How to run windows software on a chromebook

Posted on August 25, 2016 , by Jim Mendenhall
Tags: Chromebooks, Chrome OS, Chromebook FAQ

Short Answer:

No. Chromebooks come with Google’s Chrome OS, not Windows or MacOS. Windows applications are not supported by Google on Chromebooks.

Long Answer:

If you really need to run a specific Windows app on a Chromebook, there are ways you can do it (for some, but not all applications). Of course, this will only work on INTEL-BASED CHROMEBOOKS! However, all of the current methods for installing Windows apps require more than basic technical skills and putting your Chromebook into Developer Mode.

One way to run Windows apps on a Chromebook is to install Ubuntu via Cruton and then use Wine or CrossOver Linux to install your Windows apps. Quite a few applications, such as Microsoft Office (2007, 2010, 2013) and Steam will work with this method.

Another way to install Windows apps is with CrossOver Android. This is still very much a software PREVIEW, but if you happen to have an Intel-based Chromebook that supports Android apps, then you might want to give it a try.

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Can’t live without a particular Windows program? Here’s the trick for running it on your Chromebook.

For many users, cloud-based Chromebooks offer a great mix of simplicity and affordability, free of some of the hassles associated with Windows PCs. But of course there’s a downside to that: Google’s operating system doesn’t run Windows software.

If you occasionally find that to be a problem, particularly when you’re out and about, there’s a solution. Chromebooks can access Windows apps, and in fact can run Windows proper — after a fashion. (Pro tip: This works with Mac and Linux systems as well, but for purposes of this tutorial, the focus is on Windows.)

Pass the remote

No, you don’t need some kind of special emulator. Instead, the key to this operation is remote access: using your Chromebook to connect to a PC that’s running Windows — your desktop back home, for example, or the work laptop you left on in your office.

Run a high-end video editor like Cyberlink PowerDirector 14 on a Chromebook? It can be done, provided you’ve got a Windows PC at the other end.

If you’ve never tried this, it may sound odd — but it works quite well. The Windows PC runs a remote-connectivity app that stays active while you’re away; the Chromebook connects to that app and accesses the remote Windows desktop inside your browser, where you can run programs, update settings or whatever. For all intents and purposes, it’s like you’re sitting in front of your Windows machine — while you’re in front of your Chromebook.

Getting started

There are many remote-access tools that make this possible, but the best place to start is with Google’s own Chrome Remote Desktop. It’s free, easy to set up and effective.

Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET

To get started, fire up your Windows PC and install Chrome Remote Desktop (hereafter “CRD”). Once you get to the main setup screen, you’ll see two options: Remote Assistance and My Computers. Click the Get started button in the latter section, then click Enable remote connections. Agree to install the CRD Host Installer. (Once it’s downloaded, you’ll need to manually launch the installer.)

Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET

Next, you’ll need to choose a security PIN for that host PC. It needs to be numeric and at least six digits. Once that’s done, just make sure to leave your Windows PC running, and to tweak the power settings so it doesn’t go into standby mode after a period of inactivity. Although some remote-access tools can remotely waken a sleeping PC, CRD isn’t one of them.

Making the connection

For this to work, your Chromebook needs to be signed into the same Google account as your desktop. Once again, head to the Chrome Web Store to access CRD — though it should already be installed as part of your Google accounts keeping in sync. You just need to click Launch app.

Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET

Once again, click Get started in the My Computers section. You should see your desktop listed there; click it, then enter your PIN. To save time in the future, click the check box that prevents you having to enter the PIN every single time. Then click Connect.

And that’s it! Now you should see the Windows desktop in your browser. Your mouse and keyboard will work as always within the confines of that browser window.

