CHROMEBOOK
FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS
WHAT IS A CHROMEBOOK?
WHAT IS CHROME OS?
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WHAT CAN I USE A CHROMEBOOK FOR?
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A Chromebook is a laptop computer running the Google Chrome
operating system (Chrome OS). These laptops are designed to be
used while connected to the Internet. Chromebook programs or
apps are located on the internet,instead of computerapplications
like Microsoft Office thatare stored on the computer itself.
Chrome OS is the operating system installed on a Chromebook
computer. TheChromeoperating system isdifferent thanMicrosoft
Windows, which is created by Microsoft; or Apple iOS, which is
created by Apple. Both Microsoft Windows and Apple iOS
were created before the internet was as advanced as it is today.
Although they are updated regularly, they are computers that have
been designed to work without an internet connection. This is
different from Chrome OS, which has been created with the internet
in mind.
You can read and send emails, access the internet, write reports or
other documents, create and edit spreadsheets, edit photos, read e-
books, and access the apps in the Google Play Store.
HOW DO I TURN THE CHROMEBOOK ON AND OFF?
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Turn on the Chromebook byopeningthe lid andthenpressingthe
power button. Shutting the lid puts a Chromebook into sleep mode.
It will start up when you raise the lid.You may also shut down your
Chromebook from the login screen by clicking on the Shut Down
button for a second. The Chromebook will immediately shut down.
CHROMEBOOK
FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS
DO I NEED TO BE CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET TO
USE THE CHROMEBOOK?
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HOW DO I LOG INTO THE CHROMEBOOK?
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You can do a lot more with the Chromebook when you are
connected to the internet, but many programs or apps can be used
offline. You must be connected to the internet to store files in
Google Drive.
Use your Gmail email and password or log in as a Guest. You can
also create an account on the startup screen after turning on the
Chromebook.
DO I NEED A GOOGLE ACCOUNT TO USE THE
CHROMEBOOK?
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No, you can log in as a Guest. None of your preferences, history, or
files will be saved if you are logged in as a Guest. When you first
open theChromebook, it will ask you for your Google account email
address and password. You can create an account here if you don’t
yet have one. The Google account is free and comes with Gmail,
which is Google’s email service and is widely considered the best
email service available in the world. A Google account also comes
with many other features, which you’ll likely become familiar with
the more you use the Chromebook.
CHROMEBOOK
FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS
HOW DO I SET UP A GOOGLE ACCOUNT IF I DON'T
ALREADY HAVE ONE?
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WHAT IS GOOGLE DRIVE?
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Go to: https://accounts.google.com/signup
Please refer to the “Chromebook Quick Start” guide on how to
create your Google account.
Google Drive is a cloud storage service owned and developed by
Google.Google Drive allows you to save your files in the cloud, so it
takes up less local storage space on your Chromebook, and allows
you to access your files from any computer—as long as you are
logged in to your Google account.
HOW CAN I SAVE DOCUMENTS OR FILES ON THE
CHROMEBOOK?
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Your documents, files, or photos can be saved to your Google
account using Google Drive. You can also save your files to a USB
storage device. You can also save files temporarily to the
Chromebook, to a folder called ‘files.’ This folder will be erased
when you return the Chromebook to the library. There is not
adesktopyou can save files toon a Chromebook.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I DOWNLOAD A FILE?
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When you download files on a Chromebook they are automatically
saved in the ‘downloads’ folder. To keep files that you’ve
downloaded, you need to move these files from this folder to your
USB storage device or your Google Drive.
CHROMEBOOK
FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS
HOW SAFE IS A CHROMEBOOK FROM VIRUSES OR
OTHER SECURITY CONCERNS?
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CAN I CHANGE THE SETTINGS OR INSTALL OTHER
PROGRAMS ON THE CHROMEBOOK?
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The Chromebook uses Chrome OS, which is built with many layers
of security. The Chromebook receives regular Chrome OS updates,
so any security flaws are removed very quickly.
You can change layouts, settings, and accessibility options on the
Chromebook, and these changes will be saved if you are logged in
to your Google account. The next time you use the Chromebook
your previous settings will be available. You can download
additional apps on the Google Play store.
WHAT PROGRAMS OR APPS DOES THE CHROMEBOOK
HAVE FOR MY CHILD/ME TO USE?
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You can use Google Docs or Microsoft Word to create or edit word
documents, Google Slide to create slideshow presentations, Google
Sheets to create spreadsheets, and Gmail to read and write emails.
There are many other apps built for the Chromebook you can learn
about here: https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/1056325?
hl=en
CAN I PLAY A DVD OR A CD USING THE CHROMEBOOK?
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No, there is no DVD or CD drive port on a Chromebook.
CHROMEBOOK
FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS
WHO CAN CHECK OUT A CHROMEBOOK FROM THE
CITY OF HAYWARD LIBRARY?
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HOW LONG CAN I KEEP THE CHROMEBOOK?
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Hayward Unified School District (HUSD) student borrowers will be
given first priority. A borrower must read, understand, and sign this
agreement electronically before a Chromebook is delivered on a
scheduled day and time.
The loan period for a Chromebook is four (4) weeks. The
Chromebook and Wifi hotspot must be returned upon the due date
and time indicated on your Library receipt.
HOW CAN I BE SURE MY CHROMEBOOK IS CLEAN
BEFORE I USE IT?
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A professional cleaning service will properly sanitize upon return of the
computer.
WHERE IS THE CAPS LOCK KEY?
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There is no Caps Lock key on a Chromebook. To type all capital letters,
press the “search” key and the “Alt” key at the same time.You'll see an
arrow appear on the bottom right notifications bar and a pop-up will
alert you that Caps Lock is on.Pressthe “Shift” key to turn off the Caps
Lock.
HOW DO YOU RIGHT CLICK ON THE CHROMEBOOK?
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Click the mouse touchpad with two fingers to open the right-click
menu.Useone fingeron the touchpad to move or scroll.
CHROMEBOOK
FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS
To COPY, highlight the text and press “Ctrl” and “C” at the same
time. To CUT, highlight the text and press “Ctrl” and “x” at the same
time. To PASTE, highlight the text and press “Ctrl” and “v” at the
same time.
Chromebooks use different keys on their keyboards, and there are
different keyboard shortcuts when using a Chromebook. To see a full
list of keyboard shortcuts for the Chromebook, please visit this
page:https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/183101?hl=en
This website has many useful “how-to” guides:
https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/chromebook-tutorials
You can also visit Google’s Chromebook site for more info:
https://www.google.com/chromebook/howto/
HOW DO I COPY, CUT AND PASTE TEXT?
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WHY DOESN’T THE KEYBOARD SHORTCUT I
TRIED WORK?
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WHERE CAN I LOOK FOR MORE LESSONS ON HOW TO
USE THE CHROMEBOOK?
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User information will not be saved
once the Chromebook is shut down.
PLEASE NOTE