ChromeOShas come a long way from being a glorified web browser to a full-fledged operating system that’s packed withgreat features. Chromebooks come in all shapes and sizes, includingsome great 2-in-1 laptops, which means there’s a Chromebook for everyone. If you’re interested in a Chromebook but aren’t sure if you want to take the leap and buy one, install ChromeOS on a flash drive and try it on a computer you own.
How to switch from Windows to ChromeOS
It’s easier than you might think but requires some adapting
How to put ChromeOS on a flash drive
Google makes getting a copy of ChromeOS easy using the Chromebook Recovery Utility. To download ChromeOS, you’ll need a flash drive with at least 8GB of storage, but a larger one is recommended if you’re using the OS from your flash drive. You’ll also need to install the Google Chrome Browser on your PC.
Once this process is complete, you’ll have a functioning copy of ChromeOS on your flash drive.
Bonus: Use your flash drive to try out ChromeOS
Now that you have a copy of ChromeOS on a flash drive, you can use it to try ChromeOS on your PC.
Your PC then boots from the flash drive. You can now use your PC like a full-fledged Chromebook with some limitations or permanently install ChromeOS Flex on your device if you’d like.
ChromeOS on a stick
Creating a copy of ChromeOS on a flash drive is simple when you use the Chrome Recovery Utility. Having a copy of ChromeOS allows you to try out a Chromebook on any device. If you like ChromeOS and have an old laptop lying around,install ChromeOS on your old PCinstead of buying a new Chromebook.
