How to install Chrome OS Flex on Windows

Do you have an old computer and don’t know what to do with it? Then it’s best to install Chrome OS Flex. It will offer your old computer better performance, longer battery life, and faster boot times. In addition, you can run this cloud OS directly from a flash drive or use it as your main operating system. So the question is how to install Chrome OS Flex on Windows?

What is Chrome OS Flex?

Chrome OS Flex is a cloud-based, fast, easy-to-manage, and secure OS for PCs and Macs. It’s a free yet sustainable way to upgrade your old devices.

It’s the successor to Neverware’s CloudReady operating system, which put Chrome OS on just about any legacy computer.

Both Chrome Flex OS and CloudReady are based on Chromium OS. But CloudReady skipped all other versions of Chromium OS due to additional development costs associated with forking the open source project.

On the other hand, ChromeOS FLEX is designed to receive updates just like regular Chromebooks. In addition, it does almost everything that the regular version of Chrome OS does.

You get a Chrome browser front end that allows you to surf the web in an easy and secure environment. Plus, you can use all the common web apps like Google Drive, Microsoft Office Online, and more. However, it does not have support for native applications.

Chrome Flex system requirements

Chrome FLEX OS is designed to support Windows and Mac devices. However, there are a few requirements that you need to meet before installing the OS on your computer. These system requirements are as follows:

• Intel or AMD x86-64-bit
• 4 GB RAM
• 16 GB internal memory
• Full administrator access to the BIOS
• The processor / video card is not older than 2010.
• At least 8 GB USB storage
• List of certified models

Why should you install Chrome Flex?

Chrome OS Flex gives you one of the easiest ways to make your legacy computers run faster and better. Although your legacy computers have support for native applications. But as they get older, these supported apps don’t work properly and you as a user get a terrible experience.

On the other hand, Chrome OS Flex can run web and Linux apps. Also, nowadays most people rely heavily on web applications. For example, Google offers a whole suite for all your office needs.

In addition, you can use features such as image editing, emailing, shopping, taxation, and everything else using the browser. Also, many web services these days allow you to add a shortcut to your application on your desktop. So you can quickly launch your favorite apps and get to work right away.

Also, if you think Chrome OS Flex might not be right for you, you can always install it on a USB stick to try it out before fully installing it on your computer.

How to install Chrome OS Flex on Windows

Before installing Chrome OS Flex, make sure you have an 8 GB flash drive. You will need to create a bootable flash drive to continue with the installation process.

I divided the entire installation process into two parts. The first part will show you how to download and create a bootable flash drive for Chrome OS Flex, and the second part will walk you through the installation.

Part 1: Preparing the Chrome Recovery Utility

• First, install the Chromebook Recovery Utility browser extension from the Chrome Web Store.
• Once installed, click on the extension icon to launch the program.
• Then, insert an 8 GB or larger USB drive into your computer and click the “Get Started”button.
• Then enter your Chromebook’s model number or select your laptop from the list and click Continue.
• After that, select the flash drive and click “Continue”.
• Then click “Create Now”to create a recovery image.
• The Chromebook recovery utility will download the image file and write it to the USB drive.

• Somewhere in between, a pop-up will appear on your screen > Click the Yes button and it will start creating a recovery image.
• Once the download is complete, click the “Finish”button.

Part 2: Installing Chrome OS Flex

• Once the bootable flash drive is ready, put your computer into boot mode and boot from the flash drive.
• You will then see the CloudReady 2.0 screen. Click the “Start”button.
• Next, you will get two options: Install CloudReady 2.0. Click on the first option to install Chrome OS Flex on your computer.
• Then add a network by connecting a LAN cable or connecting to a Wi-Fi network.
• Then follow the on-screen instructions and sign in with your Google account.
• Once installed, you’re all set to use Chrome OS Flex.

So that was a quick guide to installing Chrome Flex on Windows. Now go ahead and try the steps above and see how they work for you. Also, if you get stuck on anything, feel free to leave a comment below.

How to try Chrome Flex without installation (bootable USB)

If you don’t want to install Chrome OS Flex on your computer right away, try it first. Then you can also use your boot disk for this. To do this, follow these steps:

• First, connect your USB drive to your computer and boot into Chrome OS Flex.
• Then click the “Start”button to continue.
• You will then find the Try First option, click it and follow the on-screen instructions to try out ChromeOS Flex.

Roll back to Windows or uninstall Chrome Flex

What to do if you don’t like it after installing Chrome Flex? You can always revert to your old Windows or Mac installation. You will need to flash your computer with a Windows 11 or macOS boot disk and you are good to go.

Is Chrome OS Flex better than Windows?

There is no comparison between Chrome OS Flex and Windows. Because Chrome OS is a cloud-based operating system, it doesn’t offer built-in app support like Windows does. But you can use it to run web apps and use all Google products like Google Docs, Drive, Gmail, Chrome and more. Plus, with its browser, you can enjoy all the web services on Chrome OS Flex. Also, it can improve the performance of your old Windows computer.

Can I install Chrome OS Flex on an ARM-based Windows PC?

Chrome OS Flex is a relatively new operating system that is under development. As a result, you cannot install it on ARM-based devices. Instead, you can only use it on Chromebooks. However, we hope that Google will provide support for Chrome Flex for ARM-based Windows PCs soon.

Do Zoom Meetings work on Chrome OS Flex?

Yes, Zoom recently launched its Zoom Progressive Web App (PWA) for Chrome OS. As a result, you can now use Zoom on Chrome OS Flex and other Chrome OS.