It sounds like the "typical Indian M$ support scam".
If you believe they had accessed your parent's machine, I say back up the important data and nuke it from orbit.
You can't possibly know what they installed or configured.
I don't know your parents computer usage, but maybe giving a try to ChromeOS would be a good idea. My mother is quite happy with her old notebook and CloudReady.
In any case, please for the love of god, install uBlock Origin and configure it to block everything they don't need. It is available both for Firefox and Chrome.
Also, take the time to teach them about the dangers of the internet.
That doesn't actually have anything to do with Chrome OS. It appears to be someone's hobby project piggybacking on the Chrome brand.
The real Chromium OS is the open source foundation of Chrome OS, similar to how Chromium is the open source version of the Chrome browser, with similar features. Google doesn't provide official support for Chromium OS, but various people have made available builds based on Google's source code: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromium_OS#Availability
The easiest option is probably the free Home edition of Neverware's CloudReady: https://www.neverware.com/freedownload
Yep, just head to Neverware.
I'm not really a techie - the walkthrough was extremely simple.
"Get Started" to done was about an hour, with smoke breaks.
You can also try to install neverware/cloudready (https://www.neverware.com/) on the macbook to turn it into a chromebook. If that solves all the problems you can sell it and get a real chromebook if you like. Another alternative could be an iPad. Main advantage of that is that its a bit similar to macOS and very hard to mess up with unwanted software.
No need for guides. Go straight to the best option available:
https://www.neverware.com/freedownload/
Also being pedantic: you cannot install Chrome OS on something that isn't a Chromebook/box/base/bit. You can install Chromium OS, which is what CloudReady is based on.
Can a person use it? Sure. Should they? Absolutely not.
If someone needs to use an ancient PC for watching YouTube, browsing, email, etc - use Linux or Neverware
This ChromiumOS based distro just added Flatpak support, would be great if it landed upstream: - https://www.neverware.com/blogcontent/2018/4/17/update-cloudready-v643-released - https://neverware.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000952448
/u/Sphix is not wrong… you can now run any LXD container on ChromeOS, and Crostini's Sommelier Wayland compositor solves the X11 on mixed-DPI problem like no current Linux Wayland compositor does (you either get framebuffer scaling, which is blurry, or rendering at a fixed HiDPI, which appears the wrong size on some monitors). Sommelier does it properly and adjusts XWayland's DPI dynamically or something, and you can see X11 apps like VSCode become sharper when you drag them onto HiDPI displays. That's a good example of a piece of technology ChromiumOS has developed that distros/DEs could take advantage of.
I agree that ChromeOS used to be extremely limiting and nothing more than a glorified web browser, but nowadays, you can run just about any Linux workload on it in Crostini (with a few limitations, like NAT networking and LXD unprivileged containers [so no NFS mounts]). X11 and Wayland "just work" out of the box, and you can immediately launch GUI programs after installing the Debian Linux container without setting any environment variables or anything.
(typing this from CloudReady on my X1 Carbon)
If the suggestion will cause your family financial distress, please don't worry about buying one.
If you do want to buy one, a Chromebook in the $200-$300 range is great for what students will need to do in class. Amazon, Staples, or Best Buy (etc) sometimes have good sales, though I know high demand right now may limit the available deals.
One other suggestion I can make is that if your or someone you know has an old, discarded laptop laying around - maybe a friend or family member has upgraded to something better because their old laptop was getting too slow - you can reimage the older device with this: https://www.neverware.com/freedownload#intro-text
I've done it with devices up to 10 years old and it works wonders. It's obviously not going to be a high-powered solution, but for simple web browsing, Google docs, and the like, it will do great... which is 99% of what students need to do.
I am not good with computers, but I was able to figure out installation and use of Linux. If you like the Chrome OS, I bet you could install Cloud Ready on the laptop and it would give a similar experience.
You can't run ChromeOS, but maybe one of the distributions of Chromium OS (the open source version of ChromeOS) will work for you.
