VirtualBox is open-source, free, and easy to install. We’ll show you how to install VirtualBox and use it to run guest operating systems on your Chromebook.

Enable Linux Development Environment

Connect your Chromebook to the internet and follow the steps below. Jump to the next section if you already have the Linux development environment set up on your Chromebook.

1. Open the Settings app, expand the Advanced drop-down section on the sidebar, and select Developers.
2. Select the Turn on button next to “Linux development environment.”

3. Select Next to proceed.

4. Enter a username in the dialog box, choose a preferred disk size for the Linux environment, and select Install. You can adjust the disk size later in your Chromebook’s settings.

Wait while your Chromebook downloads and sets up the Linux virtual machine. The operation takes 10-30 minutes, depending on your Chromebook model and internet speed.

You might get a prompt to update your Chromebook if its operating system is out-of-date.

Select the Open Settings button (or head to Settings > About ChromeOS) and select Check for updates or Restart.

Your Chromebook should automatically open a Terminal window when it successfully configures the Linux environment. Proceed to the next section to install VirtualBox for Linux version on your Chromebook.

Install VirtualBox on Your Chromebook

Since VirtualBox doesn’t support ChromeOS, installing the Linux version in your Chromebook’s Linux environment is the only workaround. It’s a straightforward process that takes less than 5 minutes.

1. Download the latest version of the software from VirtualBox’s website. Chromebooks have the Debian 11 (Bullseye) Linux environment. Hence, choose the Debian 11 or Debian 10 package on the VirtualBox download page.

2. Save the setup file in the Linux files folder on your Chromebook.

3. Open the Linux files folder in the Files app, right-click the VirtualBox setup file, and select Install with Linux.

4. Select Install to start the installation.

Check the installation progress in the bottom corner of your Chromebook’s display.

5. Open your Chromebook’s launcher (press the Search key) and check the Linux apps folder for Oracle VM VirtualBox.

Install Virtual Machines on Your Chromebook Using VirtualBox

VirtualBox lets you create virtual machines that run Windows, Linux, Solaris, macOS, Unix—see all VirtualBox-supported OS. We’ll use VirtualBox to install a Windows 8.1 virtual machine on our test Chromebook for this tutorial. The steps and procedures might vary per operating system.

1. Launch VirtualBox and select New on the toolbar.

Alternatively, select Machine on the menu bar and choose New.

2. Give the virtual machine a descriptive name in the Name dialog box.
3. Next, open the ISO Image drop-down menu and navigate to the location of the installation media/file.

4. Select the installation file and tap Open.

5. Select Next to proceed.

6. Configure the guest OS by adding a username, password, and hostname. Also, enter a product key for the guest OS if you have one. Select Next to move to the hardware configuration phase.

7. Here’s where you allocate RAM and CPU to the guest operating system. The more hardware you assign the guest OS, the better its performance.

Contact the guest OS developer or check their website if you’re unsure about OS system/hardware requirements. For instance, if you’re installing Windows 11, you’ll find its system requirements on Microsoft’s website.

8. Set the virtual hard disk (VHD) size and select Next.

9. Review the configuration for the guest OS and select Finish to start the installation.

10. VirtualBox should automatically power up the guest OS when setup is complete. If it doesn’t, double-click the virtual machine to power it on. Alternatively, select the machine on the sidebar and tap Start.

Pro Tip: You can run Windows applications in ChromeOS without installing a guest OS or virtual machine. Emulators or “compatibility layer apps” like Wine or CrossOver let you install Windows-based apps on Chromebooks. Refer to our tutorial on installing/running Windows apps on Chromebooks for instructions.

Run Multiple OS on Your Chromebook

Installing VirtualBox on Chromebooks is a straightforward process. Running guest operating systems in VirtualBox is even easier. Although the virtualization software works best on computers with powerful processors, it’s stable on budget Chromebooks with mid-range hardware.

Ensure you allocate sufficient hardware (RAM, storage, processor core, etc.) to the guest operating system. If your Chromebook runs slow when using VirtualBox, closing unneeded applications or browser tabs can help speed things up.

