bmttinman Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 How to Install Windows on Google's Chrome OS Notebook ARTICLE DATE: 12.11.10 By Cisco Cheng The fact that the Google CR-48 Notebook runs on an Intel processor implies that it can run Windows or some other full blown operating system. But how would you install Windows in the first place? That's not exactly clear. But we have the answer, or at least part of it. Apparently, every Cr-48 notebook is equipped with a developer's mode, which, when activated, can potentially wipe and restore the partition back to factory condition, or break your current Chrome OS setup. That's no big deal, since all the Web Store apps and browser settings reside in the cloud and syncing it all back into your notebook shouldn't take long. The actual point of this exercise is to show you that if you ever decide to hack your Chrome-equipped notebook and install another operating system, switching to developer's mode is the way to do it. First off, before you make the switch, Google recommends turning off the system. It also warns you that switching to this mode exposes the system to malware and virus attacks, since what you're doing is turning off verified boot (the ROM chip) on the motherboard. The rest is pretty simple: Look for the piece of black tape underneath the battery, next to the power connector, and remove it to reveal a white switch. Flip the switch the other way, and voila, you're in developer's mode. Then start up the notebook. Boot up to a USB thumbdrive; we tried plugging in this USB drive, but nothing happened. At any point, if you f, you're presented with two options: You can hit the space bar and proceed to recovery mode. This will allow you to restore the notebook back to its original condition, provided you download the recovery software. If you feel uncomfortable doing this, you can flip the switch back and resume where you left off in Chrome OS. If you let the system sit in the "sad face" mode for too long, the system will automatically erase and repartition your drive. It takes about five to 10 minutes to prep for this mode, and during this time, the system repartitions the solid state drive by deleting the current one, or what the console refers to as "erasing the stateful partition." I presume that the partition it's creating is the one where Windows or any other operating system will reside, but that's all I can gather at this point. The thing is, the USB port isn't recognizing any of my peripherals or a network, so how one would install Windows on this laptop is unclear and most likely a work in progress. One thing's for sure, though: the mere existence of a developer's switch means that Google isn't averse to outside development of programs for Chrome-equipped systems, say, one that can dual-boot Windows and Chrome OS. Check out our slideshow for a look at how we tried to install Windows in the Google notebook. For more, see PCMag's hands on with the Cr-48 notebook and the software team's analysis of Chrome OS on the Cr-48, as well as PCMag's look at the 10 best Google Chrome OS extensions. Copyright © 2010 Ziff Davis Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2374193,00.asp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdtran1025 Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 What? Windows7 on Chromebook? Win7 may be a good OS but doing this would be counterproductive. Maybe a WIn7 mobile or iOS would make some sense. That said, I think it's about time they turn loose ChromeOS in the wild so it will force some competition from Apple as it now pretty much rules the mobile world. Maybe ChromeOS on iPhone? Nahh, Google doesn't own anything on desktop yet to make it a viable OS while Apple owns everything from smart devices to computer hardware and set-top boxes. Very soon they won't play nice to consumers like MS. We need more competition to keep them in checks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iGO M.D Posted December 19, 2010 Share Posted December 19, 2010 Thats only me, or do you guys think that an apple sticker almost turns him into a black Macbook 4,1? If it does runs Windows, why not Snow Leopard? Just like another netbook. Chrome OS Cr-48 Hardware Processor: Intel Atom Processor N455 1.66GHz 512K Cache Chipset: Intel CG82NM10 PCH Motherboard: Tripod Motherboard MARIO – 6050A240910 – MB – A03 Ram: Hynix 2GB DDR3 1Rx8 PC3 – 10600S Ram Read Only Memory: ITE IT8500E Flash ROM SSD Drive: SanDisk sdsa4dh-016G 16GB SATA SSD Wireless Wan: Qualcomm Gobi2000 PCI Express Mini Card 3g Adapter: AzureWave 802.11 a/b/g/n PCI-E Half MiniCard Bluetooth: Atheros AR5BBU12 Bluetooth V2.1 EDR What do ya think? Can you guys make this happen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pj.paito Posted December 28, 2010 Share Posted December 28, 2010 After paying my fair chunk of change on eBay, my CR-48 is in the mail!!! I will be looking for the closest netbook over at mymacnetbook.com and see how far i get I have installed Mac OS X on a Dell XPS 1530M, HP DV9000 and Dell MINI 9 with great success so i hoping for the best here!! Good luck everyone attempting this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grinch Posted January 1, 2011 Share Posted January 1, 2011 Just a note, we can now install (like a normal computer) Windows on it by flashing it with an actual bios. So it should make hackintoshing it a tad easier since not much is known about the modified EFI. http://www.chromeoslounge.com/cr-48-chrome...6.html#post3458 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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