CloudReady: https://www.neverware.com/#introtext-3 ArnoldTheBat: https://arnoldthebat.co.uk/wordpress/
Current Google policy is 8 years of updates after the date the Chromebook model is released, here is one list that Google maintains. I've seen mention of Google planning on making Chrome the browser updateable separately from Chrome OS but don't know when that will happen or if it will help your situation.
One possible option is CloudReady by Neverware. The intended purpose is to extend the life of old PC/Mac hardware by running Chrome OS but people can and do use it on at least some expired Chromebooks. There's no Android app support and it does take some amount of expertise to get it set it up but there is an Ifixit guide for your model.
That sucks. Unfortunately I don't know how to help you track it. Sorry.
A cheap replacement option, if you cat get your hands on an old non-chromebook laptop, is to run CloudReady on an old windows (or mac or linux) machine. It's chrome without the google branding and is really easy to set up.
No you shouldn't. Not because it's unsupported or anything, but because it won't run. Windows 7 is not compatible with the SanDisk eMMC storage the HP Stream has. I have one too and believe me, I tried a dozen ways to try getting Windows 7 working on it to no avail. There are no drivers for this eMMC on Windows 7.
But it's true, Windows 10 doesn't work well on this computer at all, mostly because of the limited storage. Either install a lightweight Linux distribution like Xubuntu or Mint XFCE, or turn the computer into a Chromebook (OS with just Chrome web browser) using CloudReady.
Pick up a second hand laptop with at least 8gb RAM and something like an i3, install CloudReady on it, and have a cheap fast Chromebook within minutes.
The recovery image is customized for a specific model of device and its hardware. You cannot use the Chromebook Recovery Utility to install ChromeOS on a PC.
If you want to do that look at CloudReady - https://www.neverware.com/freedownload
There are also distributions of ChromiumOS (the open-source base of ChromeOS, but these can be hard to get support for.
If you have a spare machine knocking around you can try Neverware home for free on PC or Mac to try https://www.neverware.com/freedownload download and burn to USB, then try. The major difference is there is no current android app support with neverware but other than that it's great.
You need a google account to use chromeos (you can use guest but it's more of a temporary account)
You may feel it's limited but once you start using you will find that most tasks can still be done, I have a home PC with windows and a work laptop but whenever I am away I just take my Pixelbook now. I have VPN's, netflix, Now TV, youtube, skype/duo, google docs, delivered a course the other week using powerpoint through google slides and RDP to an Azure vm for the windows bit..
There is only one answer to this question.
Buy her a Chromebook!
If she needs a desktop get her a Chromebox.
Have no money and still want Chrome then Google will let you install it on any old laptop or computer you have lying around for free.
https://www.neverware.com/freedownload#intro-text
I have done this many times and it works great.
You won't be able to run Windows 7 on your HP Stream. Windows 7 has absolutely no drivers for the eMMC. No matter what you try, it won't boot up. (I have the same computer and spent hours trying to get it to work)
If you don't feel like learning Linux, install Chrome OS using CloudReady. It has nothing but Chrome, so you don't have to learn something new and it performs extremely well.
Windows 7 may seem "lighter" since it was made for older computers that are naturally less powerful, but no version of Windows is designed to be "light".
If you're interested in running ChromeOS and already use Chrome devices and G Suite, check out https://www.neverware.com/.
The "Enterprise/Education" version allows you to integrate CloudReady (ChromeOS) on PC hardware with G Suite Management Console to manage the devices.
We're still evaluating it, but might be using it on PC labs instead of Windows 10 Edu as we move forward since we're 1:1 Chromebook already for students.
G Suite has policies for KIOSK mode in the Management Console; though I'm not sure if it allows for just custom websites or if you need an App to do it. We use it for online student testing.
> As an aside, you could theoretically install Chromium OS or Linux on a 17 inch PC
I did this on a Dell Inspiron from late 2012 for my dad. You first make a USB installer to test it, and then while booted in make it permanent.
Linux is good. For those who are uncomfortable going with a standard Linux distribution there's also Cloudready with a free version for home use. It's essentially ChromeOS, they have a list of compatible systems, and you can install it to dual-boot.