There are several items that can restrict your access to a site. It’s possible the site has banned your IP address, your computer’s date and time settings are incorrect, your browser’s cookies and cache are corrupted, your antivirus or firewall has blocked your access to the site, and more.

Turn On or Off Your VPN or Proxy Server

The most common reason you get an “Error 1005 Access Denied” message is that your site has blocked your access. This usually happens when the site finds spammy activity from your computer’s IP address.

In this case, you can change your public IP address by turning on a VPN or proxy server on your PC. This allows you to get a new IP address, letting you access your site.

If you’re already using a VPN or proxy server, it’s possible the site has banned that item’s IP address. In this case, turn off your VPN or proxy server, and you should have access to your site.

You can turn your VPN service on and off from within your VPN app. To enable or disable your proxy server, use the following steps.

On Windows 11

1. Right-click your Start menu icon and select Settings.
2. Select Network & internet in the left sidebar.
3. Choose Proxy on the right pane to access your proxy settings.
4. Enable or disable your proxy server.

On Windows 10

1. Open Settings by pressing Windows + I.
2. Select Network & Internet in Settings.
3. Choose Proxy on the left sidebar.
4. Toggle on or off your proxy server.

Fix Your Computer’s Date and Time Settings

If you or someone else has set incorrect date and time settings on your PC, that may be why you can’t access your site. In this case, fix your PC’s date and time, and your issue will be resolved.

On Windows 11

1. Right-click the current date and time in your screen’s bottom-right corner and choose Adjust date and time.
2. Turn on the Set time automatically option.

3. Enable the Set time zone automatically option as well.

On Windows 10

1. Right-click the current date and time in your system tray and choose Adjust date/time.
2. Enable both Set time automatically and Set time zone automatically options.

Clear Your Web Browser’s Cache and Cookies

One reason you get an “Error 1005 Access Denied” message is that your web browser has faulty cookies or cache files. These corrupted items affect your browsing sessions in your browser, sometimes even blocking your access to a site.

In this case, clear your browser’s saved cookies and cache to resolve your issue. Note that your browser will log you out of your sites when you remove the cookies. You’ll have to log back into your accounts on your sites.

Google Chrome

1. Open Chrome, select the three dots in the top-right corner, and choose Settings.
2. Select Privacy and security in the left sidebar and Clear browsing data on the right pane.
3. Choose All time from the Time range drop-down menu, enable both Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files option, and select Clear data.

Mozilla Firefox

1. Launch Firefox, select the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner, and choose Settings.
2. Select Privacy & Security in the left sidebar and choose Clear Data in the Cookies and Site Data section on the right.
3. Enable both Cookies and Site Data and Cached Web Content options and choose Clear.

Microsoft Edge

1. Open Edge, select the three dots in the top-right corner, and choose Settings.
2. Select Privacy, search, and services in the left sidebar.
3. Select Choose what to clear next to Clear browsing data now on the right pane.
4. Select All time from the Time range drop-down menu, enable the Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files options, and choose Clear now.

Turn Off Your Computer’s Antivirus Program

Your computer’s antivirus program may have blocked your access to your specific site. This happens when your antivirus deems your site unsafe. If you’re sure you can trust the site, you can disable your antivirus protection and see if you can launch your site.

1. Open the Windows Security app on your PC.
2. Select Virus & threat protection in the app.
3. Choose Manage settings in the Virus & threat protection settings section.
4. Toggle off the Real-time protection option.

5. Select Yes in the User Account Control prompt.

Make sure to turn your antivirus back on after you’ve finished visiting your site.

Temporarily Disable Your Computer’s Firewall

Your firewall manages your computer’s incoming and outgoing connections. It’s possible this tool has blocked your web browser’s access to your specified site. In this case, you can turn off your firewall and access your site.

1. Open your Windows Security app.
2. Select Firewall & network protection in the app.
3. Choose the network that says (active).
4. Turn off the Microsoft Defender Firewall toggle.

5. Choose Yes in the User Account Control prompt.

Switch to Alternate DNS Servers

If your site is still unreachable, your computer’s DNS servers may not be working correctly. The servers may be down or facing another issue. In this case, change to alternate DNS servers to fix your problem.

