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Create Bootable Usb Drive

By: Lara Stewart

Break Studios Contributing Writer

Learning how to create a bootable USB drive is a valuable skill. Bootable USBs allow you to install an operating system without having to use a DVD. NetBooks do not come with DVD drives, so, a bootable USB can save you from having to purchase one to change or update your operating system. Plus, even if you use a computer that has a DVD drive, the opportunity to cut down on waste by not burning a DVD is always nice.

To create a bootable USB drive, you will need:

  • your computer
  • a USB drive with a large enough capacity for the files you want to put on the drive
  • the OS and other files that you wish to put on your bootable USB

To create a bootable USB drive:

  1. First, insert the USB drive into your computer and back up any data that is already on your USB drive. Creating a bootable USB involves formatting the drive, which will remove all data that is currently on it.
  2. Go to the Start menu, and click on the search box. Type "CMD" and then hit shift+ctrl+enter. This will open the command prompt, which will appear as a black window with white type.
  3. Now that you are in the command prompt environment, enter the following commands one at a time, hitting enter after each: DISKPART and LISTDISK. This will bring up a list of disks that are currently on your computer.
  4. Tell the computer to select your USB drive by typing "SELECT DISK X" with the disk number of your USB drive replacing X. You are now able to write to that disk using the command line.
  5. Type the following commands, and hit enter after each: CLEAN, CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY, SELECT PARTITION 1, ACTIVE, FORMAT FS=NTSF, ASSIGN, EXIT.
  6. Minimize the command prompt.
  7. Insert your OS DVD into the DVD drive.
  8. Go to "Computer" in your start menu. Make a note of which drive letter is used for the USB drive and the DVD drive.
  9. Maximize the command prompt again. Type the following into it, substituting the drive letters used on your computer for those in this example: D:CD BOOT. "D" should be replaced with the number of your DVD drive. Hit enter.
  10. Type "CD BOOT" and hit enter. This should prompt your computer to return this message: "BOOTSEC.EXE/NT60 F:". "F" will be replaced by whatever drive letter your bootable USB drive is.
  11. Copy and paste your OS DVD to your bootable USB drive.
Posted on: Apr. 14, 2011