Chrome for Business and Education

Chrome Devices

Wipe device data

This article is for Chrome for Business and Education administrators only.

You can clear all the local user data stored on your Chrome device by switching to developer mode and switching back to normal mode. This is useful if you want to re-enroll a Chrome device after a user signs into it.

You must enroll a Chrome device before any user signs in to the device, including you as the administrator. If a user signs in before you enroll the Chrome device, your Google Apps account policies and preferences will not apply, and you need to wipe the device to restart the enrollment process.

All account information and data stored on the Chrome device that isn't synced with Google Chrome Sync, such as photos, downloaded files, and saved networks, is deleted during a wipe.

Chromebook Pixel
  1. Press ESC + Samsung Chromebook Refresh key + POWER. The screen displays a yellow exclamation point (!).

  2. Press CTRL + D to begin dev mode, then ENTER. The screen displays a red exclamation point.

  3. Press CTRL + D, then ENTER. The Chromebook deletes its local data, returning to its initial state. The deletion takes approximately 15 minutes.

  4. When the transaction completes, press the spacebar, then press ENTER to return to verified mode.

Acer C7 Chromebook
  1. Press ESC + Samsung Chromebook Refresh key + POWER. The screen displays a yellow exclamation point (!).

  2. Press CTRL + D to begin dev mode, then ENTER. The screen displays a red exclamation point.

  3. Press CTRL + D, then ENTER. The Chromebook deletes its local data, returning to its initial state. The deletion takes approximately 15 minutes.

  4. When the transaction completes, press the spacebar, then press ENTER to return to verified mode.


Samsung Chromebook XE303C12-A01
  1. Press ESC + Samsung Chromebook Refresh key + POWER. The screen displays a yellow exclamation point (!).

  2. Press CTRL + D to begin dev mode, then ENTER. The screen displays a red exclamation point.

  3. Press CTRL + D, then ENTER. The Chromebook deletes its local data, returning to its initial state. The deletion takes approximately 15 minutes.

  4. When the transaction completes, press the spacebar, then press ENTER to return to verified mode.


Samsung Series 5 Chromebook

To enroll a Samsung Series 5 Chromebook after a user has signed in:

  1. Turn off the Chromebook.

  2. Locate the black cover with a SIM card icon, on the right side of the device next to the USB port.

  3. Open the black cover and gently move the switch underneath it to the right (toward the USB port) using a paper clip or a pen tip. Moving the switch to this position puts the Chromebook into Developer mode.

  4. Start the Chromebook. The screen displays a sad face icon rather than starting up immediately.

  5. Press Ctrl-D to begin the wiping process. If you don't press Ctrl-D, the process starts automatically after 20 seconds. The Chromebook begins returning to its initial internal state. The process takes about 5 minutes. Do not turn off the Chromebook during the wiping process.. The sad face icon appears again when the process is complete.

  6. Press Ctrl-D again, or wait for 20 seconds. The initial sign on screen appears.

  7. Turn off the Chromebook.

  8. Return the switch from step 3 to its original position (away from the USB port, which is normal mode) and close the black cover.

  9. Start the Chromebook.

  10. Enroll the Chromebook before signing in to it.

Samsung Series 5 550 Chromebook

To enroll a Samsung Series 5 550 Chromebook after a user has signed in:

  1. Turn off the Chromebook.

  2. Locate the Kensington lock port, on the right side of the device next to the USB port.

  3. Gently move the switch held within the lock port to the right (away from the USB port and towards the monitor) using a paper clip or a pin. Moving the switch to this position puts the Chromebook into Developer mode.

  4. Start the Chromebook. The screen displays a sad face icon rather than starting up immediately.

  5. Press Ctrl-D to begin the wiping process. If you don't press Ctrl-D, the process starts automatically after 20 seconds. The Chromebook begins returning to its initial internal state. The process takes about 5 minutes. Do not turn off the Chromebook during the wiping process.. The sad face icon appears again when the process is complete.

  6. Press Ctrl-D again, or wait for 20 seconds. The initial sign on screen appears.

  7. Turn off the Chromebook.

  8. Return the switch from step 3 to its original position (towards the USB port, which is normal mode).

  9. Start the Chromebook.

  10. Enroll the Chromebook before signing in to it.

Samsung Series 3 Chromebox

To enroll a Samsung Series 3 Chromebox after a user has signed in:

  1. Turn off the Chromebox.

  2. Locate the Kensington lock port, on the back of the device next to the power port.

  3. Gently move the switch held within the lock port away from the power port using a paper clip or a pin. Moving the switch to this position puts the Chromebox into Developer mode.

  4. Start the Chromebox. The screen displays a sad face icon rather than starting up immediately.

  5. Press Ctrl-D to begin the wiping process. If you don't press Ctrl-D, the process starts automatically after 20 seconds. The Chromebox begins returning to its initial internal state. The process takes about 5 minutes. Do not turn off the Chromebox during the wiping process.. The sad face icon appears again when the process is complete.

  6. Press Ctrl-D again, or wait for 20 seconds. The initial sign on screen appears.

  7. Turn off the Chromebox.

  8. Return the switch from step 3 to its original position (towards the power port, which is normal mode).

  9. Start the Chromebox.

  10. Enroll the Chromebox before signing in to it.
Lenovo X131e Chromebook
  1. Turn off the device and remove from AC power
  2. Remove the battery for 5 seconds and then reinsert
  3. While the device is still off hold ESC + Samsung Chromebook Refresh key + POWER. After a few seconds the screen will display a yellow exclamation point (!).

  4. Press CTRL + D to begin dev mode, then ENTER. The screen displays a red exclamation point.

  5. Press CTRL + D, then ENTER. The Chromebook deletes its local data, returning to its initial state. The deletion takes approximately 15 minutes.

  6. When the transaction completes, press the spacebar, then press ENTER to return to verified mode.