Let's do this together.
About 15 minutes. We'll walk you through every step.
About 15 minutes. We'll walk you through every step.
Take a breath. This is easier than it looks. Here's what you'll need:
Any Windows computer. Old ones work great — BoringOS can make them feel new again.
8GB or bigger. Check that drawer — you probably have one. Important: everything on it will be erased.
Most of that is waiting. The actual clicking takes maybe 5 minutes total.
Copy any photos, documents, or files you want to keep to another USB drive, cloud storage, or another computer. BoringOS will replace everything on your computer.
This takes 5-10 minutes depending on your internet
Click the button below. Your browser will download a file that's about 3GB — like downloading a movie.
Save it somewhere you can find it easily, like your Downloads folder or Desktop.
Download BoringOSOn the download page, look for the file ending in ".iso" — that's the one you want.
This takes about 5 minutes
You can't just copy the file to the USB drive like a normal file. You need a special (free) program to do it properly.
We recommend Balena Etcher — it's free and works on any computer.
This is the trickiest part — but it's still pretty easy
Now take that USB drive and plug it into the computer you want to switch to BoringOS.
Restart the computer. Usually, it will automatically start from the USB drive and show you the BoringOS installer.
You need to tell your computer to start from the USB. Here's how:
About 5 minutes of clicking
Once you see the BoringOS installer, it will ask you some simple questions. Nothing tricky:
Pick your language for menus and apps.
Usually the default is correct. Just click next.
Pick your time zone so the clock is right.
This is for your user account. Pick any name you want.
You'll use this to log in. Don't forget it!
Usually there's only one option. Click it and continue.
Then click Install and wait about 10 minutes. The computer will do its thing.
Seriously, that's it
When the installer finishes, it will ask you to restart. Remove the USB drive and click Restart.
Your computer will start up with BoringOS. Everything is ready to go — web browser, email, documents, photos, music. It's all there.
Welcome to your new, calmer computer.
You're up and running. Here are some things you might want to do right away:
Click the icons in the top-right corner of your screen. Your WiFi networks will show up there.
Remember that backup you made? Plug in that USB drive and drag your files to your new Documents and Pictures folders.
Click the mail app in the dock. Add your Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, or other email account.
Click around. Open the app menu. See what's there. You can't break anything by exploring.
This is the most common hiccup. Try pressing the boot key (F12, F9, etc.) repeatedly right when you see the computer brand logo. You need to catch it in the first few seconds after restart.
You can always reinstall Windows. You'd need to download Windows from Microsoft and follow a similar process. Your computer isn't locked to BoringOS forever.
It happens rarely, but if it does, your computer isn't damaged. You can try again from the beginning, or reinstall Windows if you prefer. The hardware is fine.
Most things work automatically. If something doesn't, try unplugging it and plugging it back in. Still no luck? Search online for "[device name] Linux" — there's usually a solution.
You've got this. 15 minutes and a USB drive.
Download BoringOS Free