We already have a tutorial on how to install Windows 10 on a Chromebook, but users want to upgrade to Windows 11, the latest operating system from Microsoft. There are several Chromebook emulators that can help you run Windows 11 on a Chromebook, and we’ll discuss one of the easiest ones in this guide. We are going to use QEMU to show you how to install Windows 11 on your Chromebook. But keep in mind that it requires powerful hardware to run the virtual machine. In case you only want to run Windows programs or games, I would suggest configuring Wine to run Windows applications on a Chromebook instead of a full Windows VM. With that said, follow our guide to installing and using Windows 11 on your Chromebook.
Install Windows 11 on Chromebook: Step by Step Guide (2023)
In this tutorial, we’ve included all the requirements you need to meet to install Windows 11 on a Chromebook. Also, we have added detailed instructions on how to create a Windows 11 VM and fix any errors along the way.
Prerequisites to run Windows 11 on a Chromebook
1. In order to install Windows 11 on a Chromebook, you must have a powerful Chromebook, preferably with a 64-bit Intel or AMD processor. Also, you must have at least 128 GB of storage and 8 GB of RAM.
2. For best performance, your Chromebook must support KVM (Kernel-Based Virtual Machine). If your Chromebook comes with an 11th generation or newer Intel processor, KVM support is already enabled. You can find out how to check for KVM support on your Chromebook in this guide below.
3. Linux support is an absolute must on your Chromebook. Since Windows 11 has a storage requirement of 64 GB, you should allocate about 80 GB of space to the Linux partition. Depending on the administrator, Linux compatibility may vary on the school-issued Chromebook.
4. Finally, you will need the Windows 11 ISO file to set up the virtual environment. Download a fresh copy of the Windows 11 ISO by following our linked guide.
Configure QEMU and Virtual Machine Manager
1. I am assuming that you have already enabled Linux on your Chromebook. If not, follow our guide linked here and set up Linux right away. Be sure to allocate 80 GB or more of storage space to the Linux partition.
2. Next, go to the Linux applications folder in the Application Launcher and open Terminal.
3. After that, run the following command to update all the packages and dependencies.
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
4. Then run the following command to install QEMU and Virtual Machine Manager.
sudo apt install qemu-kvm libvirt-clients libvirt-daemon-system bridge-utils virtinst libvirt-daemon virt-manager -y
5. Once you are done, open the Application Launcher and start “Virtual Machine Manager” from the Linux Applications folder.
6. Now, move the Windows 11 ISO you downloaded earlier to the “Linux Files” section using the Files app.
Install Windows 11 on your Chromebook
Once you’ve got QEMU and Virtual Machine Manager set up, it’s time to install Windows 11 on your Chromebook. Follow the steps below to create a Windows 11 virtual machine on your Chromebook:
1. In the Virtual Machine Manager, click the “Create” button.
2. Here, choose “Local Installation Media” and click “Forward”. If your Chromebook doesn’t support KVM, you’ll see a warning at the top. Without KVM support, performance will be pretty bad.
3. On the next page, click “Browse”.
4. A new window will open. Here, click on “Browse Local”.
5. Now, select the Windows 11 ISO and click “Open”.
6. The software will automatically detect the operating system as Windows 10. That’s not a problem and you can ignore it. Click “Forward”.
7. On the next page, keep the memory 4096 (4 GB) and increase the CPU cores to 4. Again, if you have a powerful CPU with more cores and RAM, allocate more RAM and CPU cores for better performance.
8. On the next page, allocate at least 65 GB of disk space for Windows 11. If you have more space, you can allocate it according to your preferences.
9. Then rename the virtual machine to “Win11” or “Windows 11” and click “Finish”.
10. You may see a pop-up window saying “Virtual network is not active”. Click “Yes” to continue.
Note: If you get an error such as “Unable to configure XATTR as trusted…”, please proceed to the next section of this article for a solution.
11. Finally, Windows 11 will start on your Chromebook. Now, you can continue with the installation and use Windows 11 without any problem.
12. To exit the Windows 11 VM cursor to the Chrome OS environment, press the “overview” button on the top row of the keyboard (usually above the “5” key).
Are you facing “Unable to configure XATTR Trusted” error on Chromebook? Here is the solution!
If you get an error like “Unable to complete installation: ‘Unable to configure XATTR trusted.libvirt.security.dac…” while setting up the Windows 11 VM on your Chromebook, don’t worry. You need to make a few changes and it will work just fine. These are the steps to follow.
1. Open Terminal and run the following command to edit the “qemu.conf” file.
sudo nano /etc/libvirt/qemu.conf
2. This will open the nano editor in Terminal. Now add the following lines at the top. Please note that you can only use your keyboard in this editor.
user=”root” group=”root” remember_owner=0
3. Now, press “Ctrl + O” and press Enter to save the changes in the nano editor. After that, press “Ctrl + X” to exit the nano editor.
4. Finally, go ahead and follow the above steps. Installing Windows 11 VM will definitely work. In case it doesn’t work, we suggest you restart your Chromebook and try again.
How to shut down and remove Windows 11 virtual machine on Chromebook
1. If you are not satisfied with the performance and want to shutdown the Windows 11 VM, please click the “arrow” icon and select “Shutdown”. If the virtual machine is not responding, choose “Force Shutdown”.
2. If you want to completely remove Windows 11 from your Chromebook and free up some space, first shut down the VM and then open Virtual Machine Manager. Now, right click on it and select “Delete”. Don’t worry, this won’t delete anything on your Chromebook since the VM is isolated from the rest of the system.
3. On the next page, make sure the destination “sda” is checked and then click “Delete”. Within a few seconds, the Windows 11 VM will be deleted and its storage will be freed up. You can also choose to remove the Windows 11 ISO along with it.
Install and use Windows 11 on Chromebook
This is how you can install and use Windows 11 on a Chromebook. As mentioned above, you need powerful hardware to run Windows 11 on a Chromebook. Otherwise, the performance will be mediocre and you won’t be able to do anything productive. Anyway, that’s all from us. If you want to try Chrome OS Flex on other computers, follow our guide and learn how to install Chrome OS Flex on Windows PCs. And to find the best Chromebook apps that will serve as alternatives to popular Windows apps, head over to our detailed list. Finally, if you face any issues, please let us know in the comments section below.