1. Open the Run dialog box on your PC by pressing Windows + R.
2. Type the following in the box and press Enter: ncpa.cpl
3. Right-click your network adapter on the list and select Properties.
4. Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) on the list and choose Properties.
5. Turn on the Use the following DNS server addresses option.
6. Use 8.8.8.8 in the Preferred DNS server and 8.8.4.4 in the Alternate DNS server field.

7. Select OK and then OK to save your changes.

Resolve Your “Access Denied” Issue and Access Your Favorite Sites

There are many reasons you can’t access a site in your web browser. If your “Error 1005 Access Denied” message doesn’t go away after a simple refresh of the web page, use the methods outlined above, and your issue will be resolved.

The above methods fix nearly all the items that can possibly cause your error, letting you access your favorite sites without any problems. Happy surfing!

Some reasons your game crashes and displays a DirectX error are that your computer doesn’t meet your game’s minimum system requirements, an installed app on your PC is causing interference, your game’s cache files are corrupted, and more.

Check if Your PC Meets Your Game’s Minimum System Requirements

Your computer must meet your game’s minimum system requirements for the game to function on your PC. Each game has specific requirements, requiring various hardware and software components.

When you get a DirectX error, the first thing to do is check and ensure your PC meets your game’s requirements. You can find your game’s requirements on the game’s official website.

If your PC doesn’t meet your game’s requirements, upgrade your software or hardware as required and run your game.

Close and Relaunch Your Game

If your computer is fully compatible with your game, the next fix to apply is to fully close and reopen your game on your PC. This is because your game may have minor glitches, which you can resolve by giving your game a reboot.

You can close and relaunch your game the usual way. If your game refuses to quit, you can use your PC’s Task Manager utility to force close the item.

Close Other Apps Running on Your PC

One reason you get a “DirectX encountered an unrecoverable error” issue is that an app running on your PC is interfering with your game. This is usually the case if you’re running a cheat or similar tool on your PC.

In this case, close all other running apps on your PC and see if that makes your game work. You can use Task Manager if an app refuses to close.

Restart Your Windows PC

If your DirectX error persists, your Windows operating system may be experiencing a temporary problem. These issues are common on Windows, and you can resolve these problems by giving your computer a reboot.

You can turn your computer off and back on by opening the Start menu, selecting the Power icon, and choosing Restart.

Launch your game when your computer reboots.

Update Your Game to the Latest Version

Like your apps, your games receive various patches and updates. It’s important that you keep your games up to date, so have as few bugs in your games as possible.

An update may be available for the game where you’re getting a DirectX error, and installing that update can fix your issue. How you update your game depends on your game. You can use your game’s built-in option to update the game or visit your game maker’s site to download the latest update.

Update Your DirectX Version

Since yours is a DirectX-related error, ensure you’re using the DirectX version your game requires. If that’s not the case, you’ll continue to get an error in your game.

Checking and updating your DirectX version on Windows is as easy as making a few clicks.

Check Your DirectX Version

1. Launch the Run dialog box by pressing Windows + R.
2. Type the following in the box and press Enter. This opens the DirectX Diagnostic Tool.
   dxdiag
3. Open the System tab.
4. You can see your DirectX version next to DirectX Version in the System Information section.

Update Your DirectX Version

If your game requires a newer DirectX version, you can get the latest version via Windows Update on both Windows 11 and Windows 10. Microsoft doesn’t supply DirectX as a standalone installer; you get the tool’s updates via Windows Update.

To check for and install DirectX updates on your Windows 11 PC, open Settings > Windows Update, select Check for updates, and download and install the available updates.

To update DirectX on a Windows 10 PC, head into Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update, select Check for updates, and download and install the latest updates.

Restart your PC after installing the latest updates, then launch your game.

Update Your Graphics Card (GPU) Drivers

If your graphics card drivers are outdated, that may be why you can’t play your game and get a “DirectX encountered an unrecoverable error” error. In this case, update your drivers to the latest version, and your issue will be resolved.

