Install ChromeOS on Any Computer - Step-by-step Guides

Do you know you can now install ChromeOS on nearly any machine? You can even decide to Dual-Boot ChromeOS so that it may be installed along with any other OS you may already have installed on your PC.

As you may have been made to understand, the Chrome operating system (OS) was reserved to be installed on only Chromebooks hence, it is available for use only by Chromebook users but now; the same OS is available for use on other devices.

To those who know it, ChromeOS is an interesting alternative to Windows or Linux, and you can run it without an installation too. All you need to do is to download Chrome OS to a USB drive and use Etcher or some other software to make the downloaded ChromeOS ISO file bootable.

In this tutorial, I walk you through the step-by-step guides on how to install Chrome OS on any computer. Meanwhile, there a few things you should know before you install Chrome OS on your computer.

Before you Install Chrome OS on your Computer

Technically, Chrome OS is designed for Chromebooks hence the OS is designed to be lightweight and straightforward. Google does all of the updates.

As a matter of facts, Chrome OS is one of the simplest operating systems you can get anywhere as of yet.

NOTE:

Chromium OS is an open-source version of Chrome OS, and it can work with all devices, including Mac, Linux, and Windows machines, unlike Chrome OS. Although, some hardware may not work perfectly, but most PCs can run Chromium without any issues.

Because the OS is originally lightweight, the open-source version of Chrome OS is therefore ideal for Windows XP and Windows 7 users. Not just for its lightweight but also more because it provides more protection, security and easier update.

The Pre-requisite for Installing Chrome OS on your Computer

Before you continue to installing Chrome OS on your computer, please, be sure to have had;

• File Extractor or Archiver: because the Chrome OS ISO file is compressed, you will need a file extractor in order to extract the Chrome OS ISO file from its compressed state. For Windows PC users, I recommend 7zip, for Linux users; p7zip and Keka is recommended for Mac users.

• USB Flash Drive: a fast USB flash drive with 4GB capacity is required. This is from where you'll boot Chrome OS before it is or can be installed on your computer.

• Etcher: Lastly, Etcher is required. Although there are several other programs that can perform this task, I recommend Etcher. Etcher is arguably the best utility tool for creating bootable disk including USB flash drive. You can download Etcher from here.

How to Install Chrome OS on your Computer

1. Download Chromium OS

   To install Chromium OS on your computer and experience the beauty and differences the Google's Chrome OS offers, the first thing you need to do is to download the Chromium OS ISO files.

   
   

   As earlier hinted, the Chromium OS ISO is compressed in a zip file and you can download Chromium OS ISO file from here.

   
   

2. Extract the Chromium OS ISO File

   After the download is complete, now, using any of the recommended file extractor for your PC, you should now extract the downloaded image onto a folder on your PC so that you can have the .ISO file format and be ready to flash it onto a USB flash drive and make bootable.

   
   

3. Format your USB Flash Drive

   Now, get the USB Flash drive you wish to use for the operation and prepare it for the task ahead.

   
   

   To prepare the USB flash drive, just plug the USB Flash Drive into your PC. If you are using Windows, here is where to locate the USB Flash Drive: Go to My Computer and from the list of connected devices displayed there, locate your target USB Flash Drive and right-click on it, then select Quick Format from the options that dropped down.

   
   

   On the pop-up window that appears next, choose FAT32 as your file system and click Start.

   
   

   WARNING!

   Be informed that all of the data on your USB flash drive will be wiped clean.

   
   

   For Mac users, please see the detailed step-by-step instruction on how to make bootable USB flash drive here.

   
   

4. Flash Chromium OS ISO File onto your USB Flash Drive

   Now that suppossedly, you have downloaded the Chromium OS ISO file, had had your USB Flash drive formatted, you are now ready to proceed to the penultimate stage which is flashing the Chromium ISO image file onto your USB flash drive and make it bootable.

   
   

   Remember I recommend Etcher for this process? If you have downloaded Etcher, here is what to do with it to flash the Chromium OS ISO image on your flash drive and make it bootable.

   
   

   1. Open or launch Etcher

   2. From Etcher, click Flash from file, then browse to the Chromium OS image you have previously downloaded, and select it.

   3. Now, click Select Drive and select the USB flash drive you earlier prepared for this task.

   4. Next, click Flash and Etcher will install a bootable version of Chromium OS onto your USB device.

   NOTE:

   Depending on your PC's speed, the process may take from a few minutes to several minutes to complete. When it’s done, wait for Etcher to verify that everything works as expected.

   5. You are now done with that operation and you may now proceed to the next stage. You are now ready to install Chromium OS on your PC.

5. Restart your PC with "USB Flash Drive" Set As Primary Boot Device

   To restart your PC with "USB Flash Drive" set as the Primary Boot Device, for Windows PC users;

   how to boot Windows PC with "USB Flash Drive" set as primary boot device

   1. Restart your PC

   2. While the PC is being restarted, press and hold the BIOS key for your PC. The BIOS key could be F8, F10, F12, or Del. Generally, the key you need to press will vary based on your BIOS.

      
      

      Alternatively, while your PC is being restarted, you can press and hold the Esc key - this will list out all the available options for your BIOS. And from the options listed, you can simply locate the boot option and select it.

   3. Now, set the USB as your primary boot device and then select Save & Exit - the actual terms used here may differ in your BIOS.

   For Mac users;

   how to boot your Mac with "USB Flash Drive" set as primary boot device

   1. Restart your Mac

   2. While the PC is being restarted, press and hold the option key.

   3. Now, select the USB drive instead of Macintosh. This will enable you boot ChromiumOS form your USB drive.

   4. Finally, restart your Mac. Your Mac should now boot from the USB flash drive.

6. Test and Run ChromeOS on your Computer without Installation

   All things being equal, after setting your computer to boot from the USB Flash Drive based on the instructions laid-out from the previous step, your computer should boot ChromiumOS.

   
   

   And with that, you can test-run ChromeOS on your computer without actually installing the OS on your computer.

   
   

   While the ChromeOS is being test-runned, because ChromeOS is running on your USB flash flash drive, it would have no effects on your existing OS and no single ulterance would be made on your hard drive so long as you have yet installed ChromeOS on it.

   
   

   Since you can boot ChromeOS right from the USB flash drive without installation, your primary OS won’t be affected at all. You can set up your Chrome OS with a Google account and use it only for surfng the internet.

   
   

7. Install ChromeOS on your Computer

   Supposedly you have tested everything about ChromeOS on your computer and you found everything about it to be satisfying, youn may now install the OS on your computer.

   
   

Conclussion

Do you know that ChromeOS supports software from all platforms, including Mac, Windows, and Linux? This means you can install programs that are primarily designed for either of Mac, Windows and or Linux on PCs running on ChromeOS and still work perfectly well.

Details on how to install programs that are primarily designed for either of Mac, Windows and or Linux on PCs running on ChromeOS and still work perfectly well shall be discussed later on here but then, in any case; ChromiumOS is an interesting and fascinating OS to try.