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If you're one of the millions stuck on Windows 10 and want to avoid spending £22 to receive vital security updates to protect your laptop or desktop PC from hackers, ransomware, and viruses, Google has a solution.
The Californian company has partnered with refurbished retailer Back Market to offer a USB memory stick that lets you quickly install its ChromeOS Flex operating system. Google says this free operating system, which already powers millions of Chromebooks worldwide, will instantly "modernise the PC or Mac you already own".
"Google and Back Market are teaming up to save PCs from the landfill. Through the new ChromeOS Flex USB Kit, you can transform your aging, unsupported laptop into a fast, secure, and sustainable machine for free," Google's Ted Briggs wrote in blog post. "Last October marked a turning point for hundreds of millions of computers. Microsoft Windows 10 reached its end of support, putting those computers at risk of obsolescence. This left many people with a difficult decision: spend hundreds on a new device, or continue using an insecure, outdated one."
Paris-based retailer Back Market, which specialises in refurbished electronics, ships the USB memory stick in a spoof In Case Of Emergency, Break Glass packaging with simple instructions
|GOOGLE PRESS OFFICE
The ability to switch from Windows 10, Windows 11, or macOS to ChromeOS Flex is nothing new.
Google has long offered the ability to download and install this rival operating system from its website free of charge, but the USB drives sold via Back Market are designed to make the upgrade even easier.
As well as saving you from the hassle of downloading the ChromeOS Flex installer, the kit also ships with simplified guides and video tutorials from Back Market to demystify the installation process. In a blog post about its partnership with Back Market, Google says ChromeOS Flex is designed to be a way to extend the "useful lifespans" of the Windows PCs that lost support from Microsoft at the end of last year.
@gbnews An important change is coming for Microsoft Windows users. Here's how to protect your security. #technology #microsoft #gbnews
Microsoft’s decision to end support for Windows 10 could've resulted in 240 million working PCs being sent to landfill, a report from Canalys Research released before the deadline last October warned. Paris-based retailer Back Market estimated that the final figure will fall closer to 400 million PCs. Ouch.
Starting from October 14, 2025, Microsoft halted all new features, fixes for bugs and compatibility problems, and most worrying of all, all emergency patches for security flaws for its Windows 10 operating system. In a nutshell, this end-of-support deadline means that, should a vulnerability be discovered in the operating system, it’s there forever.
The performance of your PC won't change, and you don't need to worry about losing app support, but if you rely on a Windows 10 machine to store your family photos, spreadsheets with your finances, or regularly head online for banking, shopping, or social media – it's not wise to use an operating system that's frozen in time.
Since it lost free support back in October 2025, Windows 10 has slowly lost marketshare... but it remains remarkably popular with around one-third of all devices still relying on this operating system
|STATCOUNTER
Windows 10 remains immensely popular. The latest data from Statcounter shows that a third of all Windows-powered devices worldwide still rely on the operating system, despite six months passing since the end of support deadline.
You can unlock one-year of additional software updates from Microsoft, but it'll cost $30 in your local currency plus taxes. That's roughly £22 in the UK, with the only way to waive that fee to either move to mainland Europe, or back up all of your settings and data in OneDrive.
That makes the arrival of ChromeOS Flex a much more affordable option. This operating system, based on Google’s popular Chrome web browser, is very similar to what you’ll find powering Chromebooks.
Google says that its ChromeOS Flex software will keep devices unable to upgrade to Windows 11 protected with security updates and fixes
|Its system requirements aren’t anywhere close to as stringent as Windows 11, so those who would otherwise be stranded on Windows 10 can make the switch. ChromeOS Flex is designed to run on hardware that was originally designed for Windows and macOS operating systems. Unlike Chromebooks, that means there’s no dedicated Google security chip, removing a few features.
You also won’t be able to install Android apps on Google ChromeOS Flex ― as a result, there's no dedicated Google Play Store included with this version of the operating system either. You also won't be able to run Windows virtual machines with Parallels Desktop on ChromeOS Flex.
But if you can live without those specific features, your current Windows PC will continue to receive the latest security updates ― keeping you safe from malware, phishing and scam campaigns.
Google says ChromeOS Flex will be a boon for the planet, too.
\Writing in a blog post, Ted Briggs, Google Platforms & Devices Lead for Sustainability Strategic Partnerships, states: "The manufacturing process of a new laptop is responsible for a large part of its carbon footprint. ChromeOS Flex allows the already-manufactured device to be used for longer, which keeps hardware out of landfills and avoids the emissions of making a new device. Savings do not stop there, ChromeOS also consumes 19% less energy on average than other comparable systems.
"Together with Back Market, we’re proving that the more sustainable device is often the one already in your hands. This physical kit, priced around $3 or €3, is one part of that effort. The drive is reusable, and our partnership with Closing the Loop further minimises e-waste."