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How to Install Android on your PC?

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Sky is the limit when it comes to what you can do with modern-day technology. Flexibility, Sharing and synchronizing seem to be the order of the day. Sharing different kinds of digital contents is nothing new these days as it’s now time to share operating systems with other machines.

If you are one of those who have enjoyed the Android operating system on your mobile phones and want to try this OS on your desktop computer, then read on.

 

Android on your PC – The Process

To begin with, get a memory card or any flash drive that can be used for installing the Android OS. A memory card with a storage space of about 256 MB should be good enough. Safely transfer the contents of the flash drive into other drives on your computer so that the setup files are completely free.

Now locate the download page of Android x86. Go to the StableRelease section to choose the View option below android-x86-1.6-r2.iso.

OR Directly download the .iso from here:

https://android-x86.googlecode.com/files/android-x86-1.6-r2.iso  (52.1 MB)

Your ISO file downloading will start at once on your computer.

While this is being done, go to the UNetbootin website and download the UNetbootin application to your computer. Once the download is complete, run the UNetbootin service.

unetbootin

On the screen that appears next, select the Diskimage option by clicking on the checkbox that appears beside it. Then click on the “…” tab and locate the Android ISO file that we just downloaded.

At the bottom of the window, choose the right memory card or flash drive that you have just inserted for the process. Then click OK.

unetbootin-trans

The UNetbootin application will transfer the contents (the Android OS) to the flash drive/memory card. This will take some time depending on the speed of your flash drive/memory and your computer.

unetbootin-done

Once this is done, the computer will prompt for a system restart. After the restart, the computer will start running on your Android operating system thereafter.

If you want to run the operating system from the flash drive itself, just Exit (Avoid the restart).

Other Options

 

If your Personal computer has a DVD/CD drive, then you can just burn the ISO contents from it to the boot. This can be done by using the default application in Windows 7 or by using any free application like the ImgBurn.

windows-disc-image-burner

 

Running the Android – X86 on a personal computer

The operating system is now ready to run on your desktop or laptop. Restart the computer with a USB drive fixed to it. Choose the boot-from-USB drive option. Remember, not all PCs offer you the option (the option of booting from the USB drive). You will have to hit the F10, F2 or other keys as required by your operating system to alter the boot options in the BIOSs.

bios

When booting from the USB drive, choose the “Live CD–Run Android-x86 without installationoption that appears on the first screen. As the Android operating system slowly starts loading, you will notice a text prompting for few seconds. After this, the Android boot screen appears for some time, and then the computer quickly loads into the Android OS.

android-live-cd-install

The Android Desktop

android-desktop

 

After few seconds, the Android desktop appears on your PC, from where you can access the applications. The menu opens a list of options in the OS. A long click will open a context menu for you that allow you to perform tasks like adding a desktop widget or changing the background. Right clicking your mouse will open a set of menus that allows you to launch a new tab in the browser.

android-menus

The functioning of the OS should be very smooth and user friendly. It should be quick to go online as the Android OS is known for its simple online browsing experience.

The Android operating system is an alternative for Linux and a quick method to get online. It is also a secure way of working on the net. The new OS allows you to install new apps (usually present in the Android App Store). This will be installed only when the Android session is running. Once you restart your computer, it will only display the default settings and applications.

android-os-default-apps

 

Support and Functionality

 

The operating system of the Android x86 supports most hardware activities like Wi-Fi and camera functionality on most computers and laptops that.

A number of tests have shown that the Android OS was very responsive, but when it comes to desktop fades like opening a menu or a dialog box, it would slow down the process. The operating system did not work well with computers running on AMD processor.

The verdict

Though it is fun to work around with different operating systems, it is recommended not use the Android OS for your desktop, considering its issues and limitations. If you really want to know how a mobile operating system functions on your desktop, try the Android on a flash drive or use this (Android OS) as an alternative to the Linux operating system.

An Android operating system can never replace the Windows OS when it comes to your desktop, at least till date.

 

Links

Download Android x86

Download UNetbootin

See if Your Netbook or Laptop is Fully Supported

 

About the author

Cindy

Cindy is a professional writer and SEO consultant. She writes about a wide variety of topics, including technology, travel, SEO, social media, education and personal finance.

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