How to move from Chromebook to Windows or MacBook

If you're currently using a Chromebook with ChromeOS and are looking to switch (or graduate) to a Windows computer, there are a few steps you can follow to make the transition as smooth as possible. While the two operating systems have some similarities, there are also some key differences that you'll need to be aware of. In this guide, we'll take you through the steps you need to follow to transfer your files, apps, and settings from ChromeOS to Windows, so you can get up and running on your new machine in no time. This tutorial can also work with macOS if you change some stuff. Unlike other transfers, including Windows <-> macOS or iOS <-> Android, moving away from ChromeOS does not come with compromise. Everything that can happen on a Chromebook can happen on a Windows sevice.

Steps

Transfer browsing data

Note: your mileage may vary if the device is school or organization owned.

1. Enable "sync everything" on the old Chromebook. Choose which information you want to sync. By default, all of the settings, apps, saved passwords, bookmarks, themes, payment info, history, and virtually everything else on your Chromebook (except your downloads, files, Android apps, and Linux data) is automatically synced to the cloud.[1] Just in case anything changed, double-check your sync settings to make sure you have everything you need:
   • Click the time at the bottom-right corner of your old Chromebook.
   • Click Settings (the gear icon).
   • Click Sync and Google services.
   • Click Manage what you sync.
   • Choose Sync everything to ensure that all of your data from this Chromebook will be available on your new Chromebook.
   • Alternatively, you can select Customize sync and choose to leave some things out.
2. Unbox and complete the initial setup of the new Windows device.
3. Download Google Chrome on Windows
4. Sign in to your Google account previously used on the Chromebook on your Windows desktop.
5. Turn on Sync and wait for all ChromeOS data to download onto your new Windows device.
6. If this is not possible, go to the browser settings of both the source and target device and export and import all passwords (Autofill), bookmarks via chrome://bookmarks , and history via this chrome extension.

Move files from ChromeOS to Windows

1. Open the files app on your Chromebook, and click more, then click show hidden files.
2. Go to “Trash” and recover all files you’ll think you might need in the future.
3. Prepare a USB drive or cloud storage, and either move all of your files in “My Files” to the USB stick, or upload every item to the Cloud service of your choice
4. Move or Download all files to the computer to the User folder (C:/Users/yourname), than if applicable delete all files from the USB storage device or cloud service

Move Cookies and LocalStorage from ChromeOS to Windows

1. Install the chrome extension for cookies and/or local storage when necessary on both devices.
2. Use each extension to transfer the login data, settings, and other data from one browser to another. This does include Windows93 and MicroBit MakeCode data, the configuration data for some sites, notes that store in a browser, and other stuff. If you just use this for login data, you will not need to use this part.

Transfer Android data from ChromeOS to Windows

Note: This process is only available on Chromebooks launched after 2020. Please check the chromebook model's release date before doing the process. If your Chromebook is older, skip to the step with "file manager plus". Additionally, macOS is not supported for the transfer of Android apps, due to no Android container or emulator software outside app testing purposes exists as of June, 28, 2023. macOS only supports iOS app emulation, so if you are using macOS, copy the entire "Play Files" folder with the "show all" options checked.

1. Install the Linux container on your Chromebook if you haven’t already. Note that it will take 10 gigabytes of storage.
2. Open the terminal app and paste: sudo apt-get install android-sdk-platform-tools and click enter, and wait for adb to install, and type “adb” to test.
3. On the Chromebook, Select Settings Advanced, Developers, In the left panel, select Linux, Develop Android apps. Turn on Enable ADB debugging. Select Restart. … Select Confirm and sign in. Important: Once you turn on ADB, it’s available to all accounts on your Chromebook. To turn it off, you must factory reset (Powerwash) your Chromebook, and the chromebook will permanently display a warning on the lock screen. If you would like to not do this, skip a few steps.
4. Type “adb backup -all -apk -system -obb -shared -keyvalue” on the Linux terminal and hit enter. Confirm the backup operation on the Chromebook.
5. Wait for the ADB backup to complete.
6. After the backup is complete, get “backup.ab” and move it to the place you transferred your files, camera, and downloads.
7. Launch Windows Subsystem for Android.
8. Here, enable Developer mode then tap on Manage developer settings.
9. Use your left mouse button to scroll down until you find Wireless debugging. Tap to open it and enable it.
10. Tap on Pair device with pairing code.
11. Take note of Wi-Fi pairing code, and IP address and port.
12. Launch Windows Terminal and make sure ADB is installed (install ADB first).
13. Use command adb pair <IP:port> to pair ADB with WSA.
14. In Wireless debugging window, see Device name and under it IP address and port.
15. Use command adb connect <IP:port> to connect WSA with ADB.
16. Once this is done, use command adb devices to make sure that WSA is connected.
17. When you have confirmed that you have been connected to the Subsystem, type the following command, “adb restore (path to backup.ab)”
18. Wait until the process restores all ChromeOS data to the PC
19. Check if every application is installed
20. If an application is missing, or you believe the ADB method is too complicated, download the “File Manager +” app on the Play Store, go to apps, and extract every APK that you would like to transfer.
21. Go to the Files app, go to the “Play Files” and click more, and check both hidden file checkmarks.
22. Move the “backups” to the moving system of your choice, and if you did NOT use the adb method, copy/move all folders to the moving system (usb, cloud)
23. Install WSATools on the PC, and manually install each APK.
24. Some apps do not support ADB backup for data, so try manually backuping apps, by checking the settings of the app, and clicking the back up option, moving the data, then using the restore option on the windows computer.

Transfer Linux container from ChromeOS to Windows

1. If you do not use Linux containers, or just installed it for ADB, skip this part.
2. On your Chromebook, at the bottom right, select the time.
3. Select Settings and then Advanced and then Developers.
4. Select Linux and then Back up and restore.
5. To manually back up your Linux apps and files, select Back up.
6. At the left, under "My files," choose where to save your files.
7. Write your file name and select Save.
8. At the bottom right, a backup progress notification will appear.
9. Move the Linux backup to your PC
10. In the PC’s File Explorer, rename your backup from .tini to .tar.gz.
11. Use your method of choice to restore the backup onto the PC, or move all the files from the Home directory.
12. An alternate method to export the Linux container, especially in incidents it will not boot is via "vmc export penguin "The name of a USB device connected" " which will generate a .tar.gz file on the usb drive.
13. If you have used hacks via the vmc command before, or use the Parallels VM, use vmc via vmc list and export each additional vmc container first.

Extension Data

1. Check every extension for data, and if so, export or backup the data of the application, and than move to the PC, than restore or import the data using the extension.

Other users

1. If you have multiple users of the Chromebook, and want to transfer multiple users from ChromeOS to Windows, create an account for each user you would like to transfer.
2. Repeat the transfer process for each user you would like to move.

Untransferable Data

1. The following data cannot be transferred as of now:
   • Terminal app settings (backed up in the cloud but not restorable)
   • Crosh history (local, unexportable)
   • Extension data that cannot be backed up or exported
   • Android apps that do not support any form of Backup
   • Some chromebook settings are stored in the cloud, including WiFi networks, and not restorable to a non-ChromeOS device
   • Some chromebook settings are stored on-device and non-transferable, like Flags and Bluetooth configuration.
   • Cached webpage data

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