We recently wrote two detailed guides on how to install Chrome OS on PC and how to dual boot Chrome OS and Windows 10 on a single machine. This was an effort to bring Chrome OS to Windows users for years. While people love the lightweight operating system and fast performance, it doesn’t take long for users to realize the lack of Windows apps they love so much.
In addition, there are Chromebook users who want to install Windows 10 for native application support. So if you’re looking to install Windows 10 on a Chromebook, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we show you how to run Windows 10 on a Chromebook using a virtual machine. So without any delay, let’s get started.
Run Windows 10 on a Chromebook (2022)
Here we have mentioned quick links so that you can easily navigate to various sections. I highly recommend going through all the points so that you can understand how to run Windows 10 on a Chromebook.
Yes, the steps are long but believe me The safest and probably easiest way to run Windows 10 on a Chromebook. Since we will be using a virtual machine, there is no need to mess with the system partition or anything.
Requirements
1 a powerful Chromebook have at least one Intel i3, i5 or i7 processor. If you have 4GB of RAM (8GB would be fine) and 64GB of storage, you’re good to go. More cheerful.
2. A Windows 10 or Windows 7 ISO image. You can download a fresh copy of Windows 10 for free at: here.
3. Linux support on your Chromebook. School Chromebooks usually don’t have Linux support, but recently Google has introduced support for Linux containers on a few Chromebooks. So go ahead and check if you have Linux support. (Settings -> left menu Linux (Beta) -> Open).
Should You Install Windows 10 or Windows 7 on a Chromebook?
Before we move on to the steps, you should know which version of Windows would be better for your Chromebook. To run Windows smoothly on a Chromebook, Chromebook must have KVM support (Core-based Virtual Machine).
It allows your Chromebook to take full advantage of hardware acceleration using built-in virtualization technology. I have mentioned the steps in the next section for finding KVM support on Chromebooks.
if you You don’t have KVM support then nothing to worry about. Of course you can run Windows, but the performance will not be that good. In this case, I would recommend using Windows 7 as it is bloat-free and much faster than Windows 10.
https://twitter.com/MaceMoneta/status/1289370308084813826
According to this Chrome Unboxed, newly released Chromebooks (based on Hatch baseboard) come with built-in KVM support. Some of the following Hatch-based Chromebooks available in the market. If you own any of these Chromebooks, Windows performance will be much better and you can install Windows 10 on your Chromebook.
- IdeaPad Flex 5i
- HP Chromebook x360 14c
- HP Pro c640 Chromebook
- ASUS Chromebook Flip C436FA
- HP Elite c1030 Chromebook
- Acer Chromebook 712 [C871]
- Acer Chromebook Spin 713 (CP713-2W)
- Samsung Galaxy Chromebook
In conclusion, if you have KVM support, go with Windows 10 and your Chromebook Does not support KVM then choose Windows 7. It’s not that non-KVM Chromebooks can’t run Windows 10, but it won’t even be usable for day-to-day work. And the installation process will take much longer.
Install Windows 10 on a Chromebook
Before I continue, I would like to clarify my specs so you can get a good idea of running a Windows 10 virtual machine on a Chromebook. I Using HP Chromebook x360 Core i5 8th Gen. It comes with 8GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. I have reserved 30GB of Linux disk space and my Chromebook does not support KVM. On the OS side, I’m running the Chrome OS Beta (86.0.4240.49). I’m pretty sure this will work even on the Stable channel.
1. First of all, install Linux on your Chromebook. Make sure you provide at least 25-35GB of storage to Linux. If you have already installed Linux, Increase Linux disk size from the left menu Settings -> Linux (Beta) -> Linux -> Disk Size. Here, increase the size to at least 25 GB. If you are installing Windows 10, increase the disk space to at least 35 GB.
2. Next, install the ISO image of Windows 10 or Windows 7 Linux partition Files app.
3. Now open the Linux Terminal and run the commands below. one by one To keep your Linux up to date. If this is your first time doing this, it will take some time.
