Windows on a Chromebook

4

I heard that it would be possible to install Windows on a Chromebook in this blog article and I found a tutorial for installing Windows on the older model CR 48. I own the newer model Samsung Series 5 550 and want to install Windows 8.

Since the method described in the tutorial uses a custom bootloader that would not work on other models than the CR 48. But isn't it possible to install a standard BIOS as bootloader on the Chromebook to be able to install any (x86 based) operating system I want?

How can we install Windows 8 on a Chromebook of the model Samsung Series 5 550? Is this even possible?

danijar

Posted 2013-01-02T22:55:11.180

Reputation: 389

The blog you linked to didn't even claim it was possible to place Windows on the Chromebook it reviewed. InsydeH2O is a standard BIOS. I actually see no reason the same version of the BIOS couldn't be used on the Samsung Series 5 550. Only a question of drivers which are unlikely to exist. – Ramhound – 2013-01-09T18:30:18.440

@Ramhound. Nice to hear that InsydeH2O is a standard bios. So how can I get it on my chromebook? By the way the blog post reads you’d be able to install any version of Ubuntu that you want, or even Windows if you so desire. I was doing this for a while before the Chromebooks were released [...]. – danijar – 2013-01-09T18:53:12.033

The author was speaking of OTHER netbooks not Chromebooks. – Ramhound – 2013-01-09T23:47:00.923

So it might not be possible to install Windows in my chromebook at all... – danijar – 2013-01-10T08:42:18.567

Since were talking about an entirely different netbook then what the blog's author was using I would say thats a very good possability. I just pointed out that InsydeH2O is a standard BIOS based on the screenshot and the information on the InsydeH2O website. – Ramhound – 2013-01-10T12:52:40.293

1We wasted lots of time at my company messing with chromebooks, but we had to learn the hard way they're just toys... – MDT Guy – 2013-10-07T17:03:25.917

@MDTGuy I think it's a consumer product like tablets or devices running Windows RT. You can only productively work on them to some extend. Business is just not their target, or at least shouldn't. But I feel this is the wrong place for such a discussion. – danijar – 2013-10-08T11:14:02.383

Answers

3

Due to the lack of a free BIOS for the newer chromebook devices, installing Windows is currently not possible.

danijar

Posted 2013-01-02T22:55:11.180

Reputation: 389

0

I have installed InsydeH2O to both my CR-48 AND to my S.I.L.'s Samsung Series 5 550, the Samsung now dual boots Win 7 Pro 64 & Ubuntu 14.04 and has been fitted with a 120GB ssd that makes it practical as a daily use netbook. No rewriting was required to the same version of Insyde that was already running on the fishie at the time. Just make sure that the Samsung's dev mode switch is in the correct position and it flashes easily, leaving you with a machine that still costs less than their equivalent Ubuntu netbook, even allowing for the £40 cost of that larger capacity SSD. Win! ;-)

Adrian Oliçunt

Posted 2013-01-02T22:55:11.180

Reputation: 9

Asked: 2013-01-02T22:55:11.180

Viewed: 6 773 times

Active: 2016-09-22T04:47:51.547