How to Install Chromium on Windows 10

Chromium is an open-source web browser project that forms the basis for Google Chrome. It’s a great alternative if you are looking for a browser that’s light on resources and has the latest features for web browsing. Chromium provides a fast, efficient, and secure browsing experience.

Chromium is popular among developers and advanced users due to its open-source nature and customizable features. In this article, we will cover the complete process of installing Chromium on Windows 10.

Downloading Chromium

Unlike Google Chrome, Chromium does not have a standalone installer. Instead, you need to download the latest build from the official Chromium website. Here’s how to do it:

Open your current web browser and navigate to the Chromium downloads page. On the downloads page, you will see several builds listed. Choose the one that corresponds to your system’s architecture for example 32-bit or 64-bit.

Click the download link to start the download. The file will be a zip archive. You can extract and compress files using 7-zip software.

Installing Chromium

Once you have downloaded the Chromium zip archive, you can proceed with the installation:

Locate the downloaded zip file on your computer usually in the ‘Downloads’ folder. Right-click the zip file and select ‘Extract All…’ to extract the contents of the archive.

Choose a destination folder for the extracted files and click ‘Extract’.

Open the folder where you extracted the files. You should see an executable file named chrome.exe. Double-click chrome.exe to launch Chromium.

At this point, you can start using Chromium.

However, for easier access, you might want to create a shortcut. Right-click chrome.exe and select ‘Create shortcut’. Drag the shortcut to your desktop or pin it to your taskbar for quick access.

Updating Chromium

Chromium does not update automatically like Google Chrome. To ensure you have the latest Chromium for Windows, you need to manually download and install the latest build periodically. Here’s how to update Chromium:

1. Visit the Chromium downloads page.
2. Download the latest build as described in the ‘Downloading Chromium’ section.
3. Extract the contents of the zip archive to a new folder.
4. Replace the old chrome.exe with the new one from the latest build.

Configuring Chromium

To get the most out of Chromium, you may want to customize its settings and features according to your preferences. Here are some common configurations:

Setting Default Browser

Open Chromium. Click on the three vertical dots in the upper-right corner and select ‘Settings’. Scroll down to ‘Default browser’ and click ‘Make default’.

Enabling Extensions

Go to the Chromium settings. Click on ‘Extensions’ in the left sidebar. You can browse the Chrome Web Store to find and install extensions, just like you can with Google Chrome.

Syncing with Google Account

Sign in with your Google account to sync bookmarks, history, and settings. Go to ‘Settings’ and click ‘Sign in to Chromium’.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter any issues during the installation process, try the following troubleshooting steps:

• Ensure you have a stable internet connection.
• Right-click on the installer and select “Run as administrator.”
• Restarting your computer can sometimes resolve installation issues.
• If the above steps don’t work, you can try uninstalling and reinstalling Chromium.

Conclusion

Installing Chromium on Windows 10 is a straightforward process once you know where to download the builds and how to set it up. By following this guide, you should be able to enjoy a fast, secure, and customizable browsing experience. Remember to keep your browser updated to the latest build to take advantage of new features and security improvements.

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