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade -y
4. After doing that, run the command below to install Virtual Machine Manager on your Chromebook. To facilitate, just copy and paste the command In terminal and hit enter.
sudo apt install qemu-kvm libvirt-clients libvirt-daemon-system bridge-utils virtinst libvirt-daemon virt-manager -y
5. After installation, open App Drawer and Linux apps folder. Open “Virtual Machine Manager” here.
6. After opening “Create New Virtual Machine” button.
7. Here, Find out if your Chromebook supports KVM or not. For example, my Chromebook does not support KVM, so I should choose Windows 7. But for this guide, I’m going to show you how to install Windows 10 on a non-KVM Chromebook. The steps are almost similar for both operating systems.
Setting up a Windows 10 Virtual Machine on a Chromebook
one. “Local installation media” and click “Next”.
2. Here, “Search“.
3. On the next screen, click on “.Browse Local“.
4. Select Windows 10/7 ISO image You moved it to the Linux files section.
5. After the selection is made, automatically detect Windows version. For example, Windows 10 is shown here. Now click “Next”.
6. If you are installing Windows 7 then it will not detect the operating system automatically. In this case, you must first uncheck the Automatic checkbox and manually type in “windows 7”. After that, enable the checkbox next to “Include end-of-life operating systems”. Windows 7 will now appear in the list. Now, just click on “Microsoft Windows 7” and click on the “Next” button.
7. Here, enter how much memory and CPU cores you want to allocate to the Windows virtual machine. I recommend at least 4GB of RAM and 4 cores If you are installing Windows 10. For Windows 7, 2GB of RAM and 2 cores will do. But again, more cheerful.
8. On the next screen, 20GB of storage for Windows 10. For Windows 7, you must provide at least 15GB of space. Click “Next”.
9. Finally, “Finish“.
10. When you do this, you will be prompted to activate the Virtual Network. Click “Yes“.
Run Windows 10 on a Chromebook
1. In a few seconds, Windows 10 will boot into the Virtual Machine (VM). Now proceed with the installation just like you would on Windows. the best part, Windows VM also has internet connection and audio functionality.
2. You don’t have to deal with anything. Click “Install Now” and then “Tradition” option. After that, select the 20GB partition you have allocated and click “Next”. That’s it.
3. Once you have successfully booted into Windows 10, you can: change resolution To match the resolution of your Chromebook. For full screen operation, click on the “full screen” button in the upper right corner.
4. If you want to shut down the Windows VM, press “Close” button. If it does not respond, click File -> Quit. You can also force shutdown the VM via Virtual Machine Manager. Right-click the VM and click Shutdown -> Forced.
5. Now, if you want to boot Windows 10 on your Chromebook, you don’t need to follow all the steps. Just open Virtual Machine Manager and Click the “Open” button. After that, click on Virtual Machine -> Run from the top menu. You will boot directly into Windows, all your programs and files will be intact. No installation required.
6. And if you want Erase Windows completely Get it from the Chromebook and free up space, then turn off the VM first and then open Virtual Machine Manager. Now, right-click on it and select “Delete”. Don’t worry, this won’t delete anything on your Chromebook as the VM is isolated from the rest of the system.
7. On the next page, “sda” target is checked, and then click “Delete”. In a few seconds the Windows VM will be deleted and your storage will be freed up.
Use Windows 10 and Chrome OS Side by Side
This is how you can install Windows 10 on a Chromebook. As I mentioned above, the steps seem long and complicated but believe me, it’s pretty easy and you can do it if you have a good understanding of Linux.
Anyway, if you want to use Microsoft Office on a Chromebook without installing Windows 10, check out our linked guide. You can also run any Windows app on a Chromebook through Wine. You can even play popular games like Among Us on Chromebook. All by us. If you run into any issues, comment below and let us know. We will definitely try to help you.