What to expect when you’re connecting

There are a few things you should know about remote connections like this:

• For best results, enlarge the browser to full-screen. If you need to return to Chrome, mouse over the little gray bar in the upper-right corner and minimize the window or exit full-screen mode.
• The speed of your internet connections — both the Chromebook’s and the Windows PC’s — will determine how fluidly the remote desktop behaves. A slow connection will result in slow screen updates.
• Speaking of speed, this might not be the best option for things like streaming video or playing games, though such tasks are possible if the connections are good. Note, however, that anything involving audio (like listening to an iTunes playlist) will be heard not just on the remote Chromebook, but also on the desktop. You might want to mute the latter’s speakers before leaving.
• Owing to differences in screen resolution, what you see on your Chromebook might look a little grainy. If you want a clearer image, click the aforementioned menu bar, choose Options, then disable Shrink to fit. That will likely require you to scroll around the virtual desktop, but you’ll see the much sharper native resolution of your Chromebook.
• If you’re hoping for a direct way to transfer files, there isn’t one — but you can use something like Google Drive, same as you would if you weren’t remotely connected. Cloud-syncing is your friend.

If you’ve found another Chromebook-to-Windows remote-access solution you like better, talk it up in the comments!

Buying a Chromebook laptop is now a new trend to cruise with Google’s Chrome OS powering the opensource laptops project. But, the only ugly side of Chromebooks is that you can’t directly run Windows apps on them, this means you have to depend on Linux repositories to get viable alternatives

Interestingly you don’t have to run Windows apps as a must since various alternatives are optimized for Chromebooks. For Instance, Apps like Firefox can be run directly since they support Chrome OS, while other developers limited their app’s usage to the Windows shell

It’s through this fashion that you need to Install WINE as the best solution to help you install almost all Windows apps/software on your Chromebook and here is how you can run the fully installed Windows apps.

What you need to know about WINE

WINE is a 3rd party Linux application that was built by the open-source community to allow users continue to have a taste of the Windows shell without dual-booting. The application runs virtual Windows drives on your Linux computer without any fatal changes on your hard drive

You can think of WINE as a convenient version of emulators like Virtual Box except that it only allows you to install the Windows apps and not the full operating system. To Install the App you need to have root (super user) permissions through the ChromeOS terminal.

How to Install WINE

• First, refresh the computer by running the update command to fetch new repositories and ensure update of existing packages

• Then, Open Terminal (Command-line Interface, shortcut Ctrl + Alt + T), type Sudo su (for root permissions), type your password, then type apt-get install wine to begin the installation process or simply use the keyword Sudo in front of your command

The Wine Installation command PHOTO: Beebom

• Now that Wine is Installed, you might want to add 32bit support in order to support both legacy and modern Windows apps. To do this, simply run:

DONE: You just Installed Wine on your Chromebook, next up is to install and run windows applications on your Chromebook pc

Installing and using Windows apps on your Chromebook

Now that you just Installed Wine, what you need to do is download Windows Apps for installation on your Chromebook. You could start with a download manager like IDM or Microsoft’s Paint App.

Better way, if you already have setup files .exe from a Windows computers, then all you have to do is open your .exe files with Wine to Install the software to be run on your Chromebook. Nonetheless, here is how you can open your Windows installation files with Wine.

• Right click your Windows .exe file and choose open with Wine or simply open the file to be grabbed automatically by Wine

• Once opened, Install your software the same way you would on a Windows computer
• Incase you have trouble on how to Install Windows software and Apps, then read our quick guide on Windows installation
• DONE: Your Installed Windows program will now work on your Chromebook each time you open it

IDM Open on a Chromebook

By default, Wine creates shortcuts of Installed Windows applications on your Chromebook or Linux pc. But if it doesn’t then you need to locate the Wine directory from the directory below and create a manual shortcut from the program files

That’s all you will enjoy almost all Windows Apps on your Chromebook or Linux computer with ease. We’ve tested the methods before by using Kali Linux and all popular applications could run with the emulator. Another tool you may choose to play with apart from Wine would be ” Play with Linux)

Otherwise, we shall be publishing Linux tech guides on how you can run various applications and tweaks on your Chromebook or Linux computer in our next series of guides.