1. Open the Start menu, find Device Manager, and launch the tool.
2. Expand Display adapters, right-click your graphics card, and choose Update driver.

3. Select Search automatically for drivers on the following page.
4. Wait for Device Manager to find and install the latest drivers.
5. Reboot your PC.

Change Your Windows Display Scaling Settings

One tweak you can make to your PC to possibly fix your DirectX error is to set your display scale setting to the recommended one. This should help you resolve your issue.

On Windows 11

1. Open Settings by pressing Windows + I.
2. Select System in the left sidebar.
3. Choose Display on the right pane.
4. Select the Recommended option from the Scale drop-down menu.

On Windows 10

1. Right-click the Start menu icon and choose Settings.
2. Select System > Display in Settings.
3. Choose Recommended from the Change the size of text, apps, and other items drop-down menu.

Clear Your Game’s Cache Files

If your game still displays a DirectX error, it’s possible your game’s cache files are corrupted. Your game creates these files to enhance your experience, but when these files become corrupted, you face many issues in the game. You can delete these faulty cache files to resolve your problem.

How you delete your game’s cache files depends on your game. For example, you can remove Call of Duty Warzone’s cache files as follows. Note that the exact steps to clear a game’s cache files vary by the game.

1. Fully close your running game and your game launcher on your PC.
2. Open Run by pressing Windows + R, type the following in the box, and press Enter:
   C:\ProgramData

3. Remove the Battle.net folder from the open directory.

Troubleshooting the DirectX Unrecoverable Error So You Can Play Your Windows Games

There are many reasons a DirectX error appears on your PC while playing games. If your error persists and you can’t find a way to get rid of the problem, use the guide above. The guide shows you how to fix the items that can trigger a DirectX error in your games so you can play your games without problems. Enjoy!

If you’re curious why Steam displays the above error, some reasons are that your app has a minor technical problem, your internet connection isn’t working, Steam’s servers are down, your firewall has blocked Steam’s internet access, and more.

Force Close and Re-Open Steam on Your Computer

One method that can possibly resolve your Steam network error is force-closing and relaunching your Steam app. Doing so turns off and back on all your app features, resolving many minor problems.

1. Right-click the Windows taskbar and select Task Manager.
2. Access the Processes tab, right-click Steam, and choose End task.

3. Relaunch Steam from your desktop or Start menu.

Check Your Internet Connection

Another reason you get a “Could not connect to the Steam network” error is that your app is having trouble connecting to the company’s servers. This usually happens when your internet connection stops working.

In this case, check and fix the issues with your connection. You can check if your connection is faulty by opening a web browser and loading a site. If your site fails, that indicates your connection has issues.

You can reboot your router to possibly resolve your connection problem. If that doesn’t work, fix issues with your network adapter. Lastly, contact your internet service provider (ISP) for further help.

Check if Steam Is Down

If your internet connection is working, check if Steam’s servers are down. The platform’s servers may be experiencing an issue, causing your client to be unable to reach those servers.

You can check if Steam is down using the unofficial Steam Status site, the Downdetector site, or the unofficial Steam Status account on X (formerly Twitter).

If Steam is down, wait until the company fixes the issue. The company is likely aware of the problem you’re experiencing and may already be working on a solution.

Run Steam With Admin Privileges

One reason some apps fail to work properly on Windows PCs is that those apps may be lacking the required system permissions. This happens when you run your apps from a regular user account, not an admin one.

You can fix that by launching your Steam app as an administrator. This gives the app all the rights it requires to function.

1. Right-click the Steam app in your Start menu or desktop and choose Run as administrator.

2. Select Yes in the User Account Control prompt.

Restart Your Computer

If your Steam network issue persists, your Windows operating system may be experiencing a problem. Such issues prevent your installed apps from working correctly.

You can resolve many minor issues with your system by rebooting your computer.

1. Open the Start menu on your PC.
2. Select the Power icon in the menu.
3. Choose Restart in the menu to turn your machine off and back on.

