Do you have an old laptop or computer lying in the corner of your desk, gathering dust and taking up space? Instead of telling yourself that you’ll find a benefit to her one of these days, maybe it’s time to take matters into your own hands. how ? Simply by installing the free operating system from Google, Chrome OS Flex.
Chrome OS Flex turns any computer it’s installed on into a Chrome OS device, giving this collection of electronic devices a new purpose. If the idea of installing an operating system on an old computer scares you, fear not: the editorial team at ZDNet will do the work for you with this guide to installing Chrome OS Flex compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux computers.
Attention toutefois : pour l’instant, Chrome OS Flex est en accès anticipé, par l’intermédiaire du canal de développement de Google, de sorte que toutes les fonctionnalités ne fonctionneront pas et que tous les ordinateurs portables et toutes seutes ordinates Responsible for. So it is expected that some bugs or issues will be encountered when using the final version, which will be finalized by Google.
System requirements for installing Chrome OS Flex
The Google support page for Chrome OS Flex contains a file Too long list of devicesEach is characterized by a variable level of support. If your laptop or desktop isn’t on this list, you can’t try Chrome OS Flex. In fact, I used a Huawei MateBook D – which is not included at all – for this article.
Google lists the minimum system requirements for a PC, Mac, or Linux computer to run Chrome OS Flex. here she is Minimum configuration Required for devices:
- Architecture: Intel or AMD x86-64-bit compatible hardware
- RAM: 4 GB
- Internal Storage: 16 GB
- Bootable from a USB drive
- BIOS: full administrator access. You’ll need to boot from the Chrome OS Flex USB installer and make some BIOS tweaks if you run into any problems.
- Processor and Graphics Card: Components manufactured prior to 2010 may not be completely satisfied.
- Note: Intel GMA 500, 600, 3600, and 3650 graphics devices do not meet the Chrome OS Flex performance standards.
As you can see, the requirements are minimal. Chrome OS Flex is designed to work, in one form or another, on any computer that was built after 2010. In addition to a computer that meets the minimum requirements, however, you will need a computer with Chrome browser and the 8GB that you will use to install the operating system on the old computer.
Create Chrome OS Flex USB Installer
To install Chrome OS Flex on another computer, you must first create a so-called USB installer. The USB drive contains all the files and data needed to install the operating system. Google has made it easy to create the installer with the Chromebook Recovery Utility extension. You need to add the extension to your browser From the Chrome Web Store.
Once added, open the extension and follow the instructions that appear in the window. The process involves formatting the USB drive you are using (erase everything currently on it, so make sure it doesn’t contain anything important). On the second screen, you are asked to select your Chromebook. Click Select a model from a list, then in the Manufacturer’s drop-down list, find Google Chrome OS Flex in the list and select it. Next, click on Select a product and click on the only option, Chrome OS Flex (Developer-Unstable). Finally, click Continue.
From there, connect the USB drive to your computer, select it from the dropdown list, click Continue, and then click Create Now. The extension will take a few minutes to download all the necessary files and then write them to the USB drive you are using. Then wait while the extension does its work. The process took less than 5 minutes for us, but that largely depends on the speed of your internet connection.
How do I install Chrome OS Flex on a PC, Mac or Linux?
Once you’ve created the installation disc, you’re ready to try out Chrome OS Flex or install it on your old PC. Turn off the old computer and plug the USB installation drive into it. Press the power button and then immediately start pressing the start key on your computer. If you don’t know what these are, Google provides a list of popular keys categorized by brand.
On a Mac, for example, you press the Option key. On Dell, you press F12. If your computer is not listed, you may need to restart it a few times and try different keys while booting. You can also search for your laptop model and power key to find it.
From there, the process varies depending on the type of computer, but the basic steps are to select the USB install drive as the drive you want to boot the computer from, restart the computer and run the Chrome OS Flex installer. If you are having trouble with this step, I suggest you search for your computer model as well as “how to boot from USB drive” in the query.
Once you boot from the USB installation disc, you will be asked if you want to test Chrome OS Flex before completely removing the disc from your old computer. If this is the path you choose, the operating system will run on the USB drive. If you have already made up your mind, install Chrome OS Flex and follow the instructions. You’ll need to have Wi-Fi details handy, and once setup is complete, you’ll need to sign in with a Google account; So make sure you have this information on hand as well.
Once the installation is complete, your computer will restart and you will be greeted with the standard Chrome OS login page, where you can sign in with your Google account and start using your old computer, with a brand new operating system.
source: ZDNet.com
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