Last Updated: July 7, 2020

The main benefit of a Chromebook is that it runs Chrome OS and requires less powerful hardware than Mac or Windows. It’s light, fast and ideal for light work, browsing, emails and keeping in touch with people. It is not designed for games or for running other operating systems but you can get a Chromebook to run Windows 10 if you really want to.

Now that Project Campfire is officially dead, you will no longer be officially able to dual boot Chrome OS with Windows 10. If you want to continue using Windows, you’re going to have to do it yourself.

The Chromebook isn’t designed to run Windows 10. It won’t perform as fast as a more powerful PC or laptop and may have compatibility issues with some programs. Aside from that, you can have Windows 10 up and running on a Chromebook within a couple of hours.

Run Windows 10 on a Chromebook

Before you begin, have a good think about whether running Windows instead of Chrome OS is going to add anything to your experience. Most apps and programs have Chrome or web-based alternatives and the Chromebook is not the most powerful of devices. You can get it working but it isn’t exactly going to fly.

Plus, to install Windows, you’re going to need to modify the UEFI and use some hacks to get it working. It is possible and it shouldn’t brick your laptop but it is an involved process. If you’re still willing, let’s get started.

First, a caveat. Not all Chromebooks will play nicely with Windows 10. If you’re not sure, check out this website. It has a list of many major Chromebook manufacturers and models and will give you a good idea of whether it will work on yours or not. You will need an SSD with more than 16GB free so you can install Windows 10. You will also need two USB sticks of at least 8Gb each and you will need to remove the write protection screw if your Chromebook has one.

If your Chromebook has a write protect screw or switch, the website linked above will tell you. If that’s the case, you will need to access it to disable it. If yours isn’t listed, perform an internet search to find the screw or switch. There are so many makes of Chromebook that it is impossible to list all the types here.

1. Turn off your Chromebook and plug it into the mains.
2. Unscrew the bottom case of your Chromebook to access the motherboard.
3. Located the write protection screw and remove it. If it’s a switch, flip it.
4. Replace the casing of your Chromebook and secure it.

Now you should be able to perform full modifications to your Chromebook. We will need to enter Developer Mode in order to make full use of the hardware. You will need two USB drives of at least 8GB for this to work. One for the backup and one for the Windows 10 ISO.

1. Hold down the Escape key and F3 and press the power button on your Chromebook. You should see a boot screen telling you Chrome OS is missing or damaged.
2. Press Ctrl + D and then Enter to boot into Developer Mode.
3. Boot your Chromebook once more and press Ctrl + Alt + T to open a terminal window.
4. Type ‘shell’ into the window and hit Enter.
5. Paste ‘cd

; curl -L -O sudo bash firmware-util.sh’ into the shell window and hit Enter. It loads a file from tech which is the main resource for this process.

Once completed, you will need to install drivers. This needs a hack.

1. Right click the Windows Start button and select Command Prompt (Admin).
2. Type ‘bcdedit -set testsigning on’ and hit Enter.
3. Install your hardware drivers from the manufacturer’s website. Remember to choose Windows drivers this time. Ignore the security warnings Windows will show.
4. Reboot your Chromebook without the USB drive inserted.

Your Chromebook should now boot into Windows 10 like any other PC!

Want to turn any old computer into a Chromebook? Google doesn’t provide official builds of Chrome OS for anything but official Chromebooks, but there are ways you can install the open-source Chromium OS software or a similar operating system.

These are all easy to play with, so you can run them entirely from a USB drive to try them out. Installing them on your computer is optional.

Should You Really Do This?

The Chrome OS software is made for Chromebooks. Chromebooks are designed to be simple, lightweight, and get updates directly from Google. Chromebooks aren’t just about Chrome OS—they’re about the total package of a computer with a simple operating system. It’s also possible that not all your computer’s hardware will work perfectly with the below operating systems, while Chromebook hardware will definitely work perfectly with Chrome OS.

But you may want to get a browser-focused operating system on some old PC hardware you have running around—perhaps it used to run Windows XP and you’d rather have a more secure environment. Here are some ways you can do this.

