Introduction

In this article, you will learn how to bulk disable chromebooks in Google Workspace. Disabling Chromebooks in Google Workspace is a way to disable access control from those Chrome devices of any IT organization/student organization that have not been used for a long time. With Foresight, it becomes very easy to bulk disable Chromebooks in Google Workspace.

xFanatical Foresight offers an attractive feature of doing the same. It can disable thousands and more devices at a glance. But Google Admin only does it for a small number of devices. Thus, we can give more points to Foresight in this case. 

Let's jump into the process of how xFanatical Foresight makes it easy for us!

Why to bulk disable Chromebooks in Google Workspace?

Here, you are learning about bulk disable Chromebooks in Google Workspace. But why do you need this?

Suppose your chrome device, say your Chromebook, is no longer in use. Or it has become inactive because it's stolen or for any other reason. Then you need to urgently disable the chrome device so that any hacker can't access it.

Apart from these, bulk disabling Chromebook comes to a place when a mass decline for old Chrome versions is needed. Simply put, Google Chrome's 0 to 50 versions are outdated. So, they are disabled now, and Google no longer provides these versions to download.

From these points of view, it can be simplified that it's essential to disable a Chromebook to prevent it from any outdated version, unnecessary usage, unauthorized access, and security vulnerability activities.

How to disable lost or stolen Chromebooks?

The general process of disabling the devices:

  1. Sign in to the Google Admin console at https://admin.google.com.
  2. Go to ‘Devices > Chrome Devices’.
  3. Then use the filter on the top to select the fresh status of the device that you want to disable. Details are described here- Device status view in Admin console.
  4. You can disable all devices by selecting parent OU or you can disable any child OU devices. 
  5. Now, check the box next to the device/multiple devices that you want to deprovision.
  6. Click Disable from the top.
  7. Choose an option to specify whether devices automatically factory reset or not and confirm one of the actions by checking the box.
    1. Disable the lock screen to block any use of the device until it's enabled again—Users can’t sign in or use devices until you re-enable them in the Admin console.
    2. Disable with factory reset to block any use of the device and remove all data including user profiles, device policies, and enrollment data—With forced re-enrollment turned on, users can’t sign in or use devices until you re-enable them in the Admin console. If forced re-enrollment is turned off, users can use devices without re-enrolling them into your account.
  8. Then click DISABLE to confirm.

How to bulk disable thousands Chromebooks in Google Workspace with Foresight?

The main advantage of using xFanatical Foresight Automation tool is that it allows bulk disable thousands of Chromebooks at a time, whereas Google Admin performs this task only for a limited number of devices at a time.

xFanatical Foresight uses different triggers to execute different actions according to the situation. In the demo, we will use a Manual trigger with list Chrome device action to export the devices in a CSV list. Then, we will use the Data upload trigger with Disable Chrome device action to disable these devices.

Video demo

This video demo shows you the procedure of using Foresight to bulk disable Chromebooks in Google Workspace so that you can understand it very well.

Instructions

Rule setup

Let's dive into a Google Workspace organization's classroom. Using the Admin console, navigate to Chrome devices, specifically those within the Grade 1 organization unit. Each device has a status, with Provisioned signifying organization approval. Our aim is disabling these devices.

In this demo, we'll disable 50 devices. But in reality, we're dealing with thousands.

This process unfolds in two parts:

Part 1: Exporting Chromebooks in CSV (Comma-Separated Values) list from Grade 1 Organization unit.

Part 2: Disabling the Chromebooks via exported CSV files.

Rule Creation

  1. Log in to your xFanatical Foresight account with your Google Admin account. 
  2. Go to the Rules page and click the New Rule button.
  3. Select the Manual trigger from the select a trigger screen.Select the Manual trigger from the select a trigger screen
  4. Click Next.
  5. On the Select an action screen, click the List Chrome devices action.On the Select an action screen, click the List Chrome devices action
  6. In the Columns field, just stick with the default columns that are already selected.In the Columns field, just stick with the default columns that are already selected
  7. Select /students/Grade 1 in the Organizational unit field.Select studentsGrade 1 in the Organizational unit field
  8. Click Review.
  9. Enter the Rule name. Click Create.Enter the Rule name. Click Create

Rule Triggering

  • Grade 1 Chrome devices list has been successfully created. Click on the play icon to trigger the rule.Rule Triggering

Result Verification

  • The rule has been successfully triggered, exporting 3 Chrome devices to the CSV file. You can find the download link for the CSV file in the Action History section.The rule has been successfully triggered, exporting 3 Chrome devices to the CSV file. You can find the download link for the CSV file in the Action History section

Process for Part 2 

Rule Creation Instructions

  1. Log in to your xFanatical Foresight account with your Google Admin account. 
  2. Go to the Rules page and click the New Rule button.
  3. Select the Data uploaded trigger from the select a trigger screen.Select the Data uploaded trigger from the select a trigger screen
  4. Click on the upload box and upload the downloaded .CSV, wait for the CSV to be parsed.Click on the upload box and upload the downloaded .CSV, wait for the CSV to be parsedleave all field by default
  5. Click Next.
  6. In the Select an action screen, select Disable Chrome device action.Select Disable Chrome device action
  7. Grant Foresight the necessary permissions, select the Device ID.
  8. Click the Review button.Grant Foresight the necessary permissions, select the Device ID
  9. Enter the Rule name. 
  10. Click Create.Enter the Rule name.

Rule Triggering

  • This rule is now created, and it's time to upload the same CSV file again by clicking the upload icon.This rule is now created, and it's time to upload the same CSV file again by clicking the upload icon

Verifying Results

  1. Find the notification in the upper right corner and click it. 
  2. Under the notification bell icon, click View Log to access the log details directly.Under the notification bell icon, click View Log to access the log details directlyRule History

Conclusion

Managing a large number of Chromebooks in Google Workspace can be simplified with the xFanatical Foresight Automation tool. By following the simple steps outlined above, you can efficiently bulk disable Chromebooks, saving time, ensuring accuracy, and streamlining your device management process.

Try a 14-day free trial with Foresight and manage your tasks. 

If you have enjoyed reading about disabling Google Chromebooks, then also read the process of bulk archiving users on Google Workspace through Foresight for more convenience and also read Migrate All Chromebooks From One OU To Another

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