Chromebook won't enable developer mode or reset

I have a CTL BLACKTIP-E4B-B2B-E2K-R4Y-S3I-A5J computer that doesn't work anymore. I want to reset it and then enable developer mode.

When holding down Esc+Refresh at boot, it shows the yellow exclamation with the text:

Chrome OS is missing or damaged.
Please remove all connected devices and start recovery.

Trying to "hard reset" by holding just Refresh at boot doesn't really do anything - it starts up, shows backlight for a second or two, then shuts down until I reconnect the battery (yes, I need to remove it and then reconnect it). So, clearly that won't work.

Pressing Ctrl+D to attempt to enable developer mode doesn't work either. I've looked online and others have claimed that it has to do with the timing. I've tried holding down the power button until after the screen shows, holding down Esc+Refresh for way longer, and all sorts of other timing combinations and I don't think that's the problem.

I also created a recovery drive with the Chromebook Recovery Utility and plugged it in, but the chromebook doesn't do anything. It doesn't show instructions, it doesn't change what's on screen, nothing.

Hitting the Tab key shows some miscellaneous information, the most concerning line being this one:

TPM state: v=1 failed tries=4 max_tries=200

tries resets every time I attempt to boot Chrome OS without recovery, though (and that's why it's so low right now - it used to be 18 or so). I'm worried that this might be the reason it won't let me reset or enable developer mode.

What should I do? How do I get this Chromebook working again?

UPDATE

After reinstalling the battery and sealing the machine up again, booting it up finally got it to ask me to insert recovery media. It restored and booted to ChromeOS. I tried to put it in developer mode again, but now it complains that developer mode is disabled by system policy.

So, I succeeded in resetting it, I guess - but what now? What's "system policy", how do I disable it?

1 Answer

It is not possible to unenroll a school managed chromebook. If you bought it you can contact google and show them the proof of purchase and they will unenroll it. I've tried, school management is impossible to get around.