It’s not nice seeing a once-beloved laptop computer (or desktop) laptop slowly slide into obsolescence because it will get too outdated and drained to maintain up with the calls for of modern-day computing, however Google has now supplied an choice for these ailing machines within the type of Chrome OS Flex.

Chrome OS Flex is the usual Chrome OS that runs on Chromebooks, in a kind you can set up on computer systems that aren’t Chromebooks. The concept is that the light-weight working system gained’t weigh your outdated system right down to the identical extent as Windows or macOS. It’s basically only a net browser, and hey presto, your laptop computer or desktop has a brand new lease on life.

We ought to warn you that this challenge is in its very, very early phases: Google says it’s in “early access” mode and is “still unstable” at this level. As a outcome, you need to anticipate some bizarre habits and bugs—in the mean time, that is actually one thing to try on laptops that you just’re in any other case going to do away with.

That mentioned, you possibly can strive it. Google has a list of computer models that it plans to finally certify for Chrome OS Flex. It has additionally printed some minimal necessities for the working system: An Intel or AMD x86-64-bit suitable system, with at the very least 4GB of RAM and 16GB of space for storing, with the power besides from a USB drive.

If your Windows or macOS system meets these necessities, you can provide Chrome OS Flex a go. Be positive although that you just don’t want the laptop computer any extra in its present state, and that you just’ve moved all of the essential knowledge on it some other place earlier than trying this.

The similar limitations that apply to Chrome OS apply to Chrome OS Flex—you’re not going to have the ability to run full desktop functions for instance, and the software program will default to saving recordsdata within the cloud. However, you may discover it’s bought all the pieces that you just want, and it means you possibly can keep on utilizing your current {hardware}.

Create a Chrome OS Flex set up drive

Find your self a USB drive with 8GB capability or extra, and get all of the recordsdata you want off it earlier than continuing. Plug it right into a Chromebook, Windows PC or Mac (it doesn’t essentially must be the laptop computer you’re putting in Chrome OS Flex on), then go to the Chrome net retailer: Find the Chromebook Recovery Utility, click on Add to Chrome, after which Add extension.

With that course of accomplished, launch the utility: You ought to have the ability to discover it by clicking the extensions button on the Chrome toolbar. Work your method by the setup wizard that seems on display, and if you’re requested to establish your Chromebook, select Select a mannequin from an inventory. The choices you need are Google Chrome OS Flex for the producer and Chrome OS Flex (Developer-Unstable) for the product.

You’ll additionally want to select the USB drive you need to use, and the set up drive can then be created. The software program takes a couple of minutes to obtain the required recordsdata and set up them on the USB drive, and also you’ll see a message when you possibly can take the drive out of its port. The subsequent stage is getting Chrome OS Flex up and working in your outdated laptop computer.

Installing Chrome OS Flex

Perhaps the toughest a part of putting in Chrome OS Flex is determining the right way to get your laptop besides from the USB drive that you just’ve simply created. On a Mac, you maintain down the Option key as your laptop is rebooting; on Windows PCs, the important thing you want is normally F2, Esc or Del (the instruction handbook or a fast search on the net ought to assist if you happen to’re unsure).

Choose the USB drive because the boot system, and you need to see a display welcoming you to CloudReady—the know-how used to deploy Chrome OS Flex. Click Get began and also you’ve then bought two choices: Try it first, permits you to strive Chrome OS Flex with out wiping something out of your outdated laptop. You can be sure all the pieces is working because it ought to by way of the show and the peripherals, however you don’t get the entire options of the working system (you gained’t get automated updates for instance).

Pick Install CloudReady 2.0 as a substitute of Try it first and Chrome OS Flex can be absolutely put in, wiping all the pieces that’s already on the pc. When you see a message indicating the method is full, take out the USB drive, reboot your laptop, and you can begin utilizing Chrome OS Flex. As on a regular Chromebook, you’ll be requested to check in utilizing a Google account to get began. If you want extra help, check here.