HP Chromebook Chrome OS is missing or damaged

[t-esakid]

My Chromebook just stopped working with the error on boot "Chrome OS is missing or damaged". I have followed the direction the chromeos/recovery page however every time I boot from the recovery disk I get the "unrecognized error" after is is all the way through the verification pattern. I have tried it via a USB stick, a large SD card and a large microSD card all with the same result.  The next step on the recovery page is contact product support but the computer is beyond its warranty  so  posting here looking for ideas as to what to do.

[Hawks_Eye]

Hi @t-esakid 

Welcome to the HP Support Community! We're here to help you get back up and running.

I understand how frustrating it must be to see your Chromebook stop at “Chrome OS is missing or damaged” and then run into repeated “unrecognized error” messages when trying recovery media. You’ve already put in a lot of effort with multiple devices and media types, and I appreciate the persistence you’ve shown. 

Let’s walk through a few steps that can sometimes bring the system back to life:

Re‑create the recovery media

• Use a different computer to download the Chromebook Recovery Utility from the Chrome Web Store.
• Create a fresh recovery USB drive or SD card, ensuring the media is at least 8 GB and formatted during the process.
• Sometimes re‑creating the recovery image with a different computer resolves verification errors.

Try a different USB port

• If your Chromebook has both USB‑A and USB‑C ports, test each one.
• Avoid using hubs or adapters during recovery.

Powerwash before recovery

• If the recovery screen allows, select “Advanced options” and attempt a factory reset (Powerwash).
• This clears local data and may allow the recovery media to proceed without error.

Check the media integrity

• After creating the recovery drive, safely eject and reinsert it into the computer used for creation.
• If the system recognizes it and shows the correct label, the image is likely intact.

Firmware update possibility

• Some Chromebooks require the latest firmware to accept recovery images. If you can reach the recovery utility screen, look for any option to update firmware before retrying recovery.

HP Chromebook support resources

• You can review HP’s Chromebook troubleshooting guide here: HP Chromebook - Chrome OS is missing or damaged.
• This page provides step‑by‑step instructions for creating recovery media and handling errors during the process.

If after these steps the recovery still fails, the issue may be with the internal storage of the Chromebook itself. In that case, continuing with recovery attempts using freshly created media is the best path forward.

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Take care, and have an amazing day!

Regards, 

Hawks_Eye