Chromium OS (or Neverware CloudReady)

Google’s Chrome OS is built on an open-source project named Chromium OS. Google doesn’t offer builds of Chromium OS you can install yourself, but Neverware is a company that takes this open-source code and creates Neverware CloudReady. CloudReady is basically just Chromium OS with a few additional management features and mainstream hardware support, and Neverware sells it directly to schools and businesses that want to run Chrome OS on their existing PCs.

Neverware also offers a free version of CloudReady for home users. It’s basically just Chromium OS modified to work on existing PCs. As it’s Chromium OS-based, you won’t get a few extra features Google adds to Chrome OS, like the ability to run Android apps. Certain multimedia and DRM features may also not work on some websites.

While this isn’t the official version of Chrome OS produced by Google, it’s better and more well-supported than previous solutions created by enthusiasts. It even automatically updates to the newest builds of CloudReady offered by Neverware, although these tend to lag behind the latest versions of Chrome OS as Neverware has to customize them.

Neverware maintains a list of officially supported devices that have been certified to run with CloudReady. It doesn’t matter if your computer doesn’t appear on this list—there’s a good chance it will work alright, too. But there’s no guarantee everything will work perfectly, as there is with a Chromebook designed for Chrome OS.

You’ll probably want to try Neverware CloudReady before installing it on a computer. All you need is either an 8 GB or 16 GB USB drive and an existing computer with Google Chrome installed. Follow our guide to creating a CloudReady USB drive and booting it in a live environment.

Give Neverware a try and, if you like it and it works well on your computer, you can install it on your computer by booting it up, clicking the tray at the bottom-right corner of the screen, and selecting “install CloudReady”. Consult the official Neverware CloudReady installation guide for more details.

Alternatively: Try a Lightweight Linux Desktop

Google officially supports Chrome on Linux. Any lightweight Linux distribution can work well, providing a minimal desktop where you can run Chrome—or another browser, like Firefox. Rather than attempting to install the open source version of Chrome OS or a Linux distribution designed to look like Chrome OS, you can just install a Linux distribution with a lightweight desktop environment—or any desktop environment, really—and use Chrome on that.

For example, Lubuntu is a great option if you’re looking for a lightweight Linux desktop that will run well on an older computer. However, any desktop will work. Consult our guide to the best Linux distributions for beginners to choose one that works for you.

Linux distributions make a great choice if you’re just looking for a basic desktop environment to browse on. They’re also a great way to upgrade any old computers you have that may be running Windows XP or Windows Vista, giving them a modern operating system with security updates and an up-to-date browser for free. You can even watch Netflix in Chrome on Linux now. There are no dirty hacks required—it just works.

Once you’ve chosen a Linux distribution, it’s as easy to try as Neverware CloudReady. Create a bootable USB drive for your Linux distribution, boot from that USB drive, and you can try the Linux environment without tampering with your computer’s software. If you decide you want to install it on your computer, you can do that right from the live environment.

Note that you may need to disable Secure Boot to boot some Linux distributions on modern PCs.

Of course, there’s no turning any old computer into a Chromebook. They won’t get Chrome OS updates straight from Google, and they won’t be optimized to boot as quickly. If you’re using a laptop, that laptop won’t necessarily offer the battery life a Chromebook does, either. But these are the best ways to approximate the experience, if you’re looking for something similar.

Earlier this month, Google announced a partnership with Parallels that will bring a software solution for Windows apps on Chromebooks. Details were sparse at the time but thanks to The Verge’s interview with Cyrus Mistry, group product manager for Chrome OS, there’s more information.

At first, Parallels Desktop will run inside Chrome OS with a full Windows 10 experience, and eventually, just the Windows apps you want or need could be available. Image courtesy The Verge

This differs from how Linux apps run on Chromebooks, which run in a containers within a virtual machine created by Google for security purposes. There doesn’t appear to be a container involved in the Parallels solution, just a pure VM. That could help performance by removing one of the two layers found in the Chrome OS Linux implementation, while also maintaining the security of Chrome OS.

