FAQ

TIP

Please read this page before asking for help. Your help request will be pointed to the docs otherwise.

General questions

What OS should I use?

  • This depends on your use case. Only you can answer this question.

Should I use rw-legacy or full rom?

  • This depends on what you are looking to use your device for. If you are planning on installing Windows or macOS you need to use full rom. Rw-legacy only supports linux.

My internal keyboard doesn't work, can I use an external keyboard to get into developer mode?

  • No. The hotkeys will only work on the internal keyboard. Chromeboxes do not have this restriction.

I just want to boot Linux from USB on my Chromebook, what do I need to do?

  • Check the Supported Devices page, to ensure your device has functional RW_LEGACY firmware available. If so, flash RWL (RW_LEGACY firmware) and use that.

Can I disable power-on when I open my Chromebook?

  • No. In what situation would you open your Chromebook without the intention of turning it on anyways.

My Chromebook powers back on when I turn it off. How can I fix this?

  • You Do not. Specific Chromebooks have this bug which takes too much effort to debug. If you were looking to disable power-on when you open the lid because of this, they are completely unrelated.

I just installed the UEFI firmware, and now my device boots to a black screen that says 'shell' - what do I do?

  • you are in the EFI shell; the firmware boots there when it can't find a valid UEFI boot device, either externally (USB, SD) or internally. Just type exit to get back to the the UEFI settings menu.

Should I install 32 or 64-bit OS?

  • The UEFI Full ROM firmware only supports 64-bit OS, so be sure to use the 'x86_64' version of whatever OS you want to install. USB media created from 32-bit ISOs will simply fail to boot.

I'm running Legacy boot firmware now - can I switch to the UEFI firmware?

  • If you are using SeaBIOS, you will likely need to re-install your operating system. Otherwise it should work fine.

Help! I can't exit Developer Mode

  • If you are trying to exit Developer Mode but get the error WARNING: TONORM prohibited by GBB_FORCE_DEV_SWITCH_ON or find the Return to secure mode button missing, you need to reset your GBB flags. You can do that by running MrChromebox's firmware utility script and selecting 3) Set Boot Options (GBB flags), followed by 5) Reset to factory default.
    • Then exit developer mode by choosing "Return to secure mode" on the bootup screen

Can I modify the fan speed?

  • Yes, using ectool. To set the fan to auto, run: ectool autofanctrl. To specify a percentage, run ectool fanduty [0-100].

Can I overclock the fan?

  • No.

I want to buy a Chromebook to run Windows or Linux or macOS -- which should I buy?

  • Any 64 bit Chromebook should work in Windows and Linux. Some require paid drivers (Windows only). For information on macOS requirements, see this page.

Windows questions

Should I use Windows 10 or 11?

  • Windows 11 is required for TB4 users. If you Do not have Thunderbolt 4, you may use both 10 or 11.

Can I pay for Windows drivers using PayPal?

  • You can pay via PayPal in Patreon.

My balance shows zero on coolstars portal, what should I do?

  • It may take up to 48 hours for balance to appear in her portal, though it is normally less then 2.

How do I buy the Windows audio/Thunderbolt drivers?

Can I get AVS or SOF drivers for free?

  • No. Only the Linux drivers are free.

Why is there a license error in Device Manager after installing audio drivers?

Will the audio driver still work when re-installing Windows?

  • Yes, on the device the license was created. If the internal drive was replaced, see below.

I upgraded my Chromebooks' internal drive and my audio/Thunderbolt 4 license is not working, what do I do?

  • The license is tied to the serial number of your internal drive. You do not need to buy another license. Send CoolStar a message through Patreon, and wait for about a week.

Can I use one driver license across multiple devices?

  • No. One license per device.

Linux Questions

How come audio isn't working on Ubuntu / Ubuntu forks?

  • Ubuntu and Ubuntu-based distros may have issues and are not supported, try switching to another distro. Debian is a great alternative if you are used to Ubuntu.

Why are Ubuntu/Ubuntu based distros not supported?

  • They consistently break packages.
  • They have started to force snap on their users.
  • They have published an LTS distro with a non-LTS kernel.

Becuse of these things, Ubuntu is unsupported. We will not help you fix issues on Ubuntu.

How can I get audio working under Linux?

How do I get my top row keys on Linux to act like how they did on chromeOS?


Hackintosh questions

Can I hackintosh my Celeron/Pentium CPU?

  • No.

Can I hackintosh an AMD CPU?

  • In theory, it might be possible. It has never been tested, and can be considered unsupported.
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