Making a USB stick bootable

Do you have an old USB stick that you no longer use? Make it an installation disc for Windows, Linux or Mac, or a diagnostic tool for your PC. Follow the steps in this article to learn how to do that.

Steps

Method 1 of 5: Using a USB flash drive to install an operating system on a PC

Step #1. Open a command prompt window

You can only do this from an account with administrator rights. Right click on it and select "Run as administrator". You may now need to enter the administrator password.

• This method creates a bootable USB stick, or a bootable disk. Then you can copy an operating system installation disc onto the USB stick to create a portable installation disc.
• This method only works with Windows Vista, 7, and 8.

Step 2. Open the "Disk Management" utility

You open this with the command disk part to enter.

Step 3. Display the connected drives

Type the command list disk to display a list of all drives connected to your computer. You should also find your USB stick here. Remember the number printed next to your USB stick.

Step 4. Select the USB stick

Type the command select disk #, replacing “#” with the number listed next to the USB stick in the previous step.

Step 5. Erase the USB stick

Type the command clean, then the disk management program will check the disk and erase all data that was on the stick.

Step 6. Create a bootable partition

When the USB stick has been erased, type create partition primary. If all is well, the message will appear that the process has been successfully completed.

Step 7. Select the new partition

Type the command select partition 1 and press Enter. When the confirmation message appears, type active and press Enter. This will activate the partition.

Step 8. Format the USB stick

Type the command format fs=fat32. After pressing Enter, the program will run for a few minutes (with a 32 GB stick it can even take hours), the progress is shown with a percentage.

Step 9. Assign the USB stick a drive letter

Type the command assign to assign a letter. type exit to exit the Disk Management utility.

Step 10. Copy the operating system

The moment you have made a boot disk from the USB stick, you can put the installation files of the desired operating system on your stick.

Also copy any drivers you might need during the installation to make the process easier

Method 2 of 5: Create a Windows Vista or 7 installation disc

Step 1. Create or get the ISO file from Windows Vista or 7

Install software that allows you to burn DVDs, among other things. There are several free programs that you can use to burn DVDs. You need a program that can also create ISO files. If you already have a downloadable ISO file available to you by purchasing Windows 7, you can go straight to the next step.

• Place the Windows 7 DVD in the tray. Open your new software. Look for the “Copy to Image” or “Create Image” option. Select your DVD drive as the source when prompted.

  

• Save your ISO file. Choose a name and location that are easy to remember. The ISO file will be the same size as the original file you are copying. First check if there is enough space on your disk.

  

• Creating the ISO file can take quite some time, depending on the speed of your computer and DVD drive.

Step 2. Download the "Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool" utility

You can download this program for free from the Windows site. Despite the name, the program also works with Windows Vista ISO files. You can actually use this utility for all versions of Windows.

Step 3. Select the source file

This is the ISO file you created or downloaded in the first section. Click on "Next".

Step 4. Select "USB device"

You can now choose whether to burn a DVD or create a USB device. Choose "USB device".

Step 5. Choose the USB device

Make sure your USB stick is in a USB port. You must have at least 4 GB of free space on the USB stick to copy Windows.

Step 6. Wait while the program is running

The program will now format the USB stick so that it can boot properly, then the ISO file will be placed on the stick. Copying can take about 15 minutes, depending on the speed of your computer.

Method 3 of 5: Create a Windows XP installation disc

Step 1. Gather the necessary software and hardware

You need the "USB_Prep8" and "bootsect.exe" utilities. These programs, intended for developers, are free to download. You also need a USB stick of at least 1 GB, and a Windows XP installation CD or DVD.

• Insert the USB stick into a USB port and place the CD or DVD in the tray. Close any Windows windows that open automatically.

  

Step 2. Extract and run the USB_Prep8 program

If you double click on the zip file a folder will be created, start "usb_prep8.cmd" within this folder. Press any key to format the USB stick with "PeToUSB". Note: In Windows 7, you must run "usb_prop8.cmd" from a command prompt window, using an account with administrator privileges.