Cloudready is a good option for people who use their computers primarily for web browsing, and don't mind using web-apps for everything else.
Linux é complicado pros pais, mas o ChromeOS é sensacional. Desde que troquei dos meus pais foi só felicidade. Se não quer trocar pra um Chromebook, tem o Cloudready que é igual e dá pra instalar em PC normal (e é free a versão Home). Serio, vale a pena.
[](/ppboring) Or installing Chromium OS, the open source version of Chrome OS.
[](/sp)
[](/rparty)Since all they ever use is Chrome, they get a computer that works, they never get a virus again, less maintenance from me and smiles all around.
the closest your going to get is to get windows laptop and install neverwares version of chromuim os witch can duel boot. heres a link: https://www.neverware.com/freedownload/ It has flash and other add-ons available in the settings
I've found W8.1 to be the lightest of the three - in particular when combined with the Start8 start menu replacement.
EDIT: Just read your system specs. Might be worth it to give either linux or ChromeOS a try: https://www.neverware.com/
EDIT2: But whatever you do, get it off of Windows XP. That is just no longer safe. Google Chrome isn't even updated for XP anymore.
What’s to backup? The point of the Chrome based systems is that everything is in the Google Cloud.
The closest thing to what you are describing is Neverware
Rather than going through all that (which I don't think will work anyway) and just download CloudReady from Neverware
https://www.neverware.com/freedownload#intro-text
Unfortunately 1 GB of RAM is not enough for modern tasks. If you don't want to keep Windows XP to run older software, try to upgrade to at least 2 GB of RAM, and if it has a SATA hard drive, replace it with a solid-state drive. I recommend Lubuntu 18.04 which is almost as fast as XP and it works better than 20.04.
Or if you like Google Chrome you could try CloudReady to install Chrome OS.
Chrome OS isn't available as an installable thing, because it's Google's. Regarding the open source Chromium OS, don't know but probably not. But bootable Cloudready usb is easy to create and its free: https://www.neverware.com/freedownload
you should look at the tasks he will do on the computer.
you may want to use a Chromebook, or try one of those 'convert your PC into a Chromebook' Distribution.
such as.
If you are coming from windows, you can try Zorin lite. You might feel home because of their app choice and theming.
Zorin OS . If you want to stick with Ubuntu universe, Xubuntu is a great choice. But don't choose an older release like 14.04. I think 18.04 would be perfect. And of course consider increasing RAM too.
​
You can even give Cloudready a try. Good luck!
If you're utilizing that Thinkpad then more or less I'd recommend CloudReady (aka Chrome(ium) OS for regular Hardware): https://www.neverware.com/freedownload/
Its usability and maintenance is amongst the best if not the best in the Case.
Downside is that you cant remote manage it for them since its the Free Version - so easier would be to get a new educational Chromebook which hasnt these restrictions and can be enrolled in Google.
I'd recommend the Lenovo 500e. Its a 2in1 with a pen and can be used in all ways - can be had recertified for $150ish bucks (the 4GB Model) or $250ish bucks (the 8GB Model).
If you can't decide on giving Chrome OS a shot I'd recommend
endlessos.com
To get the Chrome OS experience you can use Cloudready or ArnoldTheBat images and install them as directed on those web sites. Cloudready also gives details on what aspects of the hardware works with it for a specific device.
If you want to run the "official" ChromeOS you have to do some more work and use Chromefy which is perhaps not for the faint of heart as it is probably a more like trying to install MacOS on a PC.
ChromeOS
www.neverware.com/freedownload
or
Direct approach.
https://chromium.arnoldthebat.co.uk/?dir=daily
​
There is always WinXP sure it's EoL but will run on 1 gig of RAM because it was designed to do so.
​
Damn Small Linux maybe.
download NeverWare's Cloudready from https://www.neverware.com/freedownload
its their own "packaged" version of the opensource bits of ChromeOS, and its great.
its everything you want, except it doesn't "do" the Android play store like "real" ChromeOS
Neverware ported ChromeOS to a generic installer; they had a virtual copy for home users to play with for both VMware & Virtualbox here:
They also have a VDI version ($50/yr) here:
https://www.neverware.com/freedownload
CloudReady is ChromiumOS.
