Chromebooks are popular for being easy to use and affordable, but sometimes they may encounter performance issues. Thankfully, Chrome OS comes with a Diagnostics app that helps diagnose problems and find solutions. In this article, we’ll show you how to access the Diagnostics app and what it can do.
How to Access the Diagnostics App on a Chromebook
The Diagnostics app is not readily visible, but you can easily find it using the Chrome OS search feature. Here are the steps:
- Click the Search/Launcher button on your keyboard or tap the Launcher button on the lower-left corner of the screen.
- Start typing “Diagnostics” into the search bar until it pops up.
- Select the Diagnostics app icon.
Now you’re ready to use the app to diagnose your Chromebook.
What Information Can the ChromeOS Diagnostics App Show You?
The Diagnostics app has three tabs: System, Connectivity, and Keyboard. Each tab provides different information about your Chromebook.
The System Tab
- Build: Shows the name and number of ChromeOS currently installed on your Chromebook.
- Battery: Displays your device’s battery capacity, current estimated battery life, battery health, cycle count, and current. You can also perform a discharge test.
- CPU: Shows the characteristics of your device’s CPU along with a graph of the current CPU usage, usage percentage, temperature, and current speed. You can also run subtests for more information.
- Memory: Displays your device’s current memory usage, and you can activate the memory diagnostic test.
The Connectivity Tab
This tab provides information about your device’s network status, including the MAC address, network name, IP address, and more.
The Keyboard Tab
This tab allows you to test a keyboard hooked up to your Chromebook. You can select the keyboard to test and press any key to ensure the system registers it correctly.
How Do I Share Diagnostic Data?
If your Chromebook experiences issues and requires help from a technician, you can export hardware data from the Diagnostics app. Follow these steps:
- Open the Diagnostics app.
- Click the “Save test details” button in the lower-left corner.
- Choose where to save the TXT file and what to name it.
You can then share the text file with the technician to help identify and solve the issue.
Record Your Troubles
If you encounter any issues, it’s essential to document them to help the technician accurately diagnose the problem. Apart from the Diagnostics app, you can use Chromebook’s screenshot tool, which can also help fix your device quickly.