Indeed, this approach doesn’t compromise security, one of three pillars to Chrome OS (speed and simplicity are the other two), per Mistry:

This should provide companies with the best of both worlds. It’s exactly what they’ve been wanting, a really easy to manage, secure endpoint.

As far as target audiences for Windows apps on Chromebooks, it doesn’t appear that consumers are one of them; at least not initially.

Mistry told The Verge that Parallels Desktop can be bundled with Chrome Enterprise devices, for example. Resellers will be able to bundle Parallels Desktop with Chromebook Enterprise devices, and IT administrators will be able to easily enable access to Parallels for Chromebooks that are enrolled with the Chrome Enterprise Upgrade. That doesn’t mean everyday consumers won’t ever get the ability to run Windows apps if needed on a Chromebook but don’t expect availability on day one.

And that might be a good thing, particularly for consumers with entry-level or even some mid-range devices. While no hardware requirements for the Parallels Desktop solution have been announced, Mistry says you need a Chromebook “for power usage”. I’d say Core i5, or perhaps an i3, in your Chromebook and at least 8 GB of memory.

There will be some hooks between Windows files in Chrome OS and Parallels Desktop from the sounds of it, similar to how you can download a Linux installation file in Chrome OS and then install it within the Linux container. If you download a Word document to the Chrome OS Files app, for example, double-clicking it may boot up Windows in the Parallels VM and open Word. The less friction here the better, in my opinion.

Lastly, this has me thinking of the Windows 10X talk from last week. I noted that those saying it would be a true competitor to Chromebooks were missing a few points, the main one being if Windows 10X won’t run desktop Windows apps at launch, why would anyone buy it instead of a proven platform like Chrome OS? Microsoft does plan to support Windows desktop or Win32, apps eventually on Windows X but that’s not the plan when devices launch next year.

Chromebooks, however, will have Windows desktop app support this fall, even before Windows 10X devices launch with a hobbled app environment. So the Parallels partnership brings even more of a challenge to Microsoft’s plan to combat Chromebooks, at least if both Google and Microsoft stick to their current timetables and plans.

Last Updated: July 7, 2020

The main benefit of a Chromebook is that it runs Chrome OS and requires less powerful hardware than Mac or Windows. It’s light, fast and ideal for light work, browsing, emails and keeping in touch with people. It is not designed for games or for running other operating systems but you can get a Chromebook to run Windows 10 if you really want to.

Now that Project Campfire is officially dead, you will no longer be officially able to dual boot Chrome OS with Windows 10. If you want to continue using Windows, you’re going to have to do it yourself.

The Chromebook isn’t designed to run Windows 10. It won’t perform as fast as a more powerful PC or laptop and may have compatibility issues with some programs. Aside from that, you can have Windows 10 up and running on a Chromebook within a couple of hours.

Run Windows 10 on a Chromebook

Before you begin, have a good think about whether running Windows instead of Chrome OS is going to add anything to your experience. Most apps and programs have Chrome or web-based alternatives and the Chromebook is not the most powerful of devices. You can get it working but it isn’t exactly going to fly.

Plus, to install Windows, you’re going to need to modify the UEFI and use some hacks to get it working. It is possible and it shouldn’t brick your laptop but it is an involved process. If you’re still willing, let’s get started.

First, a caveat. Not all Chromebooks will play nicely with Windows 10. If you’re not sure, check out this website. It has a list of many major Chromebook manufacturers and models and will give you a good idea of whether it will work on yours or not. You will need an SSD with more than 16GB free so you can install Windows 10. You will also need two USB sticks of at least 8Gb each and you will need to remove the write protection screw if your Chromebook has one.

If your Chromebook has a write protect screw or switch, the website linked above will tell you. If that’s the case, you will need to access it to disable it. If yours isn’t listed, perform an internet search to find the screw or switch. There are so many makes of Chromebook that it is impossible to list all the types here.

1. Turn off your Chromebook and plug it into the mains.
2. Unscrew the bottom case of your Chromebook to access the motherboard.
3. Located the write protection screw and remove it. If it’s a switch, flip it.
4. Replace the casing of your Chromebook and secure it.