I'd chose the 32-bit edition to see if it works on that machine.
Read the installation instructions before you begin.
Call Free Geek. I know they tend to have programs where they give out free computers:
http://www.freegeekarkansas.org/
Good luck!
Also, if you have an old laptop, I recommend replacing the operating systems with Chrome OS. It usually makes 'em as good as new since it's so non-demanding:
Put https://www.neverware.com/#intro on your laptop.
You can also put Virtual Box, get a copy of Windows 10 installer and use that.
Or get Linux to run via VirtualBox.
Or get WIndows installer and Bootcamp.
Scaling on modern Linux distributions might work great for you. If they don't, another option is to try Neverware's version of ChromeOS. It uses a different graphical front end with a different scaling system to other distributions, so it might work for you if others don't.
It also has different limitations and benefits than other Linux distributions so it might not do what you want, but you can try out a live install pretty easily. If you live in a browser most of the time, it could work out well.
Yep, I've got an old one too that got it's last update this month and an old Acer that expired a long time ago. They work just fine. Also, if you do want to keep getting updates there's free software (for home use) called CloudReady. It's now owned by Google. You'll continue to get updates although you can't run Play Store apps on it but it will be more secure than using a device that no longer gets security updates. That's the main thing to be concerned about using an outdated Chromebook, security. It can also be installed on an old Windows Laptop or PC. Pretty handy! I've installed it a couple times now and it takes a little time but if you follow their instructions carefully it works very well. Once it's on the computer, you've got a "new" Chromebook. I like fiddling around with that kind of stuff, for me it was fun. If it doesn't sound like fun to you, forget it...🥺
Yes, there is!!!!!
https://www.neverware.com/freedownload#intro-text
And you're right about it being early. I promised myself I wouldn't move from Windows 7 to Windows 10, that I'd bite the bullet and switch to Linux, but when push came to shove I sighed and upgraded my workstation to 10, tamed 10's more obnoxious features, and moved on.
You may also be right about Microsoft's caving for backward compatibility but maybe not. The security landscape is just so much more complicated now that they may choose to make a clean break with the past. Maybe not as drastic as Apple did with OS X, but drastic enough. We'll see.
For my part I'll offer anyone who gets a FTGH computer the option of Windows 10 or Linux, probably Elementary OS. I should probably also offer the Neverware/ChromeOS option as well, eh?
But what about this: Blog post about v90.1 available on Dev channel?
I have a Cloudready machine on the Dev channel and the 90.1 update is refusing to install, it shows the progress of updating the device up to %100, but afterwards it says that the device is up-to-date, even when i try again it keeps doing the same.
The issue might have to do with the fact that i resized the STATE partition to make space for a Windows installation, and a Linux install, but i don't know, i might reinstall the OS in a couple months, when W11 gets released.
I know this isn't really in the spirit of GNU/Linux, but if you just want a typewriter-like device you may want to try Chrome/Chromium OS (which uses the Linux kernel and GNU userspace but is pretty locked down). It works surprisingly well on old devices, especially given how all the UI basically runs in the browser. The easiest way to try it is to use https://www.neverware.com/ . Note that there are many privacy and ethical considerations here, but given you're likely running Windows 10 on the machine currently it's not really any better or worse from that standpoint.
If you do want to go with something in spirit of GNU/Linux, try a light flavor of Ubuntu (like Lubuntu), or if you're not scared of some choices you can go with Debian netinstall and choose LXDE there.
Throwing an IDEA out here for you, just a thought. If you have an extra laptop or desktop, you can always installed ChromeOS on that device instead of Windows.
I have done this for my mother and she has no issues... she just surfs the web and prints things off.
https://www.neverware.com/freedownload
Google has acquired the company and still plan to support the home edition, etc.
