How to Boot a USB

How To Boot A Usb – Have you had problems with your computer and need to reinstall the operating system (OS) or do you want to start programs without starting the OS? For these cases, it is common to resort to the use of bootable or bootable drives, such as USBs or DVDs, which have the ability to open and start programs on computers where the OS has not yet been loaded into RAM.

What is a Bootable USB

A bootable or bootable USB drive refers to a bootable removable drive that is capable of booting itself inside the computer without the need for an operating system to open applications. With a bootable USB, you will be able to run features that the operating system might not include, reinstall operating systems, or even run them without going through the installation process. To boot a USB, you generally need the following:

ISO image of the program or file that you want to open or run on your computer.

Pendrive that is clearly larger than the file you want to put in it (at least 4 GB and up).

Application that permits you to boot the USB. Next, we will see numerous options to complete it.

Programs to boot a USB

There is additional than one program that you can use to boot a USB, about are integrated into the operating system and others must be downloaded beforehand. These are some of the top programs to boot a USB :

Rufus : is an external application that will allow you to boot a USB with ISO images. These do not essentially have to be for Windows, as they can also be from other operating systems. The benefit of this program is that it works for all OS (Windows, macOS, Linux/GNU). It is translated into Spanish, is free and has portable versions that do not require installation.

RMPrepUSB : Also an external application, it is one of the most effective programs to boot storage drives. It is possible to save more than one software on the same drive, as long as there is space for it and they do not exceed the 2 TB limit. Like Rufus, RMPrepUSB is also free, but it does not have a Spanish version.

UNetbootin : This option is exclusive to GNU/Linux operating systems, although it can be installed on all other operating systems. It is one of the oldest ways to create bootable USBs and is supported by Ubuntu .

There are other programs integrated in the operating system that you can use to boot a USB, then we will explain how to do it. In any case, and whatever program you decide to use, it is important that you know that everything in memory will be erased. For that reason, you should format the USB beforehand and make a backup to make sure there are no files on it that you might lose. Learn how to format a flash drive by clicking on the link.

How to boot a USB with Windows 7 step by step

To create a bootable USB with Windows 7, you can use the built-in Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool. To know how to boot a USB with USB/DVD Download Tool , follow these steps:

Locate the program to boot a USB on your computer, select it and click on “Browse”.

Go to the folder where the file or ISO is located, press the right mouse button and click on the “open” or “open” option.

Then click the “next” or “next” button.

In the second phase of this procedure, after the device has recognized the USB drive to boot, select Begin copying. In this way, the program will take care of formatting your flash drive.

When this procedure is finished, your USB device will be ready to work as an installation tool in Windows 7, 8.1 and even 10 operating systems.

In our article How to install Windows 7 from USB we give you the step-by-step details so that you can achieve it successfully.

How to generate a bootable Windows 10 USB

In case you are looking to install or reinstall the Windows 10 operating system, this is what you have to do to learn how to make a Windows 10 bootable USB :

Download the Windows 10 ISO image: You can do it using the Official Media Creation Tool or through the Windows Tech Bench web service. In case you want to use the latter, go to the Microsoft website and select the Microsoft “Tech Bench ISO” option.

Make sure you have a flash drive or memory card with at least 8 GB of storage, since the space for the operating system can take up more than half.

Accept the terms and conditions that appear on the page, and choose the option “Create installation media for another computer”.

Choose the language, version and architecture (32 or 64 bits).

Then, select the “USB Flash Drive” option, with which the download of Windows 10 will begin on the device once you connect it.

If this does not come out at the end of the procedure, you can press the option “Update the list of units”.

Once the download is complete, the operating system will be stored on the device and will be ready to use when you need it.

Having a bootable USB with Windows 7, 8, 10, among others, is a good investment when it comes to solving boot failures that your computer may experience. With these simple tips you can do it yourself without the need to resort to third parties.