Chrome OS generally remains bug-free and offers a seamless experience, no matter if you use Linux on your Chromebook or try to run Windows apps on Chromebooks. I have even played Steam games on my Chromebook and turned on developer mode on Chrome OS to sideload apps, but no problems have occurred until recently. However, after the last update, my Wi-Fi has gone kaput, and it’s not working at all. In such a scenario, I have no option but to revert Chrome OS to an older version on my Chromebook. If you are also facing such an issue, you can follow our guide and downgrade Chrome OS to an earlier build.
Revert Chrome OS to an Older Version on a Chromebook (2022)
1. First, open Settings by clicking on the cogwheel icon from the Quick Settings panel.
2. Next, click on the search bar at the top of the Settings page and search for “powerwash”. Now, open “Powerwash” from the search result.
3. Once you are here, click on “Reset“. Note that doing so will completely factory reset your Chromebook, so make sure to take a backup of your important files.
4. Next, click on “Restart“, and your Chromebook will reboot right away.
5. After the reboot, wait for a while, and a Powerwash window will appear on the login screen. Click on “Powerwash” to reset your Chromebook.
6. This process will take a few minutes and your Chromebook will reboot again. This time, it will open the Welcome screen. Here, don’t proceed with your Google account as we have still not performed the rollback step.
7. While you are on the Welcome screen, press “Ctrl + Alt + Shift + R” and another Powerwash prompt will appear. Again, don’t reset your device as it will not serve the downgrade purpose. Instead, move to the next step.
8. On the Powerwash screen, press “Ctrl + Alt + Shift + R” again, and this time, the “Powerwash and revert” option should appear. It will enable you to revert Chrome OS to an older version on your Chromebook. Click on “Powerwash and Revert“.
9. The downgrade process will take a few minutes, so keep patience. After that, the Welcome screen will appear, and you can log in with your Google account.
10. Finally, open Settings, and you will find that you have successfully reverted Chrome OS to the older version on your Chromebook. So that is how you can downgrade Chrome OS to an earlier build.
Downgrade Chrome OS to an Older Version on Your Chromebook
So these are the steps you need to follow to roll back Chrome OS to an older version. I was facing Wi-Fi issues on my HP Chromebook, and moving to the last build fixed the issue for me. Anyway, that is pretty much it for this guide. If you want to install Google’s new Chrome OS Flex on your Windows PC or Mac, follow the detailed tutorial linked here. And if you’re unsatisfied with the experience and wish to remove Chrome OS Flex and reinstall Windows on your computer, we have a guide in place for that as well. Finally, if you have any questions, let us know in the comments section below.
