How to Convert Any Laptop to Chromebook?

You often buy a new operating system with a new device – no matter what Mac or a personal computer, If these are getting out of date then, they often don’t receive updates because they are too old for the upgraded system to run smoothly. Then the laptop is either in the drawer or set up by people who know their way Linux, with chrome os flex But there should soon be another option for safely restarting old devices. We explain how it works and when it makes sense.

is from chrome os Google and one is cloud-based operating system, Everything comes with ready to use Internet services, most notably Google’s own service Drive, Photos, and the Chrome browser. This makes the operating system very lean, but it always requires a active internet connection, It turns almost any device into a Chromebook. That’s what the new, free Chrome OS Flex is for. system is still on developer status, which means it is not yet officially released and may still be buggy. But still you can download it.

suitable equipment

I’ve installed multiple operating systems on multiple computers, and as someone who really enjoys doing it, I was almost disappointed with how intuitive and fast Chrome OS Flex installs. I also used a tool that was not officially verified, namely a Sony Vaio Laptop ,VPCZ21V9E) Unfortunately, my old 2009 netbook, which I originally wanted to convert, did not allow this. Chrome OS and its various offshoots from 2019 no longer in one 32-bit version And so my device was unfortunately not suitable.

For installation we need:

• a suitable notebook ,Here is the official list from GoogleBut other devices on which you can install 64-bit systems also work)
• A blank USB stick with at least 8GB storage space
• chrome browser

First, in Chrome, you have to do Expansion ,Chromebook Recovery ProgramTo install. If you click on the extension, you’ll be prompted to enter a model number. Since the goal is to install Chrome OS on a non-Chromebook, you won’t find your device in the list. Instead , look for “Chrome OS Flex”. Then you follow the instructions and wait for the operating system to be installed on the stick.

easy installation

Then the installation can start. To do this, plug the USB stick into the laptop, start it up and open it BIOS, You can find out how to do this by googling the device manufacturer and “BIOS”. usually it ESC or one of F key, Immediately after switching on you press it several times until the BIOS starts up. There you choose whether the computer must be powered by a USB stick (external storage) must begin with.

Now the Google Chrome logo should appear, click through to installation and log in with your Google account Or create a new one if you haven’t already. And then the job is done and Chrome OS Flex can be used. The whole thing takes less than an hour, of which you have to wait up to 30 minutes to copy the operating system image to the USB stick.

Chrome OS Flex – An Option?

The fact that it’s that simple is very gratifying, especially if you’re not very familiar with computers. But is there anything even Chrome OS Flex can do, or should you keep your hands off it?

This question requires a counter question, namely: What equipment do I need? you’re already using it anyway Google services like Drive And doing most things online, you’ll quickly get comfortable with Chrome OS Flex’s clean design and ease of use. document, Gmail, youtube, chromeBrowser – If that’s enough for you, you’ll have tons of fun with the slim operating system.

browser os

You don’t necessarily need Google Drive’s paid extension, as you can save all the files on the notebook and upload only the files you want to access from other devices. Play or any program you don’t expect, because there are for now Android Apps No Support,

In principle, one is already built-in virtual machine for linux, which can be found through Settings. So you too can use the operating system through Chrome OS Flex. It didn’t work in my testing, but that’s probably because everything is still under development. Chrome OS Flex is really meant to get access to the internet like an advanced browser.

test run

Conveniently, you don’t have to make an immediate decision in favor or against Chrome OS Flex. You can try it first. During installation you can decide whether Overwrite existing operating system yes or chrome os flex via USB stick only Must walk It works well (albeit a bit slow) and you can easily test whether you can cope with the reduced options.

I was pleasantly surprised at how easy and simple it was to set up the Google operating system. Since I use Google services anyway, Chrome OS Flex is a great option for me to make old devices usable again. Certainly Linux power users nod their heads sternly, understandably. But when I think about whether I should explain to my grandmother what Linux versions are available or show her: “You click on that and then you can watch Netflix” – then I find that more comfortable for both of us. What. As Chrome OS comes out of the Flex development phase, you can confidently recommend it.