[chase_canade]

Hey all.

I hope this is the right section to post this request for help. I didn't see a section for Chrome or Chromebox listed. Anyway here goes...

I recently picked up a used Asus Chromebox NC60.

Powered it up, the old Gotham 13.1 XBMC is installed. All well and good except 90% of the scripts for add-ons are shot. At any rate. The box works fine.

What I want to do and attempted is to re-install the original Chromebox OS and have the latest version of Kodi run as a dual boot.

Followed the instructions via Chrome. Made the recovery USB for this box and...
That's when I discovered the problem.

Whom ever installed this XBMC apparently did a complete write over of the Chrome OS.

Using a paperclip pushing the recovery button while powering up does nothing.

Hitting Escape during boot brings up the choice of booting by internal drive or the USB drive.

Selecting the Recovery USB and you get the message "Missing OS" message.

There's nothing left of the Chrome OS left on this box apparently so those instructions are useless.

So how do I get the Asus Chromebox OS back on this box is my question.

Everything online seems to be about installing Kodi, not reverting back let alone if someone has over written the Chrome OS and standard recovery methods won't work.

I'm lost as to what to do.

The Chrome forums are useless. You'd think you were a serial killer or had the plague because you modded or put Kodi on one of their precious boxes. Or removed the Chromebox OS. Oh my...!!

I've created several Linux /Windows dual boot or Linux machines and easily reverted back to Windows before. Never had an issue reverting back to an OS like this... Till Chrome.

Can you guys help me out on this one?
I've never owned a Chromebox before this one so... Or worked with the Chromebox OS.

I don't have a clue what to do now to get it reinstalled. So I'll need step by step of you don't mind.

TIA

[Fail$tyle420]

This appears to be exactly what you are looking for:
https://support.google.com/chromebook/an...0595?hl=en

[chase_canade]

This appears to be exactly what you are looking for:
https://support.google.com/chromebook/an...0595?hl=en

No actually it's not. As I mentioned in my initial post I followed those instructions.

There's nothing left of the Chrome OS on mine. So there's no Developer mode or Recovery mode. Those instructions only work if there's still the recovery partition/developer partition left on the HD or in the bios possibly or somewhere in there.

Mine has been wiped clean of all remnants of the Chrome OS apparently. It's a blank machine. Hence recovery button does nothing.

I didn't do the install so, I don't know exactly what they did to put XBMC on it. But obviously, they wiped it of Chrome from what I can see.

But thanks for responding.
Cheers...

[ponkotsu]

Your best bet may be to get in touch with forum user @Matt Devo -- https://mrchromebox.tech. He's a wizard when it comes to Chromeboxen. If anyone here is going to be able to help, it will be him.

[chase_canade]

Your best bet may be to get in touch with forum user @Matt Devo -- https://mrchromebox.tech. He's a wizard when it comes to Chromeboxen. If anyone here is going to be able to help, it will be him.

Hey thanks for the lead.
This Chromebox sure has me stumped at the moment I definitely need the help with it.
Linux runs great on it from the USB boot. I've run 5 or 6 versions no problem. (I have a Linux multi boot USB)

But Chrome.... nothing. And on their own box no less. Lol... unbelievable. Then again it's Google so maybe not so unbelievable.

Thanks again.
Cheers...

Edit: just tried to send Matt a PM, but the forum won't let me. Something about I don't have permission to access the page. Or a list of other reasons.

Would you be kind enough to PM him on my behalf? Point him to this thread maybe?

Cheers...

[DarrenHill]

You need to have at least 10 posts on the forum before PM's (and a few other things) become active. It's an anti-spam measure.

Your post above took you over that limit and your account should now be able to send PM's (I just checked and your account has the right flags to do so now). Try again and if it doesn't work leave a post here and we'll sort it out.

[Matt Devo]

Hey thanks for the lead.
This Chromebox sure has me stumped at the moment I definitely need the help with it.
Linux runs great on it from the USB boot. I've run 5 or 6 versions no problem. (I have a Linux multi boot USB)

But Chrome.... nothing. And on their own box no less. Lol... unbelievable. Then again it's Google so maybe not so unbelievable.

Thanks again.
Cheers...

  
The previous owner replaced the factory firmware with one of my custom builds; in order to revert to a ChromeOS + LibreELEC/Kodi dual-boot setup, you'll first need to restore the factory firmware. You can do so by running my Firmware Utility Script from a live Linux USB (GalliumOS or Ubuntu works fine), then selecting option #9 to restore the stock firmware. When it's finished, reboot, then restore ChromeOS via Recovery Mode as you previously tried to do. Then you can use my Kodi EZ Setup Script from ChromeOS to perform the dual-boot setup/install

[chase_canade]

You need to have at least 10 posts on the forum before PM's (and a few other things) become active. It's an anti-spam measure.

