Want to try ChromeOS in VirtualBox? Whether you’re considering buying a Chromebook or want to get an operating system experience, or you’re eager to learn about ChromeOS, a virtual machine is a great way to try Google’s browser-first OS .
Unfortunately, Google does not offer downloads of ChromeOS – at least, not in a form that is easy to use with a virtual machine. The popular ChromeOS builds introduced by Hexah seem to have disappeared, too. Even the CloudReady version of Neverware has limitations.
That said, your choice to run ChromeOS in a virtual machine is extremely narrow. Here’s how to run an old ChromeOS build of Neverware in VirtualBox. If you want something new, the company offers a build for VMware ESXi 6.5, Workstation 14.1.1 and Fusion 10.1.
what you need
The latest version of the CloudReady ChromeOS image, v83, does not work with VirtualBox due to “graphics inconsistencies”. You will need to search and download the old version listed below, as Neverware does not offer this file. For VirtualBox, the latest version works fine.
Before installing VirtualBox
VirtualBox does not work when specific features are installed in Windows 10. If an error appears while trying to load a Chromos image, do the following:
Phase 1: Type “turn” in the search field on the taskbar, and select turn Windows features on or off In the results.
Phase 2: A pop-up window appears on the screen. The following features should be disabled (though double check the access you are losing before doing so):
- Application Guard – Enterprise-defined untrusted sites distinguish.
- Credential Guard – Virtualization-based security that privileges system software for secrets only.
- Device Guard – Enables Hyper-V components.
- <कोई> * Guard
- Container – System-level virtualization for running many different applications.
- Hyper-V – The host runs a 64-bit virtual machine on the OS.
- Virtual Machine Platform – Components for running virtual machines.
- Windows hypervisor platform – Adds an extended user-mode API for third-party virtualization stack and applications.
- Windows Sandbox – A virtual, disposable environment.
- Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) – A compatibility layer for running Linux binary executables.
Note: The features listed above are related to virtualization and are not included in Windows 10 Home. If you do not plan to use VirtualBox outside of the ChromeOS test drive, re-enable these features.
step 3: Restart Windows 10
If the ChromeOS image still fails to load, try the following:
Phase 1: Right click on Start Button, and select Windows PowerShell (Administration) On Power user menu.
Phase 2: Type: bcdedit / set hypervisorlaunchtype closed
step 3: Shut down the PC, and then restart – just don’t click “Restart”.
Run ChromeOS in VirtualBox
Phase 1: Open with VirtualBox, click The file In the top-left corner, then Import tool On the drop-down menu.
Phase 2: Near to The file Field, click The folder In the top right icon, locate the CloudReady_Free_x64_Virtualbox.ova file on your PC and then click open switch.
step 3: The OVA file appears in the file field. Click ahead To continue.
step 4: Leave all the default device settings alone, and click Import Button to continue. A pop-up appears as VirtualBox creates a ChromeOS virtual machine.
Step 5: On the main VirtualBox Manager panel, select CloudReady_Free_x86 Virtual Machine, and then click on green Start switch.
Step 6: The CloudReady logo appears for a moment until the install panel is loaded. Select the language, keyboard layout and network connection and then click Continue when ready.
Step 7: The terms Adobe Flash EULA appear. Press not now switch.
Step 8: Enter your Google Account email or phone, and click ahead switch.
Step 9: Enter your Google Account password, and click ahead switch.
Note: You can also choose Browse as a guestHowever, you will see more of ChromeOS using a Google account.
Step 10: Verify two-step authentication if necessary.
Welcome to ChromeOS
With ChromeOS loaded, you can get a general idea of what to expect. This build does not reflect the latest version, as the entire interface looks different. Some web-based apps linked to your account may appear at the bottom, but that’s about it. This build does not ship with wallpaper, so we downloaded one using the Chrome browser.
In the new build, apps are locked into a “tray” that is accessible by clicking Launcher Icon. In this old build, click Magnifying lens In the bottom-left corner, and an old-school pop-up window appears with all your web-based apps. Since this build does not support (or include) Google Play, Android applications cannot be downloaded and installed.
Click on your icon next to the system clock, then Adjustment To change wallpaper, mouse speed, default download location, Google Cloud Print and more.
While there doesn’t appear to be any means to change the output resolution to better complement your PC’s desktop, you can switch between three modes – fullscreen, seamless, or scaled – or the Chromos desktop by 125% Select the percentage to scale to 300%.
Click as shown above opinion On the menu bar of the virtual machine and select one of the three modes, or click Virtual screen 1 And select a specific percentage.
try before you buy
At this point, running ChromeOS in a virtual machine using only the links above provides a sample. Unfortunately, the current CloudReady image does not support VirtualBox. Furthermore, it also does not run in VMware Workstation Player 15.5 – it only works in VMware ESXi 6.5, Workstation 14.1.1 and Fusion 10.1.
Said that, if you want to sample ChromeOS, just go to Best Buy or a similar retail outlet that sells Chromebooks. Otherwise, the experiment with ChromeOS in VirtualBox is extremely limited until another image arrives with the new ChromeOS version.
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