Chromebooks are advertised as simple, cheap devices that are meant to do one thing: access the web. They're quite good at this, and thus make perfect computers for those who doesn't need much more than basic internet access.

However, occasionally Chromebooks do run into some issues. Aside from issues inside the Chrome browser, one of the most annoying things that new Chromebook owners encounter is a flurry of updates when they're setting up their machine.

Chances are that the laptop you bought isn't up-to-date when you take it out of the box, so it takes Chrome OS a while to check for and download updates. If you've just signed into Chrome Sync and are waiting for your browser to bring all your bookmarks and extensions in, your laptop might not check for updates for a while.

What makes this worse is that out-of-the-box problems like black screens and non-responsive touchpads are often solved by an OS update. If you're waiting on Chrome OS to check for updates, you could be waiting all day, which is frustrating.

There's a better way: you can force the update in Guest Mode.

On the login screen, click Browse as Guest instead of your own account. Then, click the bottom-right corner of the Shelf and choose Settings. Click the About Chrome OS button at the top of this window, then Check for and apply updates. This will force your Chromebook to check for updates, and you can simply restart when it's done.

Using this method prevents updates not appearing for hours or having to reboot multiple times to install a series of updates. It's definitely the best way to get going with any new Chromebook. Once you've got your Chromebook set up, make sure you know how to keep it from slowing down.

Have you had problems with a new Chromebook that were solved by an update? Tell us if you knew about this trick, and share your Chrome OS tips, in the comments!

Image Credit: thodonal88 via Shutterstock