![]() You can try for either the generic name of your Chromebook (“Acer Chromebook 14”), or look on the device for the specific model number (“CB3-431-C5EX”). If we don’t have a guide, you can Google (or DuckDuckGo!) for “ write protect ,” replacing that bracket with your Chromebook model. You can search iFixit to see if we’ve got a guide to removing the write-protect mechanism on your specific machine-I contributed to the guide for the 2013 Chromebook Pixel write protect screw. ![]() The write-protect screw (or sometimes a sticker, or, rarely, a jumper) is in a different location on every Chrome device. By removing this screw, we’re opening up the storage for writing CloudReady onto the device. Most Chromebooks have a special screw on their main board, one that connects to metal pieces and completes a circuit that protects the deeper parts of their firmware. You can actually do this first, if you like, but it makes sense to back up your files and make the USB installer before we tinker with hardware. Step 2: Remove Your Chromebook’s Write Protection They’re finicky, and sometimes the cheap or free ones will work when the expensive one you actually bought will not. From experience: if it seems like everything is right, but the installer just won’t work, try a different USB stick. Download the appropriate file from Neverware, then follow the instructions for making a USB stick into an installer. You can also use a Windows or Mac computer, if that’s easier. We’re going to wipe the Chromebook’s storage, twice!īefore we wipe the Chromebook, you might want to use it to create the USB stick for installing CloudReady Home Edition. Move anything you want to keep to either Google Drive or onto a USB drive. But check your Downloads folder, just in case. Generally, you won’t have too much stuff stored on your Chromebook’s tiny hard drive, and everything about your browser should be synced to your Google account. Step 1: Back Up Data and Make a CloudReady Installer ![]() You can do this even after you’ve enabled developer mode or removed the write-protect screw. Follow Google’s instructions on creating a recovery USB stick for your device, boot into recovery mode, and run the recovery stick. If at any point you hit a wall, it’s easy enough to return to a working regular Chrome OS setup. You may be able to install CloudReady with a BOOT_STUB firmware, but I’ve never done it, so you’re on your own if something gets tricky. If your device only has a checkbox for RW_Legacy, you should probably skip this procedure. Note: Before you jump in, check to see if your Chromebook is included in either of the “FULL ROM firmware” columns on this supported devices page for the Mr. Plus, it’s a pretty fun and low-risk beginner’s hardware project. When you’ve got CloudReady installed, your device will keep getting security and feature updates, just a little behind the official Chromebook channels. But it also works well on Chromebooks, since it has many of the hardware drivers baked into it. CloudReady is intended to turn old Windows and Mac computers into snappy Chromebooks for schools and businesses. When you’re done, though, your Chromebook will be running CloudReady, a virtual clone of Chrome OS. You’ll do some weird stuff with a USB drive, and you’ll have to type a couple things into a command prompt. It usually involves only a screwdriver, sometimes with some odd bits, and rarely a bit of electrical tape. Luckily, there is a solution for many Chromebooks. If you’re browsing the web, security updates are a good idea. You can keep using them beyond their official expiration, but doing so means getting regular warnings that “This device is no longer supported,” and they won’t get security or feature updates. ![]() That’s fine and good, and for the Chromebook’s first owners, that might be all they need.īut many Chromebooks work perfectly fine long beyond their official end-of-life date, especially if they were packed with relatively strong hardware when they debuted. The Brunch project, while more complicated to install and set up, may yield better results installing a generic Chrome OS on Intel or AMD-based Chromebooks.Īlso, starting with the 2018 Pixelbook, Chromebooks offer a “closed case” means of disabling writing protection, eliminating the need to open the device and physically disable write protection.įor older, pre-2018 Chrome devices, this guide may still be useful.Ĭhromebooks, the lightweight laptops focused on web browsing, receive updates to their OS for up to 6.5 years, depending on when they were built. CloudReady may not support the devices’ audio, Bluetooth, trackpad, or Wi-Fi. 2021): Since this post was first published (July 2019), we’ve learned that CloudReady (now owned by Google) can be difficult to get working on newer (2018 and later) Chrome devices.
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