Use Chrome OS Desktop on Windows 8.1

Many of my readers prefer Google Chrome to Microsoft's Windows 8.1 apps. Not to many people can purchase a Google Chromebook. Well, we are in luck and it looks like Windows 8.1 machines can become a Chromebook in a few clicks. You can actually swap the entire "Modern" environment with the Google Chrome OS desktop hiding the Windows 8.1 interface entirely.

Step 1: Make sure you install Google Chrome on your Windows 8.1 machine

Step 2: Once you install Google Chrome – start it up and make it your default browser

Step 3:  If you don’t get the dialog box from step #2 then you have to go into Google Chrome settings and make it your default browser

Step 4: When Google Chrome is set to your default browser – close all windows and relaunch Google Chrome and open “Customize and control Google Chrome”

Step 5:  You will see “Relaunch Chrome in Windows 8 mode” option – click on it

Step 6: The entire desktop should look and feel like a Chromebook

Step 7: Go to your “app launcher” and log into your Gmail account

Step 8: Once you are in your Gmail account you have access to all the Gmail features.