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Google's cloud-based Chrome operating system has been transformed into an impressive computing platform, now compatible with Android applications and, more recently, Linux applications.
But what about Windows applications, you may be wondering? What happened to all rumors of Windows compatibility on the horizon? They're still around, but you do not have to wait for them to become real to start running Windows applications on your Chromebook. All you need is the Crossover application and a little time for experimentation.
Crossover is a free application (for the moment) that runs Windows programs in a virtual machine. It is easy to use and, although a full version available for Linux, also compatible with Chrome OS, is available, the Android version of Crossover is much more user-friendly. If you'd like to learn more about how new Windows applications run on your Chromebook, or if you're desperate to run a favorite application that's often used, keep reading.
What is Crossover?
Crossover is a beta application available in the Google Play Store. It's free, even though there is a giant "Trial Period" banner on the main page of the app. (Codeweavers indicates that you will soon be able to pay for the full version of Android.) The Android / Chrome OS version of the app is still very experimental, but it uses the same underlying technology as the macOS versions and Linux.
Since Crossover has had time to incubate on other platforms, its Android version is rather robust. Each Windows application launch via Crossover can run on a different version of Windows if needed, and you can even add essential components like font libraries.
It should be kept in mind that Crossover can only run 32-bit applications because of the limitations of the Chrome OS Android environment. (Crossover runs 64-bit applications on macOS and Linux.)
How to install Crossover
Before you can install Crossover from the Google Play Store, you need to make sure your Chromebook is able to manage Android apps. and is fast enough to run a virtual machine. Codeweavers suggests using the application on an Intel based Chromebook.
To make sure your device can run Android apps downloaded from the Play Store, go to your Chromebook settings menu. If everything is in order, you'll see a Google Play option with an external link to Android Chrome OS settings. If you're using a previous version of Chrome OS, you may need to turn on developer mode to access Android apps.
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How to install a Windows application using Crossover
There are two ways to install Windows applications with the help of Crossover. The first is to install an executable file through Crossover's known applications database. You can access it by using the search bar on the main page of the application. Type the name of the program you want to install and Crossover will fill the screen with the corresponding results. Some of the applications that you can search for include Microsoft Office 2006 and 2010, earlier versions of Adobe Photoshop, FileZilla and 7-Zip. (You may need to buy a key to use some of these applications.
If you can not find what you're looking for, try installing a Windows application instead using the "Install Unlisted Application" option, which allows you to point directly to an installation file. After entering the name of the application in the search bar, press the option located in the lower right corner. In the next window, select "Search for Installer" to access the installation file. Follow the installation instructions as they appear.
Once you have installed a Windows program using either method, you will be able to launch the application from the application drawer of your Chromebook or from the Crossover main landing page.
There is a third way to run Windows applications, but you should try it only if you fail with the first two. This involves creating a "shell desktop" so that you can manually run an installation file. As before, tap "Install unlisted applications" after entering a program name and then select the "Create an empty environment" option. The components needed to run a Windows application will then be installed.
A dialog window will appear as soon as the virtual environment is ready. Tap the "Start File Explorer" option from the drop-down menu, and then navigate to your device's file system to select the .exe file you want to start.
You will also want to use this method if you need to run an application on a different version of Windows. To access this setting, click the application from the Crossover main page, then select "Wine Setup" from the drop-down menu. An Applications tab appears with an option down to change the version of Windows for this application. You can choose a version of Windows as old as Windows 3.0 or you can join the rest of us at the current age with Windows 10. By default, Crossover will define the compatibility of each application based on the information contained in its database.
How to use Windows applications on Chrome OS
As mentioned, you can launch an application from the application drawer of your Chromebook or Crossover's main landing page. If an application crashes (this happens), Crossover will display a notification with a forced close option, which will help lighten the memory cache of your device.
Using Windows applications through Crossover is relatively simple, but do not set your expectations too high. Not all Windows applications work with this particular version of Crossover. I've tried to install the Windows version of Spotify and Adobe Creative Cloud, without success. Then I installed Steam, which allowed me to send a message to his friends with his chat application, even though he was often crashing because he could not load some promotional pop-ups.
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Some applications will not even allow you to install the software because it is a virtual machine. While Codeweavers offers direct access to existing programs such as Microsoft Office 2010, you still need a valid key to unlock the experience. Even if you manage to run such an application, you may need to compensate for the missing components by performing an extensive search on the Internet.
I've had some success running Windows applications on a Google Pixelbook. 7-Zip has perfectly extracted ZIP files in the Downloads folder, and I had a crush on running an old classic, Ski Free. FileZilla allowed me to access my FTP server, while Gimp was very fun to use with the Pixelbook touch screen. I've also managed to run lesser-known applications, such as Bulk Rename Utility, which has an extremely outdated interface but is effective at renaming hundreds of files in a single batch.
These examples explain why you had trouble running Windows applications on your Chromebook: to increase your productivity on Chrome OS. After all, there is not always an Android app or a Chrome extension that can do the job. And if Crossover is not the exact equivalent of running full-featured Windows applications on Chrome OS, at least it can fill a few gaps because Google continues to build its cloud operating system.
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