Can you make my Chromebook go?
September 23, 2020 11:14 AM Subscribe
My Chromebook has gotten really slow over the last few weeks. In particular, Gmail and Google Docs are slow (unbearably slow), but just about everything else works fine. Can you help me figure out how to speed it up?
I've uninstalled every app I can get rid of, I've gotten rid of every Chrome extension I can get rid of. I've powerwashed the Chromebook. And still, Gmail and Google Docs go really, really slowly. Since 90% of my work is done through my Gmail and Docs on my Chromebook (thanks, pandemic WFH circumstances!), this is an issue.
A description of the slowness:
--Word processing starts alright, after I've restarted the device, and then gets really slow. It's especially slow, in Google Docs, when I push 'enter' to put in a line break (why!?).
--Gmail, similarly, starts alright, after I've restarted the device, and then starts slowing down. Not just word processing, but opening and closing e-mails, starting up a new e-mail... Pretty much, everything.
--Other websites and apps work just fine! Like, right now? I'm writing this question in the Ask Metafilter window? And there's absolutely zero lag. It's perfectly normal! But I was inspired to ask this question because my Gmail is.... going... so... so... slow... and I want to scream.
--My husband has an identical Chromebook to mine, and he doesn't have any problems with Gmail or Docs.
--The time between "I just restarted the device" and "I want to scream from how laggy this is" varies, but it's been approx. 20 minutes to a half hour over the past few days. I'm at the point where I nearly can't function, using this device any more.
Suggestions? Ideas? Magic beans that make the word processing demons pick up speed?
I've uninstalled every app I can get rid of, I've gotten rid of every Chrome extension I can get rid of. I've powerwashed the Chromebook. And still, Gmail and Google Docs go really, really slowly. Since 90% of my work is done through my Gmail and Docs on my Chromebook (thanks, pandemic WFH circumstances!), this is an issue.
A description of the slowness:
--Word processing starts alright, after I've restarted the device, and then gets really slow. It's especially slow, in Google Docs, when I push 'enter' to put in a line break (why!?).
--Gmail, similarly, starts alright, after I've restarted the device, and then starts slowing down. Not just word processing, but opening and closing e-mails, starting up a new e-mail... Pretty much, everything.
--Other websites and apps work just fine! Like, right now? I'm writing this question in the Ask Metafilter window? And there's absolutely zero lag. It's perfectly normal! But I was inspired to ask this question because my Gmail is.... going... so... so... slow... and I want to scream.
--My husband has an identical Chromebook to mine, and he doesn't have any problems with Gmail or Docs.
--The time between "I just restarted the device" and "I want to scream from how laggy this is" varies, but it's been approx. 20 minutes to a half hour over the past few days. I'm at the point where I nearly can't function, using this device any more.
Suggestions? Ideas? Magic beans that make the word processing demons pick up speed?
Also, way at the other end of things, does your chromebook have a fan? How old is it?
Fanless chromebooks can suffer in hot weather from overheating which causes the processor to throttle and will slow stuff down. You may notice this more with gmail and docs because they are very intensive apps. Try improving airflow, blasting some compressed air into your fan and possibly even opening the machine up to just get dust out of it.
edit: the fact that things start fine on reboot and get worse over time seems to indicate thermal throttling. The internals could be dirty, maybe the thermal paste on your CPU has gone off, something.
posted by GuyZero at 11:31 AM on September 23, 2020 [2 favorites]
Fanless chromebooks can suffer in hot weather from overheating which causes the processor to throttle and will slow stuff down. You may notice this more with gmail and docs because they are very intensive apps. Try improving airflow, blasting some compressed air into your fan and possibly even opening the machine up to just get dust out of it.
edit: the fact that things start fine on reboot and get worse over time seems to indicate thermal throttling. The internals could be dirty, maybe the thermal paste on your CPU has gone off, something.
posted by GuyZero at 11:31 AM on September 23, 2020 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: I have both a gsuite account and a regular gmail account. Gmail and Docs are slow with both of them.
posted by meese at 11:31 AM on September 23, 2020
posted by meese at 11:31 AM on September 23, 2020
So if it happens with different google accounts, I'm going to go with thermal issues. Remove dust, possibly replace the thermal paste between your CPU and heatsink.
posted by GuyZero at 11:34 AM on September 23, 2020
posted by GuyZero at 11:34 AM on September 23, 2020
Response by poster: So, Googling tells me that my Chromebook (the Acer Chromebook 14) is fanless, so overheating is something to consider. It never feels externally hot, but I also know it's had plenty of time to get dusty.
Sometimes I Zoom with it, and it doesn't seem to have any problems with that. It seems weird to me that it'd have overheating issues with Gmail but manage running Zoom meetings without a problem. Just seems weird to me!
