Chromebooks are great! However, they do not officially support other operating systems such as Windows. Love it or hate it, one cannot even install Windows on Chromebook. Many people use various Windows desktop programs such as Word and Photoshop on a daily basis. Thankfully, there are ways to get Windows applications on Chromebooks. In this blog, we will discuss the workarounds for running Windows software on your Chromebook.
Getting started
Before you begin, you need to keep a few things in your mind. Goofing around with the OS, firmware or BIOS can cause adverse effects on your Chromebook. For this reason, you must back up all the data before proceeding to install Windows.
If anything wrong occurs and you cannot use Chromebook, then you can make a USB drive using a different system to attempt system recovery. But doing so will wipe out all the data, so you need to create a secure backup beforehand.
Accessing Office apps
If you want to access Windows apps, primarily Office programs, then you can do so with the help of the Microsoft website.
1. Open your browsing program and go to any such website.
2. Now, you will be able to see the applications that are included in Office Online. Office apps such as Excel, Word, OneDrive, etc. can be used for free.
3. Choose the program you wish to use. A variant of the application will open in the browser tab.
Chrome Remote Desktop
With the help of this extension, you can get access to a different desktop from your Chromebook. While Chromebook is impressive, it cannot run Windows applications. But with the help of Chrome Remote Desktop, users can remotely access any Windows system. Here’s how you can access a remote Windows desktop from Chromebook.
1. Launch the Start menu and click on the Chrome Remote Desktop option. You will have to install the application first if you haven’t already done that.
2. Choose the Allow Access option to verify that you are giving this extension access to various settings and features.
3. After that, you will be able to see the systems connected to the app below My Computers.
4. Click on the Get started button.
5. Choose the Windows system you wish to remotely access.
6. Key in the PIN allotted to the PC to get remote access.
7. Hit the Connect button.
CrossOver
With CrossOver, you can run Windows application on Chromebooks. Here’s how you can get this software:
1. Go to the Google Play Store.
2. Look up CrossOver and tap on the Install button.
3. When prompted, grant access to media and files on the Chromebook.
4. Create a copy of the app’s installation file and save it in the Downloads folder.
5. When the installation is over, launch CrossOver.
6. Now, just type whatever Windows app you want in the search bar. For example, type QuickBooks.
7. You may have to confirm the software you want to get on your Chromebook.
8. Now the installation process will begin.
9. Accept the terms and agreement.
10. When the installation is over, just open the newly installed app directly.
Karen Minton is a Microsoft Office expert and has been working in the technical industry since 2002. As a technical expert, Karen has written technical blogs, manuals, white papers, and reviews for many websites such as office.com/setup.
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