Step 3. Start formatting

Do not change any settings in the PeToUSB window. When formatting is complete, leave both windows open and open a new Command Prompt window by pressing Windows key + R, then type “cmd” in the field.

Step 4. Extract the bootsect program

After that, navigate to the bootsect folder in the new command prompt window. If you are in the bootsect folder, type “bootsect.exe /nt52 Z:”. Change the letter Z to the letter of your USB stick.

• You cannot have windows open showing the contents of the USB stick or the process will fail and you will have to start over.
• Bootsect copies the files needed to boot from a USB stick. When the process is complete you will get the following message: “Bootcode was successfully updated on all targeted volumes”. Close this window and PeToUSB, but keep the usb_prep8 command prompt window open.

Step 5. Adjust the settings of Prep8

When bootsect has finished copying, the usb_prep8 window displays a numbered menu where you can change settings. You need to change the first three settings:

• Press 1 and then Enter. Select the drive containing the Windows XP CD or DVD and press OK.

  

• Press 2 and then Enter. If you already have a drive on your computer with the letter T, change this option to another letter. Otherwise, leave it as it is.

  

• Press 3 and then Enter. Enter the letter of the USB stick here.

  

Step 6. Start copying

To do this, press 4 and then Enter. A message will appear stating that this choice will format the virtual drive from the previous menu. Press Y to continue. When formatting is complete, press any key to continue.

• You will see the files being copied scroll across the screen. Now press any key again to continue. After some time, a window will appear asking if you want to copy the "TempDrive Files". Press Yes and wait about 15 minutes. Then press Yes twice more.

  

Step 7. Start installing Windows XP

Now the process is complete. Insert the USB stick into the computer on which you want to install Windows XP. Set the BIOS so that the computer boots from the USB stick.

• When the boot menu opens, select Option 1. Now the installation of Windows XP will begin.
• After the computer restarts, select Option 2 to start the GUI (Graphical User Interface) portion of the installation.
• Do not remove the USB stick until installation is complete.

  

Method 4 of 5: Creating a "USB PC Repair Toolkit"

Step 1. Download the ISO file from Ultimate Boot CD (UBCD)

This file can be downloaded for free here. UBCD is a collection of diagnostic tools that can be run before the system is started. It is useful to keep these programs all together on a USB stick. You will also need the "Universal USB Installer" program, which can be found here. Put this program in the same folder as the previously downloaded ISO file.

Step 2. Launch the "Universal USB Installer" program

Select "Ultimate Boot CD" from the menu. Select the correct drive letter, that of your USB stick. Click on "Create".

Step 3. Boot from your USB stick

After the USB stick has been formatted, you can boot from the USB stick and run utilities.

Method 5 of 5: Create an installation disk from your USB stick for Mac OS X 10.7 or 10.8

Step 1. Gather the necessary software and hardware

Your stick must be 8 GB or larger. You will also need the OS X installer. Download the program and insert the USB stick into a USB port.

Step #2. Open Disk Utility

This program can be found in the "Utilities" folder, under "Applications". With this program you can turn your USB stick into a startup disk. In the left column, select your USB stick and open the "Partitioning" tab. Under "Partition layout", select "1 partition".

Step 3. Select the structure

Click the menu next to "Structure" and select "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)". This way you can be sure that the stick can be read by all Macs. Click "Options" and select "GUID Partition Table".

Step 4. Locate the installation file for Mac OS X

This is the app you downloaded from the Mac App Store. You can find it in the "Applications" folder. Right click on the file and select "Show Package Contents". Open "Contents" and then "Shared Support". Here you will find a file called "InstallESD.dmg". Drag this file to your desktop.

Step 5. Open Disk Utility again

Click on the USB stick in the left column. Click the "Restore" tab and click the "Disk Image" button next to the "Source" field. Select the file "InstallESD.dmg" on your desktop. As "Target" drag the newly created partition to the field.

Step 6. Click on "Restore"

You will be asked for confirmation. Click "Clear" to continue. Depending on the speed of your Mac, it can take up to an hour for the process to complete. After that, you can boot from the USB stick and install Mac OS X the same way you would if you were using a DVD.