(And, yes, it counts as an old Chromebook at this point. But I'd really like to avoid replacing it yet, if this is a controllable issue.)
posted by meese at 11:36 AM on September 23, 2020
Sometimes I Zoom with it, and it doesn't seem to have any problems with that. It seems weird to me that it'd have overheating issues with Gmail but manage running Zoom meetings without a problem. Just seems weird to me!
(And, yes, it counts as an old Chromebook at this point. But I'd really like to avoid replacing it yet, if this is a controllable issue.)
posted by meese at 11:36 AM on September 23, 2020
The fact that your husband has an identical Chromebook and doesn't see this behavior tends to point towards a hardware issue. You've already done all the responsible problem solving; extensions, powerwash. Have you tried Google's chromebook support?
This answer suggests opening task manager by pressing Shift + Esc, then sorting the resulting list by memory or CPU. Perhaps that will uncover something.
Good luck.
posted by blob at 11:50 AM on September 23, 2020 [1 favorite]
This answer suggests opening task manager by pressing Shift + Esc, then sorting the resulting list by memory or CPU. Perhaps that will uncover something.
Good luck.
posted by blob at 11:50 AM on September 23, 2020 [1 favorite]
This extension can maybe show CPU temp on a Chromebook - sorry I don't have a chromebook to check with myself. But if you see the temp going up a lot as you use it or if the steady-state temp is higher than your husband's machine then I'd say you have thermal issues identified. If that's not it then, well, I dunno.
Usually fanless chromebooks have a huge heat sink so it's possible that the CPU has become separated from it, but honestly I don't know if that's easy to repair or worth bothering vs getting a new Chromebook.
posted by GuyZero at 11:55 AM on September 23, 2020
Usually fanless chromebooks have a huge heat sink so it's possible that the CPU has become separated from it, but honestly I don't know if that's easy to repair or worth bothering vs getting a new Chromebook.
posted by GuyZero at 11:55 AM on September 23, 2020
Definitely check Chrome's task manager. One of my tab's offline "web workers" was going nuts on a specific account, and I was able to identify it in the task manager.
Also, as a quick test, try creating a new profile ("Add person...", under the "People" menu) in Chrome, then try logging into Google Docs from that new profile. Making a new profile is usually quicker and more effective than disabling/reverting settings and extensions in your own profile (at least for troubleshooting).
If it's a hardware issue, then I got nothing. Sorry
posted by a complicated history at 12:02 PM on September 23, 2020
Also, as a quick test, try creating a new profile ("Add person...", under the "People" menu) in Chrome, then try logging into Google Docs from that new profile. Making a new profile is usually quicker and more effective than disabling/reverting settings and extensions in your own profile (at least for troubleshooting).
If it's a hardware issue, then I got nothing. Sorry
posted by a complicated history at 12:02 PM on September 23, 2020
Chromebooks have an easy 'factory' reset function in settings that will clear any space or background process going amuck, that being said, it could be a renegade/malicious chrome extension(s), or app that may be eating up your CPU.
If you do a reset, and have your chromebook 'resync' your accounts extensions etc, the issue may return, if so, do another reset and choose not to sync settings etc, and see if your chromebook runs like new.
If none of those work, it could be an actual hardware issue.
posted by edman at 1:31 PM on September 23, 2020
If you do a reset, and have your chromebook 'resync' your accounts extensions etc, the issue may return, if so, do another reset and choose not to sync settings etc, and see if your chromebook runs like new.
If none of those work, it could be an actual hardware issue.
posted by edman at 1:31 PM on September 23, 2020
Are you me? I also do 99% of my work in gmail and gdocs, and my HP Chromebook has the EXACT SAME ISSUE.
It's only 2 months old.
posted by cyndigo at 2:50 PM on September 23, 2020
It's only 2 months old.
posted by cyndigo at 2:50 PM on September 23, 2020
Check how full your Google account storage is. All google products (gmail, drive, photos, etc) flow into there. If it gets too full it will actually slow down your Gmail and Drive bc it wants you to buy more storage space. If you fill it up it will prevent you from sending email until you delete stuff or buy more space.
posted by ananci at 7:29 AM on September 24, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by ananci at 7:29 AM on September 24, 2020 [1 favorite]
Oh also you should try disabling all your Chrome extensions. These are probably associated with your account and will survive a device reset so try manually disabling them all.
posted by GuyZero at 9:34 AM on September 24, 2020
posted by GuyZero at 9:34 AM on September 24, 2020
Well, I'll be damned. Thank you, ananci! I plunked down 20 bucks for a year of 100 gig storage and my documents are like LIGHTNING. Those bastards at google, though ... (shakes tiny fist).
posted by cyndigo at 3:05 PM on September 24, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by cyndigo at 3:05 PM on September 24, 2020 [4 favorites]
Yep. They are truly the worst. I'm glad it worked though! It took me two weeks to figure it out when it happened to me.
posted by ananci at 2:00 PM on September 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by ananci at 2:00 PM on September 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by GuyZero at 11:29 AM on September 23, 2020