How to Use an Operating System from a USB Stick

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Enable USB booting in the BIOS.

   BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) helps you manage the hardware in your computer.
   
   During startup press the designated key to access the BIOS (typically F2 or Del).
   
   Use the arrow keys to navigate to the “Boot” tab.
   
   Move USB to the top of the list with ↵ Enter.
   
   Select “Save and Exit” and your computer will reboot with the new settings.
   
   Different manufacturers use different types of BIOS in their computers.
   
   Check your manufacturer’s specifications for exact buttons for accessing and altering the BIOS configuration.
2. 2

   Step 2: Purchase an appropriate USB flash drive.

   You will want a flash drive with at least 16GB capacity.
   
   USB
   2.0 will work, but the greater speed of USB
   3.0 is highly preferable. 32GB or greater is recommended if you want to fit anything beyond the operating system on the drive.
   
   The increase in storage capacity is relatively inexpensive (~$5 difference between 16 and 32 GB)! , The Rufus website has a collection of links to downloadable OS disk images at the bottom of the page under the header “Non-exhaustive list of ISOs Rufus is known to work with”.
   
   The file you'll need to download is called an ISO. , Rufus is a self-contained program and does not need to be installed
   -- only downloaded and opened. , It will appear listed with your other drives in “This PC”. ,, MBR (Master Boot Record) is an older, but more common disk structure used widely in Windows computers.
   
   You can select GPT (GUID Partition Table), a newer technology, but you may have compatibility issues installing some operating systems., Use “NTFS” if you are installing Windows to your bootable USB stick drive and “exFat” if you are installing Linux to your bootable USB stick drive. , This checkbox is listed under the “Format Options” header and will allow you to use an ISO to create your bootable USB drive.
   
   An ISO (disk image) is digital file containing the contents of a disk
   - in this case the operating system you will install. ,, The disk icon is located to the right of the dropdown where you selected ISO image. , A progress bar will display the the progress.
   
   You will be notified when the process is complete.
   
   Note:
   This process will format the flash drive.
   
   Formatting the USB drive will erase ALL content.
   
   If you have any data on your USB flash drive you want to save, copy it to your computer first to save it. , With USB booting enabled, your computer should restart and use the USB to boot using the disc image.
   
   Some BIOS have a separate menu specifically for selecting your startup disk.
   
   This menu will have a different access button on startup from the regular BIOS menu.
   
   Check with your manufacturer’s specifications to determine if this is the case if you are having trouble booting into your flash drive.
3. 3

   Step 3: Download the "disk image" of the operating system you want to install.

4. 4

   Step 4: Download and open Rufus.

5. 5

   Step 5: Connect your USB flash drive to the computer.

6. 6

   Step 6: Click the “Device” dropdown and select your USB flash drive from the list.

7. 7

   Step 7: Click the “Partition Scheme” dropdown and select “MBR for BIOS or UEFI”.

8. 8

   Step 8: Click the “Filesystem” dropdown menu and select the appropriate filesystem.

9. 9

   Step 9: Click to activate the “Create Bootable Disk” checkbox.

10. 10

    Step 10: Select “ISO image” from the menu to the right of the checkbox.

11. 11

    Step 11: Click the disk icon and select your downloaded disk image.

12. 12

    Step 12: Press “Start”.

13. 13

    Step 13: Restart your computer to test your bootable drive.

Detailed Guide

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