ChromeOSFlex Extended Updates?

[talksr]

Hi guys,

I would be very grateful for some clarification on how the extended updates work for Windows devices converted to Chromebooks using ChomeOSFlex? 

As an example, if we have 30 HP Elite Desks, running Windows 10 very nicely. We know…they won’t take Windows 11, so before or after October, it would be good to convert these to Chromebooks, but I am just conscious that this would involve a lot of replacement SSDs and the OS Flex Licences, so how do we ascertain their usable life as Chromebooks? Just a bit unclear on how it works and want to get maximum use out of perfectly good devices.

 

Thanks for any help on this. 

[rogerdnixon]

You use the same Chrome Upgrade licences that you use for Chromebooks. So about £24 per device. Google has a official supported list here: https://support.google.com/chromeosflex/answer/11513094?hl=en

 

Reality is that most devices work just fine. I've had a few webcam issues on the odd device but thats about it. Like all OSs - an SSD makes it a lot more useable - a cheap 120Gb one is more than enough. But a mechanical harddrive will work a lot better than it does on Windows.

[talksr]

On 21/03/2025 at 17:50, rogerdnixon said:

You use the same Chrome Upgrade licences that you use for Chromebooks. So about £24 per device. Google has a official supported list here: https://support.google.com/chromeosflex/answer/11513094?hl=en

 

Reality is that most devices work just fine. I've had a few webcam issues on the odd device but thats about it. Like all OSs - an SSD makes it a lot more useable - a cheap 120Gb one is more than enough. But a mechanical harddrive will work a lot better than it does on Windows.

 

Thanks ever so much for the link…that’s really helpful.

 

Hmm so the bad news (for us).

We seem to have a mixture of HP EliteDesk 600 G2 SFF and EliteDesk 800 G1 USDT.

The 600 G2 doesn’t even appear on the list so I guess that one is out, and the 800 G1 will only get updates until 2026 according to the list.

 

Ideally, I would stick in an SSD just to give the system the best chance to run, not like a 128GB SSD costs the earth but, we have quite a lot of these systems. If they will only get support until next year, I am not really sure it is worth all of the hassle in changing them to Chrome. 

 

Does anyone else run unsupported or out of support Chrome devices? Feels a little risky to me with Cyber Security compliance etc. 

[rogerdnixon]

Its worth noting, that unlike Windows 10, it won't stop getting updates. It just means Google will stop testing the latest release of ChromeOS on that specific bit of hardware. So sometime down the line - you might find the it just gives up and won't boot or the video is messed up or the like. The list is also the ones they have managed to test ChromeOS on - there is pretty much an infinite combination of hardware out there - and most will just work fine on ChromeOS for many years to come and receive regular updates.

 

The benefit of having kit on the list is if something does not work, you can raise a ticket with Google and they will help you get it working. If its not on the list they will not. 

[talksr]

3 hours ago, rogerdnixon said:

Its worth noting, that unlike Windows 10, it won't stop getting updates. It just means Google will stop testing the latest release of ChromeOS on that specific bit of hardware. So sometime down the line - you might find the it just gives up and won't boot or the video is messed up or the like. The list is also the ones they have managed to test ChromeOS on - there is pretty much an infinite combination of hardware out there - and most will just work fine on ChromeOS for many years to come and receive regular updates.

 

The benefit of having kit on the list is if something does not work, you can raise a ticket with Google and they will help you get it working. If its not on the list they will not. 

 

 

Thank you - again really helpful. In that case, it sounds like it might still be worth converting them. I just need to count up how many are 600 G2's as they are not even on the list, so I would leave those until last and focus on the ones that are at least supported.

 

Thanks for your help on this. 😉

[MrEprise]

Just to clarify, the 600 G2 is a ProDesk, not an EliteDesk in case that's why you couldn't find them on the list.

 

According to the list the ProDesk 600 G2 is Cerfified since ChromeOS 103 and is supported until 2027.

[PotNoodleTech]

Why replace the existing SSDs?  or are they still on spinning rust hard drives?

 

You can pick 64 or 128gb SSDs up cheap as chips on the used market so if you need them bung in 128Gbs and they should be fine.

[talksr]

20 minutes ago, PotNoodleTech said:

Why replace the existing SSDs?  or are they still on spinning rust hard drives?

 

You can pick 64 or 128gb SSDs up cheap as chips on the used market so if you need them bung in 128Gbs and they should be fine.

 

They are on HDDs so well worth replacing to SSD. I had not really considered a 64gb SSD. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

 

33 minutes ago, MrEprise said:

Just to clarify, the 600 G2 is a ProDesk, not an EliteDesk in case that's why you couldn't find them on the list.

 

According to the list the ProDesk 600 G2 is Cerfified since ChromeOS 103 and is supported until 2027.

 

 

Ah thanks. I am going to have a look myself this week. Just going on what the bursar has pulled from the inventory document which was Elite Desk 600. Sounds like a type on their end so I will let them know once I have had a look at what is in there.

 

Thanks again.