We have already written a dedicated article on how to install Chrome OS on PC, but many users are looking to run Chrome OS and Windows 10 side by side. And that’s why we have brought this detailed tutorial on how to dual boot Chrome OS and Windows 10. It will allow you to have the fast performance of Chrome OS and the versatility of Windows 10 side by side. Not to mention, there is support for Play Store and Linux apps as well. Basically, the confluence of Chrome OS and Windows 10 is a win-win combination for users. So without further ado, let’s go ahead and learn how to install Chrome OS and Windows 10 on a single machine.
Before we go ahead, I want to make it clear that the tutorial is quite technical in nature so proceed only if you are well-versed with operating multiple systems. Apart from that, this tutorial will not touch any of your Windows files, but as a matter of precaution, you should back up all your important files. One never knows when things go south. Finally, I would recommend you to go through the guide step by step and for that, we have created multiple sections for easier navigation.
- Requirements
- Downloads
- Manage Files
- Create Partition
- Flash Linux Mint Cinnamon
- Install Chrome OS
- Dual Boot Chrome OS and Windows 10
- Uninstall Chrome OS From Windows 10
- Troubleshoot
Requirements
- UEFI support in the motherboard
- Support for legacy BIOS has also been added, but there are a few limitations. You can read the documentation here.
- Intel-based CPU and GPU
- Support for AMD CPU and GPU has also been added, but currently, it only supports AMD Ryzen 3XXX and AMD Stoney Ridge processors
- A USB flash drive with at least 16GB of storage space
Downloads
First off, download the Linux Mint Cinnamon image. You can also use other Linux distros such as Ubuntu or Debian, but since Linux Mint is pretty lightweight, I am using it in this tutorial.
Finally, download the “multi_install.sh” script which magically installs Chrome OS on a Windows partition. The script has been written by Kedar Nimbalkar. To download it, click here and press Ctrl + S to save the file. If the above link is not working then you can click on this alternative link to download the “multi_install.sh” script.
First of all, create a folder named “Chrome OS” on a drive that has ample space. After that, move the “multi_install.sh” file to the “Chrome OS” folder.
Next, right-click on the Brunch file and choose “Extract to Brunch…”. All the files will be extracted in a folder.
You need to create an “Unallocated” partition on Windows 10 which should at least have 14GB or more space. I have provided 100GB of space, but you can choose your own partition size. Having said that, make sure to follow these rules so that you don’t encounter errors during the installation process.
Press the Windows key once and search for “disk partition“. Now, click on the first result.
You have successfully created an “Unallocated” partition. In the next few steps, you will be installing Chrome OS to this unallocated partition.
Connect your USB flash drive and open Rufus. Next, click on the “Select” button and choose the Linux Mint Cinnamon ISO image. Now, just click on “Start”. You will get a few prompts so click on “Yes” and “OK” to continue the flashing process.
Next, restart your PC and press the boot key continuously to boot into the UEFI/BIOS menu. If you don’t know the boot key of your PC then you can find it from the below table.
Install Chrome OS
Now that you have booted into Linux Mint, click on the network icon at the bottom-right corner and connect to WiFi or Ethernet. The Chrome OS installer will need an active internet connection to download some necessary libraries and dependencies.
Now, open “Computer” on the desktop and move to the drive where you have stored the “Chrome OS folder“.
Note: If you are getting “read-only” or any kind of error then head over to the Troubleshoot section for help.
- Now, make a note of partition number which starts with “sda”. For instance, mine is sda9. Finally, close the GParted window.
Note: If you face any error then go through the Troubleshoot section to find the solution.
- Open “Computer” from the desktop again and move to C drive or any other Windows partition. Right-click and select New Document -> Empty document. Here, add .txt at the end and save it.
You have successfully installed Chrome OS on a Windows partition, but you need to add Chrome OS as a bootable OS during the startup. And for that, we will use the Grub2Win application.
- Here, click on “Add a New Entry“.
If you want to uninstall Chrome OS from Windows 10 then the steps are quite easy. Just boot into Windows 10 and open Disk Management. After that, right-click on the Chrome OS partition and format it. Next, open Grub2Win and remove the Chrome OS entry and save changes. You are done.
If you are getting a “Not enough space to create image file” error then I would recommend you to follow my partition rules in “Create Partition” section. It has seemingly worked for many users.
If you are having issues with WiFi, Bluetooth, touchscreen display, etc. then you can try adding support for your specific hardware device from the Crosh terminal. Just open Chrome on Chrome OS and press Ctrl + Alt + T to open the Crosh terminal. After that, enter shell and hit enter. Now, run sudo edit-grub-config. Here you can add support for your hardware device. You can find the complete list of commands from here.
Similarly, if you want to fix WiFi then first you need to find out the manufacturer of the wireless card. If it’s Broadcom then add to the same line like this: “options=rtbth,broadcom_wl”. This will fix both Bluetooth and WiFi issues. You can remove rtbth if Bluetooth is already working for you. Similarly, if it’s Realtek then add “options=rtbth,rtl8188eu” or “options=rtbth,rtl8821ce”. Basically, you can add support for hardware devices in this fashion: “options=option1,option2,…” (without spaces) to activate them.
