How to Install Chrome OS in Windows 7

By Taimur Asad | November 21st, 2009

Google unveiled Chrome OS in an event yesterday where they demonstrated the upcoming cloud-based OS for the first time in public. Source code of Chrome OS was also released which folks over at gdgt have compiled in a ready-to-install .vmdk file. All you need now is a system running Windows, Linux or OS X with any of the virtualization software like VMware or VirtualBox installed to get Chrome OS running within minutes.

Chrome OS on Windows 7 Chrome OS VM running under Windows 7. Click here to see the image in high resolution.

The following guide will help you install and run Google Chrome OS in VirtualBox under Windows 7. VMware Workstation can also be used to install and run Chrome OS VM in Windows 7.

Step 1: Download and install the latest version of VirtualBox for Windows 7. (download link is given below)

Step 2: Download .vmdk file for Google Chrome OS. (download link is given below)

Step 3: Start VirtualBox and click on “New” button. This will start a wizard that will help you create a new VM in VirtualBox.

Step 4: Name your VM “Chrome OS” and select “Linux” from Operating System dropdown menu, and “Other Linux” from Version dropdown menu.

Step 5: Assign your VM some Ram in megabytes. For this tutorial, I have allotted Chrome OS VM 512 MB of Ram.

Step 6: Now Select “use existing hard disk” option and select the .vmdk file of Chrome OS that you downloaded in Step 2.

Step 7: Click Next and finish the wizard.

That’s it! your final VM setup should look something like this:

Now simply click on the green colored “Start” button as seen in the screenshot above and wait for about 7 seconds for Chrome OS to boot up. You will need a valid Google ID to login into the operating system.

Feel free to ask me any question should you run into any problem in getting Chrome OS VM to work under Windows 7.

You can follow me on twitter or join our facebook fanpage to keep yourself updated on all the latest Google Chrome OS releases.

If you liked this, then you may also like to check out:

Download Google Chrome OS .wmdk file
Download VirtualBox for Windows 7

confused

where's virtual box? the link goes to vmware
brendan

got it running. can't for my life get the network adapter to work in windows 7. Always says not connected when trying to log in to chrome os.
Taimur Asad

i have fixed the link now 🙂
UzEE

I think you have to bridge your network connections to get it to work.
confused

thanks so much Taimur!
bietsrohit

os link not working
Pingback: Download Chrome OS VMware Image | Redmond Pie()
Pingback: Google Chrome OS Screenshots, Video Demo and Source Code | Redmond Pie()
Pingback: Tweets that mention How to Install Chrome OS in Windows 7 | Redmond Pie -- Topsy.com()
luizotvio

My network doesnt work on vitual box, I don't know how to fix it! In Another OS it's working fine.

Somebody knows how can I fix it?

I wanna try Chrome OS!
Pingback: How to Install Chrome OS in Windows 7 | Redmond Pie OShopping()
yandexoid

black screen … don't work
win7, virtualbox
Pingback: How to Install Chrome OS in Windows 7 | Redmond Pie()
Pingback: noneed.info » Blog Archive » How to Install Chrome OS in Windows 7 | Redmond Pie()
tuannv

@Brendan: I think you need a wifi connection to run Chrome OS 😐
I have the same problem too
redfoxtx

I still can't get the network adapter to work in VirtualBox & therefore can't log in.
I've tried all the listed adapters and in NAT & Bridge connection mode.
Any ideas what I'm missing?
(I'm on Win7 64bit)
Pingback: How to Install Chrome OS in Windows 7 | Redmond Pie Google Chrome()
Pingback: Download Chrome OS VMware Image | Fahad Ahmed()
gecko

Getiing 'failed to open harddisk….' ..'Cannot register harddisk' error.!
Pingback: How to Install Chrome OS in Windows 7 | Redmond Pie()
Had1

my mouse is not working in Virtual box when Chrome OS is running?
Pingback: Chrome OS disponibile per il download, solo per macchine virtuali [video] - Geekissimo()
Grizz

This is CHROMIUM OS not CHROME OS… difference… chrome is google and noone knows what it looks like yet, and chromium is free, open source, and made by different people
togrizz

For the idiots who say Chromium is not Chrome:

Chromium, is an edited, open source, version of Chrome OS. It takes part of it, to make it workable with open source programs. So, technically, it is Chrome OS, since it uses Chrome's Engine. And Chrome's Engine is pretty new.
Pingback: How to Install Chrome OS in Windows 7 » Chrome and Chrome OS()
Pingback: How to Install Chrome OS in Windows 7()
Ron

Hi. The image file link downloads a file ending in .bz2 instead of .vdmk, which then won't open in Virtual Box. Any ideas? Thanks very much!
Linuxxx

togrizz

It's the other way around, chrome is based on chromium..
sp xplorer

fake.it is not google chrome os but only chrome os under linux
Taimur Asad

this isnt fake. This is indeed the Google Chrome OS Preview Build for Developers.
vorter

you have to unzip it using winzip or 7zip etc… then youll get your virtual machine file
Ron

Thank you! Boy, do I feel silly…never saw that extension before, but I’ve been at this long enough where I shoulda thoughta that. 🙂
Pingback: Do You Want To Run Chrome OS Today? Here Are Some Resources On How To Do It : Too Geek To Be True()
tinbox134

No matter which type of network adaptor, bridge or no bridge wifi or wired It just won't work
win7-x64 on dell e4300

Help anyone ?
tinbox134

Only get to the login screen. Input the gmail account + password, keep getting network card failure.
changed to all combination just won't login.
Any help?
Jon

Chromium OS is Google way of saying this is for testing. They won't change the name to Chrome OS officially unilt they reveal the final product. The browser was and is the same way.
Jon

Yeah .bz2 is a compression formate used in linux, and you can download tools that will uncomppress it to what ever folder you want it to be in.
Jon

Try updating the drivers for the hypervisor. Or something. Maybe the setting just need to be tweaked for the vm machine to see it, and work it.
Ron

I am also unable to get any networking to work, therefore I cannot login. So far, I have not seen anyone post a clear answer on this. Taimur, I really appreciate you putting the page up. I'm curious, have you (or anyone else) been able to actually login, and, if so, how exactly did you setup networking in Virtual Box? Thanks very much!
Eng. Omran

I have the same problem here and I tried wired and wireless bridge connection sharing static IP and nothing works
still apper network not connected
Habanero Joe

works great. save file to linux box, bzip2 to extract, upload to ESX server and use as existing disk for new vm. as stated on the torrent page – use “mark” as the offline login
narg

I tried it. It's BORING!!!! Seems the OS is nothing more than the Chrome Browser plastered on top of the good 'ol Linux kernel. Nothing to see here folks, just move along.
Pingback: Google Chrome OS VMs from gdgt « vizz.info()
Phill

please, we need a CHROME OS WIZZARD SETUP for windows. EASY guys!
Phill

please, we need a CHROME OS WIZZARD SETUP for windows. EASY guys!
Stang

Is there any way to get the VirtualBox to be larger than 600×400? When I go fullscreen or adjust the window Chrome OS stays small with a huge frame around it…
Calvin

I allocated 1024MB is memory, still the Chrome OS was very slow.