ChromeOS Flex: Make an Old Laptop a Chromebook

Google's free ChromeOS Flex turns a slow 10-year-old laptop into a fast, safe browsing machine. Here is how to install it in about 45 minutes.

6 min read · 10 steps · Checked July 2026

1. Step 1. Check whether your laptop is officially supported

   Go to chromeos.google/products/chromeos-flex/certified-models on any computer. The page lists every officially tested laptop. Search by brand and model. If your model is listed, ChromeOS Flex is guaranteed to work. If not, it may still work. Google supports the install on almost any x86-64 laptop with 4 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage made after 2010. Chromebooks themselves cannot install ChromeOS Flex (they already run ChromeOS).

   Warning

   ChromeOS Flex does not run Microsoft Word, Excel, iTunes, Photoshop, or any Windows-only program. It runs websites and Chrome apps only. If you need Word installed locally, ChromeOS Flex is not for you — use Windows 11 or buy a new PC instead.

2. Step 2. Back up anything on the laptop first

   Installing ChromeOS Flex erases everything on the laptop hard drive. Before you start, copy any photos, documents, or files you want to keep to: an external USB drive, a cloud service like Google Drive or OneDrive, or another PC. Once installation begins, there is no undo. Check your Documents, Pictures, Desktop, Downloads, and any custom folders you created.

   Quick Tip

   Quick Tip: If you cannot boot into Windows anymore because it is too slow, you can still copy files off — insert a USB drive, wait 60 seconds, drag and drop what you need, eject, and only then install ChromeOS Flex.

3. Step 3. Get a USB stick — 8 GB or bigger

   You need a USB drive to install ChromeOS Flex. Any USB stick 8 GB or larger will work. USB 3.0 (blue plug) is faster than USB 2.0 (black plug), but either works. The USB will be erased during setup, so make sure you copy anything on it first. If you do not have one, an 8 GB USB drive is about $6 at Walmart, Best Buy, or Amazon.

4. Step 4. Install the Chromebook Recovery Utility on another computer

   You need a working computer (any Windows, Mac, or Chromebook) to make the installer USB. Open the Chrome browser. Go to chrome.google.com/webstore. Search "Chromebook Recovery Utility." Click Add to Chrome. When installation finishes, click the puzzle icon in the top-right of Chrome and click Chromebook Recovery Utility to launch it.

5. Step 5. Build the ChromeOS Flex USB

   In the Chromebook Recovery Utility: click Get started. Click Select a model from a list. Manufacturer: choose Google ChromeOS Flex. Product: choose ChromeOS Flex. Click Continue. Insert the USB drive. Select it from the dropdown. Click Continue > Create now. The utility downloads about 3 GB and writes it to the USB. Takes 15 to 30 minutes depending on internet speed and USB speed. When it says "Success," remove the USB.

6. Step 6. Boot the old laptop from the USB

   Plug the USB into the old laptop. Turn the laptop off. Turn it back on and right away press the boot-menu key repeatedly — the key varies by brand: Dell = F12, HP = F9, Lenovo = F12, Toshiba = F12, Asus = Esc, Acer = F12. If none of those work, look up "boot menu key" and your laptop brand. When the boot menu appears, use the arrow keys to select the USB drive (may show up as "UEFI USB" or by the USB brand name). Press Enter.

   Quick Tip

   Quick Tip: If the boot-menu key does not work, you may need to enter the BIOS (press Delete, F2, or F10 at startup) and change the boot order to try USB first. Google "how to boot from USB" + your laptop brand for step-by-step help.

7. Step 7. Try ChromeOS Flex without installing first

   The USB boots into a "try first" mode. You can browse, sign in to Google, and test everything — WiFi, sound, keyboard, trackpad — without erasing Windows. Spend 15 minutes making sure everything works before you install. If sound does not work, WiFi does not work, or the screen flickers badly, do not install. ChromeOS Flex is not compatible with this laptop.

8. Step 8. Install ChromeOS Flex over Windows

   If the try-first test went well, click the clock/battery area at the bottom-right corner. Click Install CloudReady 2.0 or Install ChromeOS Flex. Confirm you want to erase the drive. Type "install" if prompted. The install takes about 15 to 20 minutes. When it says complete, remove the USB and restart. On first boot, sign in with your Google account. Set a strong PIN or password. You are done.

   Warning

   Do NOT interrupt the installation. If the power goes out mid-install, the laptop will not boot. Plug the laptop into power for the install. Do not close the lid. Do not touch anything until it says complete.

9. Step 9. What to do first with your revived laptop

   Bookmark the sites you use every day (Gmail, YouTube, your bank, your news source). Chrome asks if you want to sync — say yes, and any bookmarks from your other devices come over. Install Chrome extensions from the Chrome Web Store. Set your background: right-click the desktop > Set wallpaper. Adjust text size if the screen feels small: Ctrl and + zooms in on any page.

10. Step 10. How long support lasts and what to do when it ends

    Google supports each ChromeOS Flex install for at least 5 years of automatic updates. After that, the laptop will keep working but will stop getting security updates. When that happens, either switch to a browsing-only Linux distribution or retire the laptop. For most seniors, a 15-year-old laptop that has already had 5 free extra years is a good result — recycle it and buy a real Chromebook for $200.