VLog #71 – Can You Install Windows 10 on a Chromebook?

Video – VLog #71

Can you install windows on a Chromebook?

Do you need Windows 10 on a Chromebook?

How to Install Windows on a Chromebook?

Script – VLog #71

Willie Nicol: Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of The Techno Dinosaur Meets The IT Geek. I am Willie Nicol the Techno Dinosaur, so named because I am technologically challenged. However I am also a personal development life coach based in Troon, South Ayrshire, Scotland, UK.

Willie Nicol: With me today is my usual partner in crime David Logan the IT Geek. So David how are you today and where are you?

David Logan: Hi Willie, I am great. I am David Logan the IT Geek the guy who kicks the Techno Dinosaurs butt, partner in crime based here in Annan, South Scotland and it is a sunny day.

Willie Nicol: You are lucky David it is quite overcast here, however without further a do a few weeks back we spoke about the differences between laptops and Chromebooks and you were kind enough to explain what these differences were. A supplementary question is as follows. Can you install Microsoft Windows on a Chromebook?

David Logan: Short and simple for the techno dinosaurs out there, no. Yes, you can so it is no for the end user the Joe Bloggs yes for the guys that love technical stuff, love learning new stuff getting into them. So the reason for that is chrome being part of Google decided that no you cannot install any of our operating systems on other hardware Chromebook being the hardware, the computer the laptop.

David Logan: Yes when we went through the last video Chromebooks are cheaper to buy last longer less memory run more efficiently but can they install other operating systems easily? No, why not? Just told you. How you can do it is you need to change the firm-ware of the Chromebook. So firmware is to reprogramme it but it is like everything else once you learn how to do it, its easy to do if. So the basic answer is no you cant but if you want a full operating system, a full desktop on the Chromebook that works on the machine itself you can go with stuff that is compatible with Linux which is another operating system. Are you OK with that so far?

Willie Nicol: So far yes I am just about keeping up.

David Logan: So if you really want to use Windows I would advise is stick to Windows but then there is some amazing benefits for the Chromebook and chrome operating system as we discussed the last time. It is possible to install Windows great difficulty my advice is stay clear.

Willie Nicol: OK

David Logan: But the software and app availability for the Chrome operating system is massive it is out there in the google apps It is like the Google app, the chrome, the Google apps that is on your phone but it is a chrome version of the app and it is growing all the time in the apps.

Willie Nicol: Do you think then there is any chance Google or Chrome or whatever will allow operating systems or is that how it is going to stay?

David Logan: Potentially yes but that may be down the line. Yeah so Chromebook really its what I would say is for your general user that is travelling wants to take photos, wants to check email, wants to browse the internet but if you want to go into account software, CAD software, maybe even artistic software where you can modify photos or videos you may struggle with the Chromebook. If you remember rightly the Chromebook the Chrome operating system is light it stores very little on the actual device its self its mostly in the cloud.

Willie Nicol:  So I am guessing is you decide what you want your device to do for you, what you need it to do and choose accordingly?

David Logan: Yes, yip so it is like when somebody comes to me and they want  a new laptop, a new device I sit down with them it doesn’t matter if it is a business or a family or friend I say what do you want this device to be used for and from there we can decide if it is a laptop, is it a computer, is it a Chromebook, is it a tablet even or is it something or maybe if that person is kind of cash rich and they are happy to go with Apple devices. I am not saying Apple devices are for cash rich people but some, it is almost like a, not a trend but you have got Apple lovers out there that prefer to go for Apple devices. I being IT geek don’t go that route I prefer to stick with Linux or Microsoft Windows.

Willie Nicol?: Yes I can concur about the Apple my wife is an apple fanatic and yes I do know how much they cost. Me not so much as I don’t find them as user friendly as Windows and my own PC and what not however that has covered that David have you got anything else to add?

David Logan: What we can do going back to the original question where you were asking can you run Windows on a Chromebook device? You can probably do it through the remote desktop tool on Chrome it is where you are actually connecting from your Chromebook onto a physical Microsoft computer.

Willie Nicol: Ahh

David Logan: So that is one way of doing it so it is like another window within the Chromebook then you have got the full functionality now you can have it on a physical machine or what you can do is by hosting space in the cloud, they have got a virtual machine there and you can use the remote tool to go on to that system and its Windows power by Windows, everything is there in Windows cloud based again.

Willie Nicol: Well you mentioned earlier before we came on that if you do not have a good enough internet connection you cannot access the cloud and you are effectively snookered.

David Logan: Very true that is the one good question you need to ask when you have got people there will you have internet access on your travels?

David Logan: Now if you are like a backpacker I am thinking, I am thinking here out of the top of my head here. So a backpacker and I am imagining some of us in the back areas of Australia do not have internet access although I do know Bezos and Amazon guys and all of these milionaires out there. It is covered you have got 4G covered even in the back wood here, back of Lockerbie it is totally dead it does not matter what mobile network you are on you get no signal.

Willie Nicol: Yes quite so I have experienced that also however I think we are coming towards the end of our time.

Willie Nicol: Thank you very much David for explaining that can you put Microsoft Windows in a Chromebook basically no however unless you know how to.

Willie Nicol: So, thanks again David and all that remains for me to say is to the viewer I hope that was useful for you and to remember to stay safe, stay well and have some fun. Goodbye for now.

David Logan: To the viewer thank you for listening thank you for following now you can find any of our videos on the internet go into google or whatever search engine you use. That is a good question Willie, what is a search engine? And type in the Techno Dinosaur meets the IT Geek, you will see us on YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter and we have got a website they are all interlinked. As Willie says have fun, stay safe, catch you next week everybody.