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FydeOS Help Center

Writing Disk Images with Chrome Recovery App

The Chrome OS Recovery app can be a versatile tool for writing image files to USB drives or SD cards. While primarily designed for Chrome OS recovery images, it can also handle standard ISO files with a simple modification.

Important Warning

Be extremely careful when using this method. Writing incorrect or corrupted files may render your USB drive unusable. Only proceed if you understand the risks involved.

Overview

The Chrome OS Recovery app can write arbitrary image files to USB drives or SD cards. This includes ISO files after a minor file extension change. The process is straightforward but requires careful attention to avoid damaging your storage devices.

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Download your ISO file to your FydeOS device

  2. Rename the file extension

    • Open the Files app and navigate to your Downloads folder
    • Right-click (two-finger tap) on the ISO file
    • Select “Rename”
    • Change the file extension from .iso to .bin (e.g., ubuntu-18.04.1-desktop-amd64.iso → ubuntu-18.04.1-desktop-amd64.bin)

  3. Install and launch the Recovery app

    • Install the Chrome Recovery App from the Chrome Web Store
    • Open the app from your launcher (it appears as “Recovery” with a Chrome icon and a wrench symbol)

  4. Select your local image

    • When first opening the app, you might need to click “Get started” before the settings gear icon appears
    • Click the gear icon (⚙️) in the top-right corner
    • Select “Use local image”
    • Navigate to your modified file (with the .bin extension) and click “Open”

  5. Choose your target device

    • Select the USB drive or SD card you want to write to
    • The app recommends using at least a 4GB device, which is advisable regardless of file size

  6. Write the image

    • The writing process may take some time to complete
    • Wait for confirmation before removing your device

Additional Notes

💡 Tip: Resetting Your USB Drive

When you’re finished with the recovery drive, you can reset it to normal using the “Erase recovery media” option in the gear (⚙️) menu.

The app can also handle .bin files within ZIP archives, though compressing ISO files provides minimal space savings and requires more processing resources.

This method provides a useful alternative for creating bootable drives when standard USB creation tools aren’t available on your FydeOS device.