Your post above took you over that limit and your account should now be able to send PM's (I just checked and your account has the right flags to do so now). Try again and if it doesn't work leave a post here and we'll sort it out.

Thanks, and will do.
Cheers...

[chase_canade]

Hey thanks for the lead.
This Chromebox sure has me stumped at the moment I definitely need the help with it.
Linux runs great on it from the USB boot. I've run 5 or 6 versions no problem. (I have a Linux multi boot USB)

But Chrome.... nothing. And on their own box no less. Lol... unbelievable. Then again it's Google so maybe not so unbelievable.

Thanks again.
Cheers...

  
The previous owner replaced the factory firmware with one of my custom builds; in order to revert to a ChromeOS + LibreELEC/Kodi dual-boot setup, you'll first need to restore the factory firmware. You can do so by running my Firmware Utility Script from a live Linux USB (GalliumOS or Ubuntu works fine), then selecting option #9 to restore the stock firmware. When it's finished, reboot, then restore ChromeOS via Recovery Mode as you previously tried to do. Then you can use my Kodi EZ Setup Script from ChromeOS to perform the dual-boot setup/install

Aaaah Matt, you're here! Didn't see your post and was just going to PM you.

Edit: I just went over to your firmware utility page. I'll create a new Ubuntu live USB just to be on the safe side.

I see how to get your script once in Ubuntu.

The write protect disabled. I take it that's the screw inside the Chromebox? I know nothing about Chrome OS or Chromebox's but I read about it. Does it need to come out to remove the write protect that you refer to on that page?

Once the script is run. Do I plug in the recovery USB while running so it can get what ever it needs from it? Or does it already have everything it needs?

Then shut down, and run Chromebox's recovery as normal. Correct?

Running the script again. To shut off developer mode. I understand once chrome is installed, I won't have the option to boot from USB again. I don't know this as fact, it's something I read. You have to go into it, tell it to while in developer mode. It'll do it once and that's it. Is that correct?

Sorry about the nube questions, I know nothing of Chromebox. This is my first one. Never even looked at a Chromebook before.

Linux.. it's been a while.

If there's a step by step guide you have on how to do this. It would be handy.

I don't want to brick this thing, which I've read you can do.

PS: I've heard about your dual boot script in researching how to fix this... Pretty popular it seems. Nice!

And thanks a million for jumping in. I really do appreciate it.
Cheers..

[Matt Devo]

Aaaah Matt, you're here! Didn't see your post and was just going to PM you.

Edit: I just went over to your firmware utility page. I'll create a new Ubuntu live USB just to be on the safe side.

I see how to get your script once in Ubuntu.

The write protect disabled. I take it that's the screw inside the Chromebox? I know nothing about Chrome OS or Chromebox's but I read about it. Does it need to come out to remove the write protect that you refer to on that page?

it's likely removed by the previous owner, so I wouldn't worry about it for now. My script will check and display the WP status on the main menu, and not let you perform any operations which require it disabled if it is not.

Once the script is run. Do I plug in the recovery USB while running so it can get what ever it needs from it? Or does it already have everything it needs?
Then shut down, and run Chromebox's recovery as normal. Correct?

run script, restore firmware, shut down, boot to recovery mode (use paper clip/button), insert Recovery media.

Running the script again. To shut off developer mode. I understand once chrome is installed, I won't have the option to boot from USB again. I don't know this as fact, it's something I read. You have to go into it, tell it to while in developer mode. It'll do it once and that's it. Is that correct?

the device will already be in developer mode after the stock firmware is restored, you don't need to worry about this. You won't be able to boot to USB in legacy boot mode until you follow the steps in the dual boot setup / using my script (due to the factory legacy boot firmware being completely broken; my script will install an update to fix that).

Linux.. it's been a while.

If there's a step by step guide you have on how to do this. It would be handy.

I don't want to brick this thing, which I've read you can do.

PS: I've heard about your dual boot script in researching how to fix this... Pretty popular it seems. Nice!

And thanks a million for jumping in. I really do appreciate it.
Cheers.. 

follow instructions on Chromebox Wiki page and Chromebox EZ setup script thread here, both of which are linked in my sig. Also, my previous post links to instructions for using the two scripts.

[chase_canade]

Many Thanks,
I'll give it shot and let you know how it turns out.

[zahi_k]

Hello, I've been trying this method and ending up with error on the script.... 

@Matt Devo would you be able to assist? 
Link to the terminal results --- it shows at the end "bash: firmware-util.sh: No such file or directory" 

this an old post from 2018 and not sure if the method worked with @chase_canade or not...

i am having the exact problem where my Asus NC60 was permanently burned with old version of Kodi. 

Thanks...

PS: it's my first time using Linux; i tried to boot using ubuntu but it keep on crashing, hence, i switched to Galiumos.