It works great on old PC/Laptops so if you have access or have one laying around. It’s a try at no cost and you will see if your grandmother will like it or not. Then you can spend the money for a Chromebook or ChromeBox
I don't know anyway that is possible. I don't actually think the hardware is exactly the same. However, you can get close. Google just bought a company that does this for any computer:
Nah, they support it officially
​
<strong>https://www.neverware.com/blogcontent/2020/10/13/update-cloudready-v853-released</strong>
I read this announcement from Neverware:
> 64bit-capable devices that are installed with 32bit images will stop getting updates, but can be reinstalled with 64bit images. Since v64, CloudReady has provided notifications to these devices to make users aware that their device is capable, so you can check for those after each update to determine if your device should be reinstalled.
I did get that notification on my device, does that mean they think my device is capable?
If you just want something simple that works, check out Neverware Cloudready. It basically turns whatever you install it on into a Chromebook. So you'll be running Linux, but everything is more or less preconfigured out of the box for secure browsing. It's well optimised for older machines and tends to run faster than Windows 10 on old hardware.
It's probably not the way to go if you want to learn all about Linux components since a lot of that is hidden from you in Cloudready/ChromeOS.
The user can have a system installed through Project Croissant and now wants better hardware support, which is available in Brunch. It's also relevant for FydeOS or CloudReady, which are also part of the Chrom* family.
https://www.neverware.com/freedownload#intro-text
Hello u/epictetusdouglas, it appears you tried to put a link in a title, since most users cant click these I have placed it here for you
^I ^am ^a ^bot ^if ^you ^have ^any ^suggestions ^dm ^me
I suggest you will get better answers on r/cloudready, which is more active than r/chromiumos. Apparently, CloudReady is one of the well supported Chromium OS distributions.
(Disclaimer: I haven't installed CloudReady or any Chromium OS distro. I am here because I support several Chromebooks and installed Linux onto one older Chromebook.)
Yes, I burned an image onto a thumbdrive then booted it up on my Vostro. Once I found that everything worked running it off the thumbdrive, I installed it on my SSD. I simply followed the instructions from the website.
No chromeos only comes pre installed on chromebooks, it's all about security.
Best way to try it out is to try neverware cloudready which is free from here https://www.neverware.com/freedownload you can install onto usb and boot from it to try, it doesn't support dual boot any more and there is no android support but you can see what it's like
Ah in that case, I also haven't seen them in any of the shops. You can always order one and return it in 14 days if your mother doesn't like it :).
If you have a laptop/PC laying around the house you can try CloudReady (https://www.neverware.com/freedownload) which is kinda like Chrome OS minus the Google Store and apps. So she can get a feel of what to expect from Chrome OS or even stick with CloudReady.
PS Thanks for the tip :)
Sorry for the late response. The home version of CloudReady should allow you to access the shell using crosh. Can you please tell me the website you downloaded it from. The shell command is deliberately disabled in the education edition. Try https://www.neverware.com/freedownload
If all they need is basically a chromebook. there are those 'Turn-your-0ld-machine-into-a-chromebook' disrtos, like
https://www.neverware.com/#introtext-3
https://www.neverware.com/freedownload
I have not personally tried these, every time my relatives want a simple pc setup for them, i let them test my old chromebook, then if it suites their needs they tend to just go buy a chromebook. Which saves me a LOT of tech-support-hassles at the Family reunions.
Also - I run Lubuntu 'ok' on an old laptop with worse specs than that. - it is a 'Windows XP era' laptop.
Install Neverware CloudReady on almost any USB drive 8GB or larger, It is almost identical to Chrome OS and difficult to brake. My grandmother has been using this on a daily basis for almost a year with no issues 😃
Available for download here: https://www.neverware.com/freedownload
Seems CloudReady (a Chromium OS build) from https://www.neverware.com has excellent support for the X220. Might be worth a shot. Seems you can pick up an X220 for around £100-120 here in the UK. Not sure how much 8GB RAM and a 120GB SSD would cost if you wanted to add them but can't be much. Would give you a nice machine although battery life will probably be an issue on an old machine unless you replace it which adds expense.
If all that he does is use the Web, you may want to consider wiping the drive and then installing CloudReady, which is based on Google's Chromium (Chrome) OS. It's limited to web-based apps only, so the worst thing that he could do is install some shady extension from the Chrome Store, and even then it would be easy to remove.
