Google’s Chromebooks are different from traditional laptops in a number of ways. For starters, they all run the company’s speedy, browser-centric Chrome OS. They’re also tightly integrated with Google’s numerous cloud services like Gmail and Google Docs — and that cloud focus is one reason Chromebooks include solid state drives with comparatively small capacities.
That shouldn’t be a problem, of course, if you’re storing files in the cloud the way Google thinks you should if you’re using a Chromebook. Still, with an in-built media player and photo viewer, there’s a decent chance that you might want to load a movie or two, some music, and some of your favorite photos onto your Samsung Series 5 or Acer AC700. If you do, you’d better make sure that you log into your Chromebook on a regular basis.
Why? Because a recent change in the Chrome OS file manager has introduced a warning that might be a little disconcerting. If your system is running low on free storage space, Chrome OS can automatically delete files to make room.
In the Chrome OS help files it states, “Your browsing data is automatically deleted if your Chromebook is running low on space.” That’s not such a big deal since those files would typically consist of locally cached web page elements like HTML, .JPG, .PNG, and Flash videos. However, Chrome OS will also delete non-owner profiles that have gone unused for three months if space is really tight — and that includes any downloaded files.
Now, chances are good that if you use a Chromebook enough to load files onto its hard drive that you’re probably going to use it more than once a quarter — and if your account is locked in as the owner, your files are safe, too. However, in a business setting this could definitely cause some headaches.
It’s safe to assume that in any enterprise setting where Chromebooks might be rolled out and shared among users, that files are supposed to be stored in the cloud. However, there’s always a user or two that stores something important locally, and those files could wind up getting purged silently during an update if a Chromebook has been shuffled to another user.
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