[U] Some users can’t finalize the setup of their new Chromebooks thanks to this strange issue

Updated May 18th 5:17PM EST: A Chromebook community manager has taken to Google Support to share that the development team is aware of this issue and is working on a fix. At this time, they recommend that if you encounter the bug, you reset your device by pressing the power and refresh buttons simultaneously upon reaching the Google Play Store terms of service error. Once you’ve done that, you can sign in using the same user profile and the error should disappear.

Original Post – May 17th 2:10PM EST: Getting a new Chromebook fresh out of its box and powering it on to set it up for the first time is exciting, especially for users who have never used ChromeOS before. Google’s operating system has grown exponentially in its reach and maturity over the years, but never so much as recently. The inclusion of an entirely new feature set and polish means that Chromebooks are now competing not only for day-to-day users, but also for creative artists and business people.

Android Police recently encountered a slew of Reddit and Google Support threads displaying many users who have run into a strange issue while setting up their device for the first time. These individuals have been unable to pass the Google Play terms and conditions screen of the out-of-the-box experience (OOBE), instead coming up against a hard wall that says “Something went wrong”.

Many solutions have been attempted by those who have been plagued by the issue, including reboots, powerwashes, and more. One user even tried to disconnect and reconnect their peripherals, but none of these “fixes” have produced a consistent result of bypassing the screen seen below. Android Police believes that the Play Store itself is not yet installed in the background by the time these users encounter the ToS screen, and as a result of this, the agreement simply can’t be processed.

I’m inclined to agree with this assessment, as it sounds the most likely of anything I’ve read through on the threads they’ve provided during their time researching this strange phenomenon. My hope is that this is a temporary issue and that Google has it cleared up quickly. Let me know in the comments whether or not you’ve recently picked up a new Chromebook and have the same issue. It doesn’t seem to be widespread, but those who have reported it are not having a fun time over the past week since it’s reared its head.