Try out [Ubuntu](ubuntu.com/download) or elementaryOS and put it on a USB using Rufus. Incredibly easy to use and fits in your pocket for booting up in public computers. Another alternative is a ChromiumOS variant called CloudReady if you want to revive an old laptop.
Check out Lubuntu
(http://lubuntu.me/downloads/), which is the Ubuntu core with LXDE
(http://lxde.org/). I've had good experience with this.
Another idea would be Neverwhere
(https://www.neverware.com/freedownload), based on Chrome OS
, but I haven't tried it.
I would put Neverware on them instead.
Whenever I get old machines donated to me from clients who upgrade, they all get wiped and installed either Chrome OS. Just works so much better for donating to families in need.. I've tried Linux but the learning curve to install new software and to train people to use them is too damn high.
It sounds like you already have the hardware, but we use the chromebase for this as chromeos does kiosk so well, especially if you buy the management license for them. It blew my socks off.
Also you could get https://www.neverware.com to put on the existing machines.
We have used PWD for ages. The version we have is over ten years old. It's okay, it's just that managing the underlying os becomes such a pain because you need a simple way to switch back and forth for maintaining them.
You could always use CloudReady. It's just a prebuild version of ChromiumOS. I threw it on a laptop to try it out and it works. I personally prefer a distro where I can see what it's doing though.
You could run Windows from a USB drive using WinToUSB, but it will be quite slow. As a backup until you can install a new hard drive, you could install Chrome OS on the USB drive using CloudReady: https://www.neverware.com/freedownload
Summary notes:
P.S. Thanks for the shout out on your prior video, Mark!
What distros are you reviewing next? I have two personal favorite distros on my six year old laptops that I'd like to recommend for consideration (neither gets reviewed as often as I think they should):
I have read about the CloudReady Chromium OS image but was hoping that it would also be possible to actually virtualize a Chromebook.
Thanks for clarifying the issue.
I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how well the core functions of Chrome OS, i.e. the Chrome browser, web apps, and cloud integration, all work together seamlessly. To get a general idea of what to expect, if you have access to a Windows PC, try Chrome OS's close relative CloudReady by making a live USB drive and booting from it. It will be slower than booting natively on a Chromebook but it will give you a good introduction to how the file system, browser and web apps work together.
It easy enough to try CloudReady (https://www.neverware.com/freedownload). See how the live boot runs and then install it if you wish. Personally, I'd recycle it. You'll find the WiFi is very slow or you need to a modern USB WiFi, etc., etc. You can buy a Chromebook that works better for under $200 w/o a sweat and probably under $100 used. Anyhow, ChromeOS will only run marginally better than Linux; to be sure, there are many more people trying to replace ChromeOS with Linux than vice versa.
Strictly speaking you don't install Chrome OS on anything because it is built specifically for and preinstalled on a range of Google-supported official Chrome OS devices with a different build for each system board type. There are hacks of official Chrome OS recovery images that may or may not work with your PC hardware but IMO they are outside the scope of this subreddit. Official Chrome OS is derived from the Chromiun open source project and the fork of that which is built specifically for PC hardware is CloudReady, by Neverware, now a Google company. I would recommend you make a bootable USB drive of CloudReady - available here - to test on your hardware. If you like it you can then install it on the hard drive. For best performance, the best thing you can do with old hardware is replace the mechanical HDD with a SSD, usually an affordable option for 128 or 240 GB.
Please no, it's painful to use on hardware like that. I would recommend installing CloudReady and using the Office web apps, or some lightweight linux distro such as Linux Lite and using LibreOffice. Good luck!
Chrome OS is only available on Chromebooks. But just as the Chrome browser has an open source base, Chromium, Chrome OS is based on Chromium OS.
There are various projects that package Chromium OS for end-user use. Google acquired the CloudReady parent company Neverware. CloudReady is one of the Chrome OS-like systems, and with Google's ownership is now semi-official. Sort of like Red Hat owning CentOS, and their relation to the open source Fedora.
