How to give your old PC, Mac a new lease of live with ChromeOS

Do you have an old MacBook or a Windows PC? You can give it a new life by downloading ChromeOS Flex. Here's a step-by-step guide for you.

Published: Mar 13, 2024, 04:56 PM IST | Updated: Mar 13, 2024, 10:50 PM IST

Image: Pixabay

Story Highlights

ChromeOS Flex can be downloaded on any Windows PC or Mac.
ChromeOS Flex is a special version of ChromeOS.
Not all ChromeOS features work on ChromeOS Flex devices.

Even the best of mid-range laptops can slow down significantly with consistent usage in time. One way to speed up your PC is by reinstalling the OS and getting rid of heavy files and software. If that doesn’t work, there is always the option of exchanging your old PC for a new. But hold on, there is a third option as well.

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You can give your old Windows PC or MacBook a new lease of life by installing a special version of ChromeOS called the ‘ChromeOS Flex‘ on it. For the unversed, ChromeOS is a light-weight OS that Google has developed exclusively for Chromebooks.

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What is ChromeOS Flex?

ChromeOS Flex is a special version of ChromeOS by Google that can make any PC run faster by replacing the existing OSes on these devices with a cloud-based operating system. It brings most of the features of ChromeOS to your Windows PC or MacBook.

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Image: Google

How is ChromeOS Flex different from ChromeOS Flex?

Despite sharing underlying technology and management tools, ChromeOS and ChromeOS Flex aren’t the same. Google says that ChromeOS Flex has some important differences compared to ChromeOS, which is only available on Chromebooks. Here are some of the differences between the two:

— ChromeOS devices contain a Google security chip that helps to protect the system and verify that hardware and OS are trusted. This feature is missing on ChromeOS Flex powered devices.

— Unlike ChromeOS devices, ChromeOS Flex devices do not manage and automatically update their BIOS or UEFI firmware. Instead, device OEMs provide updates.

— Unlike ChromeOS, not all ChromeOS Flex devices have a supported Trusted Platform Module (TPM) to protect encryption keys at a hardware level.

— Not all Chromebook keyboard shortcuts work on on ChromeOS Flex devices due to differences in keyboard.

— ChromeOS Flex does not support Android apps or Google Play.

What do you need to install ChromeOS Flex on your PC?

Here is the list of requirements to install ChromeOS Flex:

— A device to create a USB installer.

— A USB drive with 8GB or more capacity.

— Target device requirements are:

> Architecture: Intel or AMD x86-64-bit compatible device
> RAM: 4 GB
> Internal storage: 16 GB
> Bootable from USB drive
> BIOS: Full administrator access. > Processor and graphics: Components made after 2010