to its original factory settings.

First save all information to Google Drive, iCloud, or some other storage device. **Enabling developer mode will return your device to its original factory settings and all unsaved information will be lost.**

Turn on the Chromebook device.

Once you have entered Recovery Mode press Ctrl + D. (Please note that there will be no prompt once you have entered Recovery Mode to do so.) After pressing Ctrl + D the computer will ask you to confirm that you would like to revert to its original state and enable developer mode. Select Yes.

Now you must access the superuser shell with or without Chrome OS configuration:

To configure Chrome OS press Ctrl + Alt + F2. Enter username chronos when prompted. Then become a super user with sudo bash.

If you have already configured Chrome OS press Ctrl + Alt + T to open a crosh window. Enter the word shell into the command window. Then become a super user with sudo bash.

If attempts at rebooting your computer did not rectify the issue contact Acer Repair as the issue could be hardware related.

When I plug the charger into the laptop the battery will not charge.

If the battery is not charging you might simply just have a loose connection of wires from the charging port, where the charger connects to the device, to the power outlet, where the charger plugs into the wall. Make sure that your charger or any adapter cables are completely plugged to the charging port of your Chromebook and to the power outlet on the wall.

If the power outlet that you are using to charge your Chromebook does not work, then the battery will not charge. To check if you are using a non working power outlet, plug in another device into the same outlet that you are using and see if that device works. If the test device does not work then the power outlet does not work and you will need to use a working power outlet to charge the battery.

If the battery is not charging then the charger itself may be broken. To check if your charger is broken, try using the same charger to charger a different device. If the charger does not charge the test device, then the charger is broken and you will need a working charger to charge the battery.

If the battery won’t charge and both the power outlets and charger are no broken, then a software error could be the cause of the battery not being able to charge. In order to fix the software error, a factory reset must be performed. To factory reset your Chromebook you must first sign out. Once you are signed out of your Chromebook press and hold Ctrl + Alt + Shift + r. After entering the combination keys, click the Restart option that appears on the screen. In the restart options box, click Reset. Sign in and follow the instructions that appear. Once the device has completed factory resetting, try charging the battery again.

If the battery still does not charge, then you most likely have a malfunctioning or broken battery. The battery will need to be replaced in order for the device to charge again. Please refer to the battery replacement guide for help with how to replace the battery.

No matter what keys I press or how many times I press them they do not respond.

Your computer might have sticky keys turned on, which can lock out the keyboard. Press the Left Shift Key five times to pull up the Sticky Keys Window. Click on the ‘No’ button to disable it.

Your computer might be have issues that are related to the settings. Click on the Start Menu in the corner of your desktop. Go to the Profile icon and sign out of your account. Try signing into your Guest account while on the login screen and check if your keyboard is working. If your keyboard is still not working, you might need to hard reset your computer. To do this, press and hold the power button until all of the lights are off.

If your keyboard is still not working, then it might have been jostled out of place. Additionally, your keyboard might have got damaged and will need to be replaced. Contact Acer repair if you have any further issues with the keyboard.

No matter how much I move my fingers or click on the track pad the cursor on the screen does not move.

If the track pad of the device is unresponsive , then the track pad itself may be damaged and will need to be replaced. Check out our track pad repair guide for instructions to replace the track pad.

Press the Esc key on your keyboard at least ten times. If this fails, you might need to sign into your Guest account. Press the Start Key on your keyboard and navigate to the Profile icon with the arrow keys and press the Enter Key. Using the arrow keys, select your Guest account and check your keyboard. If this does not work, try to reset your computer. To do this, press and hold the power button until the lights go off.

If all of the above fails, a factory reset should be able to fix the touchpad. A factory reset will restore the computer to how it was day one. Make sure to backups of your data before doing this, as this will erase all of your data. After backing up all of your data, press the Start Key on your keyboard and navigate to the Settings icon. Go to the bottom of the settings page and select Advanced. In the “Powerwash” section, select Powerwash. When a window pops up, select Restart and sign in with your Google account. Follow the steps on screen to finish the factory reset.