There is not too much to add to the other comments, but:
Chromebooks are virus-free, low maintance and perfect for the need, but habits are hard to break, but I'd try anyhow for the least hassle/cost solution ;-)
I'd say download and install CloudReady. You have to build the CloudReady USB drive and the side load it to your chrome and let it wipe the drive. See if that works.
I think it is just a matter of trial-and-error.
Not really a list of specific components, but Neverware has a list of "certified" PCs to which Cloudready has been somewhat tailored to. These are devices used by Neverware's paying education or enterprise customers so they and their components should work fairly reliably with Cloudready. You'll have to do your own research on the specific hardware that make up each of these devices.
https://guide.neverware.com/supported-devices/
Also, as a general guide, Cloudready currently uses Linux kernel version 5.4.147 according to the latest release notes. So perhaps you can research what components are compatible with that. Since this is an older kernel (the latest one is already at 5.15+), it might be better to look for slightly older hardware.
I used to convert all my Chromebooks to GallumOS which a very fine solution, and if happy with that, so be it. Personally, I would not mess with any other Linux distro because of the required customization that is built into Gallium OS just as you decided, too. But, eventually, I tired of the maintenance since I used them as netbooks anyhow. Nothing is lower maintenance than ChromeOS.
Since the old Chromebooks were beyond Auto Update Expiration, I then installed CloudReady by Neverware (which is a Google company). This extends auto updates. There are a few major features missing, including running Android apps, and that probably makes them run faster. So, if you notice getting slower with new features, you might get much of that back (but I have not done performance tests).
Here is more explicit info: https://www.aboutchromebooks.com/news/how-to-get-chrome-os-updates-on-chromebook-after-aue-automatic-update-expiration-date-cloudready/
Historically we used https://www.neverware.com/#intro for old equipment which wasn't legacy enough to warrant throwing away - it's ChromeOS but in the same fashion of how Chromium is to Chrome.
They got acquired by Google in December 2020.
Cloud-ready dropped support for 32-bit ARM chromebooks in August 2019.
If your chromebook is supported, you can flash it with this bios. Then you can treat the chromebook "like a regular linux install".
On my out of support Dell chromebook 11, I tried GalliumOS ( a bit out of date now ), then Fedora ( fully supported ) but came full circle and installed Cloudready - which so far has been the best.
+1 u/Stefamag09. Also, Brunch is not a 'simple clean install' , it's a hack of ChromeOS that requires more than novice Linux skills - typically not something the average Windows user is going to handle without risking major screw-ups. I would suggest, if you haven't already, also consider r/cloudready. It doesn't support Android apps but it will almost certainly be easier to install on your hardware, and likely have drivers for the devices too. Download rthe ISO, wite to bootable USB with rufus and live boot. You'll be able to test before wiping Windows and installing. https://www.neverware.com/freedownload#home-edition-install
If you only use a webbrowser on your local system, then ChromiumOS can suit your needs.
If you have a laptop to play with, the most easy way to test it is by installing CloudReady from Neverware: https://www.neverware.com/freedownload#intro-text.
An alternative to CloudReady can be Arnold the Bat (https://arnoldthebat.co.uk/wordpress/chromium-os/).
If you are recommending him/her to use Linux, it might be better off to just install an off-brand chromeOS so it can be used for browsing and any browser tools - https://www.neverware.com/freedownload#intro-text
Without a macOS bootcamp, can you buypass to install Windows 10?
Mate if you are trying on windows u better put chromeos on an usb pen and boot your pc through it. https://www.neverware.com/freedownload#home-edition-install
otherwise get the oficial gear and it wont fail (chromecast w google tv or ultra).
Also.. try wifi 5Ghz set on 20 Mhz. It will work perfect on all devices.
Windows 7 is not made for less powerful computers, it's made for older computers. It's an older version of Windows, not an alternative one. If your "potato" computer was made after 2015, it can't run Windows 7 properly (even if it boots up, it won't have any drivers). If you have eMMC storage, Windows 7 will not run at all.