Now you should be able to perform full modifications to your Chromebook. We will need to enter Developer Mode in order to make full use of the hardware. You will need two USB drives of at least 8GB for this to work. One for the backup and one for the Windows 10 ISO.

1. Hold down the Escape key and F3 and press the power button on your Chromebook. You should see a boot screen telling you Chrome OS is missing or damaged.
2. Press Ctrl + D and then Enter to boot into Developer Mode.
3. Boot your Chromebook once more and press Ctrl + Alt + T to open a terminal window.
4. Type ‘shell’ into the window and hit Enter.
5. Paste ‘cd

; curl -L -O sudo bash firmware-util.sh’ into the shell window and hit Enter. It loads a file from tech which is the main resource for this process.

Once completed, you will need to install drivers. This needs a hack.

1. Right click the Windows Start button and select Command Prompt (Admin).
2. Type ‘bcdedit -set testsigning on’ and hit Enter.
3. Install your hardware drivers from the manufacturer’s website. Remember to choose Windows drivers this time. Ignore the security warnings Windows will show.
4. Reboot your Chromebook without the USB drive inserted.

Your Chromebook should now boot into Windows 10 like any other PC!

Earlier this month, Google announced a partnership with Parallels that will bring a software solution for Windows apps on Chromebooks. Details were sparse at the time but thanks to The Verge’s interview with Cyrus Mistry, group product manager for Chrome OS, there’s more information.

At first, Parallels Desktop will run inside Chrome OS with a full Windows 10 experience, and eventually, just the Windows apps you want or need could be available. Image courtesy The Verge

This differs from how Linux apps run on Chromebooks, which run in a containers within a virtual machine created by Google for security purposes. There doesn’t appear to be a container involved in the Parallels solution, just a pure VM. That could help performance by removing one of the two layers found in the Chrome OS Linux implementation, while also maintaining the security of Chrome OS.

Indeed, this approach doesn’t compromise security, one of three pillars to Chrome OS (speed and simplicity are the other two), per Mistry:

This should provide companies with the best of both worlds. It’s exactly what they’ve been wanting, a really easy to manage, secure endpoint.

As far as target audiences for Windows apps on Chromebooks, it doesn’t appear that consumers are one of them; at least not initially.

Mistry told The Verge that Parallels Desktop can be bundled with Chrome Enterprise devices, for example. Resellers will be able to bundle Parallels Desktop with Chromebook Enterprise devices, and IT administrators will be able to easily enable access to Parallels for Chromebooks that are enrolled with the Chrome Enterprise Upgrade. That doesn’t mean everyday consumers won’t ever get the ability to run Windows apps if needed on a Chromebook but don’t expect availability on day one.

And that might be a good thing, particularly for consumers with entry-level or even some mid-range devices. While no hardware requirements for the Parallels Desktop solution have been announced, Mistry says you need a Chromebook “for power usage”. I’d say Core i5, or perhaps an i3, in your Chromebook and at least 8 GB of memory.

There will be some hooks between Windows files in Chrome OS and Parallels Desktop from the sounds of it, similar to how you can download a Linux installation file in Chrome OS and then install it within the Linux container. If you download a Word document to the Chrome OS Files app, for example, double-clicking it may boot up Windows in the Parallels VM and open Word. The less friction here the better, in my opinion.

Lastly, this has me thinking of the Windows 10X talk from last week. I noted that those saying it would be a true competitor to Chromebooks were missing a few points, the main one being if Windows 10X won’t run desktop Windows apps at launch, why would anyone buy it instead of a proven platform like Chrome OS? Microsoft does plan to support Windows desktop or Win32, apps eventually on Windows X but that’s not the plan when devices launch next year.

Chromebooks, however, will have Windows desktop app support this fall, even before Windows 10X devices launch with a hobbled app environment. So the Parallels partnership brings even more of a challenge to Microsoft’s plan to combat Chromebooks, at least if both Google and Microsoft stick to their current timetables and plans.