Turn Off Your Antivirus and Firewall

If restarting your computer hasn’t fixed your Steam network error, your antivirus or firewall may have blocked Steam’s access to the internet. This happens when your antivirus or firewall detects your app to be a potential threat, which isn’t always true.

You can temporarily turn off your antivirus and firewall to see if that resolves your problem.

Turn Off Microsoft Defender Antivirus

1. Open the Windows Security app on your PC.
2. Select Virus & threat protection in the app.
3. Choose Manage settings under the Virus & threat protection settings header.
4. Turn off the Real-time protection toggle.

5. Select Yes in the User Account Control prompt.

Launch Steam and see if the app works. If your problem persists, disable your PC’s firewall as follows.

Turn Off Microsoft Defender Firewall

1. Launch the Windows Security app on your PC.
2. Select Firewall & network protection in the app.
3. Choose the network that says (active).
4. Turn off the Microsoft Defender Firewall toggle.

5. Select Yes in the User Account Control prompt.

Make Steam Use the TCP Protocol

Steam uses UDP as the default protocol to make network connections. When you experience network issues with the app, it’s a good idea to make the app switch to the TCP protocol, which can possibly fix your “Could not connect to the Steam network” error.

1. Right-click the Steam shortcut on your desktop and select Properties.
2. Open the Shortcut tab in Properties.
3. Place your cursor at the end of the Target field, press Spacebar, and add the following parameter:
   -tcp

4. Select Apply followed by OK at the bottom to save your changes.
5. Open Steam using your desktop shortcut.

Remove and Reinstall Steam on Your Computer

If none of the above methods fixed your Steam network issue, your last solution is to uninstall and reinstall the app on your computer. Your app may be experiencing a major core file problem, being unable to connect to the company’s servers. You can fix that by deleting and reinstalling your app.

Note that you lose your downloaded games, and the game progresses when you remove Steam. You can preserve that content by backing up the steamapps folder from your Steam app directory.

On Windows 11

1. Right-click the Start menu icon and select Settings.
2. Select Apps > Installed apps in Settings.
3. Select the three dots next to Steam, choose Uninstall, and select Uninstall in the prompt.

On Windows 10

1. Open Settings using your preferred method on your PC.
2. Select Apps in Settings.
3. Choose Steam on the list, select Uninstall, and choose Uninstall in the prompt.

After removing Steam, go to the Steam website and download and install a fresh copy of the app on your computer.

Troubleshooting Steam’s Network Connectivity Issue on Your Computer

Steam’s network issue prevents you from using many app features that rely on the internet. If your error doesn’t go away after multiple attempts to connect the app to the internet, use the above methods to resolve your issue.

The above methods fix nearly all the items that can cause your “Could not connect to the Steam network” error, allowing your Steam client to connect to the internet and give you access to all the web-enabled features.

Some reasons Microsoft Store fails to download or update your apps are that Store’s cache is corrupted, your VPN or proxy server isn’t working correctly, you’ve disabled location access on your PC, your Store app has a glitch, and more.

Clear Microsoft Store’s Cache on Your PC

When you run into issues using Microsoft Store on your PC, you can apply one fix to resolve your problem: clear the Store’s cached files. Your Store app caches various content to enhance your experience, but sometimes, these files get corrupted and cause multiple problems.

Clearing Microsoft Store’s cache is easy, and you don’t lose your apps or other data when you do this.

1. Open the Run dialog box on your PC by pressing Windows + R.
2. Type the following in the Run box and press Enter: wsreset.exe

3. A Command Prompt window will launch briefly and then automatically close. This window clears your Store app’s cached files.
4. Launch your Microsoft Store app and see if you can download or update apps.

Turn Off Your VPN and Proxy Server to Resolve an Error Code 0x803F8001

Another reason you’re experiencing issues getting or updating apps in Microsoft Store is because your VPN or proxy server isn’t working correctly. As you know, the Store app needs to connect to the internet to download or update apps, and a faulty VPN or proxy server prevents the app from making that connection.

You can fix that by turning off your VPN and proxy server. Disabling your VPN service is as easy as opening your VPN app and turning off the main toggle.

You can turn off the proxy server on your PC as follows.