If you just want an operating system that runs better than Windows 10 or 11, try a Linux distribution, or Chrome OS if you're fine with only having Chrome. Chrome OS runs fantastically even on the most potato PCs and it gets security updates.
This sub seems to be full if Zoomers who can’t see past their fancy RGB gaming PCs, and can’t imagine a use for a computer besides gaming.
To start, I wouldn’t recommend putting much money into this. I also wouldn’t recommend trying to run Windows.
Those are Chromebook specs, so why not make it run ChromeOS? Cloudready ChromeOS is free and will run just fine on this hardware. If you want it to boot quicker, you could find a cheap secondhand 32GB/64GB/128GB SSD on eBay.
If you need a full desktop environment, Lubuntu is a great lightweight linux distribution.
Add as many hard drives as the system supports, and use FreeNAS to set yourself up with some network accessible storage.
You could add an ethernet card and install PfSense, which is advanced open source router/firewall software.
There are lots of possibilities for giving older hardware new life.
Hey, I was searching for custom ROM recommendations, found your thread and it reminded me of myself. Whenever I have lots to do for uni I try to optimise my setup and get distracted form my actual goal.
I am using a Pixelbook now with ChromeOS. You can flash almost any PC or old Mac with it using "CloudReady for Home". It is essentially Just the chrome browser with added Linux support. If you feel you messed something up it is very easy to do a "power wash" and get back to stock configuration. It also syncs with your Google account you would have to be in that ecosystem but since you have a Pixel phone I assume that you are using Google services.
Since I switched some years ago, I did not regret it, but if you need some software that is not already available for Linux, it might be difficult as a working Machine.
Google announced support for windows apps in ChromeOS Enterprise with Parallels but there's no timeline when it will be available for private customers.
Hope I could help you a little. Take care.
It isnt new for neverware to drop support for things. They dropped 32bit, they announced they would start dropping support for older devices in 2019 https://www.neverware.com/blogcontent/2019/1/9/announcement-cloudready-device-support-policies
This warning is possibly because it will be totally broken at that time and stopping updates are to prevent a dead device after an update.
CloudReady is also a good option if all you need is web browsing, it's the open-source (ChromiumOS) version of ChromeOS, very user friendly if it's for a parent.
Agree with what everyone else has said. It was junk before you took it out of the box. If you can return it, return it. Windows 10 on those specs is unusable.
If you can't return it, I would suggest putting Linux on it - specifically Linux Mint MATE edition. You could also turn it into a Chromebook - look at the "brunch" project, or Neverware's CloudReady (https://www.neverware.com).
>Pavillion dv5000
That's a GREAT finding, a friend of mine had one and was top of the line back on its days. You can also try a ChromeOS-like, Cloudready, been using it on an older laptop, a Core Duo with 2 GB RAM, working as my everyday computer.
I need to play with Neverware and put chromeOS on some old device I have.
The Edge you downloaded isn’t “Windows software”. It’s the Linux version compiled for Debian. ChromeOS is basically a specialized Linux distribution.
The crossover stuff is interesting. It’s tapping into existing Linux emulation/compatibility layers for running Windows apps. I didn’t realize they’ve done that on ChromeOS, but it’s not surprising.
Office has web apps, so are you running those or actual Win32 Office programs via crossover layers?
What do you use your PC for every day?
If you answer "mostly in the browser", then you can install an OS tailored for that scenario like Cloudready. Don't be fooled by the name, the parent company is now a subsidiary of Google and the OS itself is very similar to ChromeOS. It is very optimized for low-end PCs and can seriously breathe new life into a device for people that want the whole cloud-based apps experience.
I would either boot the PC from the Windows disk or install another OS that works off a flash drive like CloudReady (Chrome OS) and see if the PC continues to shutdown. If it does not then the hardware is OK and it must be something to do with your Windows 10 installation. CloudReady is available from the link below. https://www.neverware.com/freedownload#home-edition-overview
If you are concerned about it not running a more up to date version of ChromeOS, have you looked into Brunch or Neverware CloudReady offering?
Personally I have given my parents an old ChromeOS device and updated it to use CloudReady and it has been rock solid for them.