Kip Kniskern | March 6, 2021 January 22, 2021 | Opinion

This week, Tom Warren over at The Verge wrote that it looks like “Microsoft now has a true answer to Chrome OS.” He goes on to show off a number of features now out in the public thanks to a “leaked” version of Windows 10X, made available to adventurous users via a virtual machine image that anyone with Windows 10 Pro can install and play with.

Don’t get me wrong, Windows 10X looks to be a simple, clean and lightweight operating system, and could well be an effective “answer” to Chrome OS. The problem is that Chrome OS isn’t Microsoft’s big problem. Chromebooks, especially Chromebooks in education, are.

Let’s take a step back for a minute, and talk about the Education (Edu) market. Google introduced Chrome OS, and Acer and Samsung introduced the first Chromebooks, way back in 2011. While those first notebooks were notoriously underpowered, and didn’t do much more than connect to the internet, Chrome OS and Chromebooks have come a long way since then. While Chromebooks first took hold in business, the US education market is where they have really shined (Google has not fared so well for example in China, where Google services are blocked, making the Chromebook nearly useless, nor are Chromebooks much of a solution where internet connectivity is poor). In 2017, Chromebooks and other Google devices made up 58% of all devices purchased for US classrooms, and that number is almost certainly higher now.

Microsoft has not been quiet in Edu, pushing OneNote for Classroom, Teams, and low cost notebooks to schools to try to combat Google’s dominance. However, its attempts to create a true competitor to Chromebooks have fallen flat. Both Windows RT and Windows 10 in S Mode have done little to slow down Google’s dominance in schools. And while the education market may not be the most lucrative in terms of bottom line dollars, this is a battle for “hearts and minds.” Students of today are growing up not needing Microsoft, not needing Windows. If Google apps and services are good enough in school, they well could be good enough in the next generation of enterprise, too, and that cuts to the heart of Microsoft’s bread and butter.

So yay, Windows 10X! Well, not so fast. First, there’s the age old story, going back to the failings of Windows Phone: the lack of an app market. Windows 10X reportedly won’t ship with Win32 application support, meaning, and get this: the Electron-based Microsoft Teams app won’t run on Windows 10X (the web version, of course, does work).

Speaking of management, here’s another big (read BIG) problem for Microsoft and the classroom: Google has developed a robust, simple, and cheap solution for educators and other admins to manage Chromebooks. So in addition to cheap devices and cheap and easy to use software, Chromebooks offer a complete management solution for education at a very affordable price.

So far, Microsoft’s offerings are both more expensive and harder to use. This could change, of course, as could apps like Teams coming to Windows 10X, but we’ve heard nothing so far, with a rumored launch of Windows 10X almost upon us.

Mary Jo Foley reported on a job posting for “Cloud Powered Windows Devices,” and it’s possible that a cloud management feature could be a game changer.

“Windows 10X is the next generation Windows OS built to run on next generation form-factor devices from Microsoft and a host of other OEM partners! Our team, Cloud-Powered Windows Devices (CWD), builds innovative user experiences for category-creating hardware with mobile information workers and EDU opportunities in mind. The software we build brings life to next generation form-factor devices like the flagship Surface brand as well as competitive devices built by our close OEM partners.”

If Windows 10X is indeed the front end to a “cloud powered Windows,” able to compete with Google’s management suite and offer cloud powered software that could not only run, but be managed in the cloud, well then we might have something. That’s a big if, however.

Truthfully, most of what we know about Windows 10X and Microsoft’s plans for it have come from leaks and speculation, as the company has said little about it’s ambitions for the new clean and light OS. But if it’s slated to take on Chromebooks in education, Windows 10X looks to be in a similar position to where Windows Phone was even at its height: facing an uphill battle against already established competitors, with an ambitious but flawed operating system and an app problem.

So, while Windows 10X may be Microsoft’s “answer” to Chrome OS, in practice (and in edu), it doesn’t appear to be a Chromebook killer, and probably won’t be for some time to come.