On Windows 11

1. Open the Settings app on your PC by right-clicking the Start menu icon and choosing Settings.
2. Select Network & internet in the left sidebar.
3. Choose Proxy on the right pane.
4. Turn off the Automatically detect settings option.

5. Select Set up next to Use a proxy server and turn off the Use a proxy server option.

On Windows 10

1. Launch Settings by pressing Windows + I.
2. Select Network & Internet in Settings.
3. Choose Proxy in the left sidebar.
4. Turn off Automatically detect settings and Use a proxy server on the right.

Sign Out and Back Into Your Account in the Microsoft Store

If your Microsoft Store error 0x803F8001 persists, logging out and back into your account in the app can work. This is because your Store app may be experiencing issues with your login session, making you unable to download or update apps.

1. Launch the Microsoft Store on your PC.
2. Select your profile icon in the top-right corner.
3. Choose Sign out in the menu.

4. Log back into your Microsoft account in the app.
5. Download or update your apps.

Turn On Location Services on Your PC

While enabling location services on your PC has nothing to do with your Microsoft Store issue, users report that turning on location access on their PCs has helped resolve the problem. So, it’s worth using this method on your computer.

On Windows 11

1. Open the Start menu, find Settings, and launch the app.
2. Select Privacy & security in the left sidebar.
3. Choose Location on the right pane.
4. Turn on Location services.

5. Enable both Let apps access your location and Let desktop apps access your location options.

On Windows 10

1. Access Settings using the Windows + I keyboard shortcut.
2. Select Privacy in Settings.
3. Choose Location in the left sidebar.
4. Select Change on the right and turn on the toggle.

5. Turn on both Allow apps to access your location and Allow desktop apps to access your location options.

Update Your Windows Operating System

Sometimes, you can’t install or update apps via Microsoft Store because your Windows operating system has a bug. These system bugs can prevent you from performing various tasks on your PC.

One way to fix those bugs is to update your operating system to the latest version. Doing so ensures you have the latest bug fixes so your PC is as error-free as possible.

On Windows 11

1. Open Settings by right-clicking your Start menu icon and choosing Settings.
2. Select Windows Update in the left sidebar.
3. Choose Check for updates on the right pane.

4. Download and install the available updates.
5. Reboot your PC.

On Windows 10

1. Launch Settings by pressing Windows + I.
2. Select Update & Security in Settings.
3. Choose Windows Update in the left sidebar.
4. Select Check for updates on the right pane.

5. Download and install the latest updates.
6. Restart your PC.

Re-Register Microsoft Store on Your Windows PC

If your Microsoft Store still displays a 0x803F8001 error, it’s worth re-registering your Store app in your operating system to fix the error. You can run a single command on your PC to do that, as explained below.

1. Close the running Microsoft Store app on your PC.
2. Open your PC’s Start menu, find PowerShell, and launch the utility.
3. Enter the following on the PowerShell window and press Enter:
   Get-AppXPackage *Microsoft.WindowsStore* | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}

4. Close PowerShell when the command has finished running, then open Microsoft Store.

Fix Windows’ Broken System Files on Your Computer

If you still can’t download or update apps in the Microsoft Store, your PC’s system files may be corrupted. Such corruption causes many items on your computer to malfunction, and your Store app may be one of those items.

You can fix your system’s corrupted files using a built-in tool called SFC (System File Checker). This tool automatically finds and repairs the damaged files on your system, resolving many system problems.

1. Open the Start menu on your PC, find Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator.
2. Choose Yes in the User Account Control prompt.
3. Enter the following on the CMD window and press Enter:
   DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth

4. Run the following command to start finding and fixing your PC’s broken files:
   sfc /scannow
5. Reboot your PC when the tool has fixed the corrupted files.

Troubleshoot Microsoft Store’s Issue to Start Downloading or Updating Your Apps

Microsoft Store allows you to download and update many apps on your computer. If you run into an issue where the Store app doesn’t allow you to get new apps or update your existing apps, the guide above will help you out. This guide includes the methods that rectify problems with the items that may be causing your issue, allowing you to resume app downloads or updates on your machine.