JCB1
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There are many different reasons why you might want to make a usb thumb drive bootable, The main reason is to use the usb thumb drive as a recovery tool, but you can use it for many more different things as well. In this guide I will show you lots of different ways to make a usb thumb drive bootable.
Contents For Make USB Thumb Drive Bootable
Pre Checks – Enable your system to boot to a usb thumb drive.
Method 1 – Simple method to make a usb thumb drive bootable
Method 2 – Create an MS-DOS bootable usb thumb drive
Method 3 – Create a multiple anti-virus bootable usb thumb drive
Method 4 – Create a bootable utility usb thumb drive
Method 5 – Create a bootable linux install usb thumb drive
Pre Checks How to Make usb Thumb Drive Bootable
First thing you need to do is to make sure your computer can boot to usb drives. Go in to your computers BIOS (Usually F1, del or etc key on post) and make sure the option “Boot to usb / boot to usb floppy / Boot to usb zip†is enabled. If this option is not in the BIOS don't worry, some computers enable it by default. Next take a look at the computers boot list and make sure that the usb drive is set to the #1 position.
Method 1 – Simple Method to Make a usb Thumb Drive Bootable
By far the easiest way to create a bootable usb thumb drive is to use a program from hp called “HP Drive Key Boot Utilityâ€
Step 1 : Download from HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool - v2.1.8 Download - EXTREME Overclocking and install the program.
Step 2 : Download the windows 98 system files @ Windows 98 System Files Download - EXTREME Overclocking extract the files in to a folder.
Step 3 : Make sure your usb thumb drive is inserted in to your computer and format it with fat32 file system. Now run the HP drive key program.
Step 4 : Make sure the correct usb thumb drive is selected under device, Select fat32 under file system, Tick “Quick Format†box, Tick “Create a DOS startup disk†then click on the three dots in the square on the right and browse to the folder where you extracted the windows 98 system files in step 2. Then click on start and follow the prompts. (All the options you need to take are shown in the picture below.
Now if you put the usb thumb drive in your system and boot to it your system will boot to a windows 98 dos screen which will include a few basic programs such as edit, print, echo. If you want to add more programs search the web for such programs.
Method 2 – Create an MS-DOS Bootable usb Thumb Drive
This bootable usb thumb drive is similar to the bootable drive described in method 1.
Step 1 : Download a program called unetbootin UNetbootin – ISO to Bootable USB Drive | Make Bootable Disks Extract the file and double click on the .exe file and you will get a screen like the one below.
Step 2 : Download the .iso file for ms-dos. You can get that from here AllBootDisks ISO Image Downloads | AllBootDisks - Providing Free Boot Disks from MS-DOS to Windows XP. this iso is for ms-dos 6.22, If you want to use another version of dos its not a problem, just get the iso of the version you want, try searching http://www.allbootdisks.com
Step 2 : Now you have the iso file go back to the unetbootin program and select the “Disk image†radio button, make sure “ISO†is selected then browse to your ISO (Shown in PIC above)
Step 3 : Once that is done make sure “USB Drive†is selected under type and the correct drive is selected under “Drive†Now double check all the settings and if you are ok with them hit the ok button.
Method 3 – Create a Multiple Anti-Virus Bootable usb Thumb Drive
If you had a bootable usb thumb drive with many different anti-virus programs this could be very handy in cleaning up infected pcs without connecting them to the network. You could scan the PCs with many different virus scanners before you connect the PC back to the network. We are going to make this multiple anti-virus bootable usb thumb drive with a program called Sardu, With this program we can include the following anti-virus scanners
-Avira AntiVir Rescue System -BitDefender antivirus Rescue
-Dr.Web Live
-PC Tool AOSS
-AVG Rescue
-F-Secure Antivirus Rescue
-GDATA Rescue
-Kaspersky
-Kav Rescue
-Panda Safe
Step 1 : Download Sardu from http://www.make-bootable-disks.com/downloads-utilities/sardu-94.html and extract the file in to a folder. Now double click on the sardu.exe file and the program will load.
Step 2 : Click on the anti-virus tab, Put a tick in the box next to the anti-virus scanners you want to include. When you click on the name an internet window will open which will take you to the anti-viruses website where you can download the lastest anti-virus version from them. The file will be in .ISO format, save this .ISO file in to the ISO folder where the sardu.exe is located.
Step 3 : Close the Sardu program and reopen. When you reopen you will notice that there will be a tick in the box next to the virus scanner you just downloaded. Click on the disc icon to burn all the antivirus programs to a bootable .iso file.
Step 4 : Using a program called Unetbootin you can easily burn your ISO files to a usb device. Download unetbootin http://www.make-bootable-disks.com/downloads-utilities/unetbootin-iso-to-bootable-usb-drive-13.html Extract the file and double click on the .exe file.
Step 5 : Select the “Disk image†radio button, make sure “ISO†is selected then browse to your ISO. Once that is done make sure “USB Drive†is selected under type and the correct drive is selected under “Drive†Now double check all the settings and if you are ok with them hit the ok button.
Method 4 – Create a bootable utility usb thumb drive
I am going to show you an easy way we can make a bootable utility usb thumb drive using Hirens boot CD. Hirens Boot CD Is probably the most popular utility boot disk around.
Step 1 : Download GRUB4DOS from http://www.hiren.info/download/dos-files/grub4dos.zip
Step 2 : Download USB Disk Storage Format from http://www.hiren.info/download/freeware-tools/USBFormat.zip now run the program. Make sure the disk radio button is selected and select your usb thumb drive from the drop down menu. Under Part List make sure “Whole disk (MBR)†is selected from the drop down and click on refresh, Then click on install. All steps are shown in the pic below.
Step 3 : The usb thumb drive is now bootable, we need to add the utilities. Download hirens boot cd and extract all the files to the root of your usb thumb drive. Now copy the file “grldr†from the GRUB4DOS files and paste this file on the root of your usb thumb drive.
Method 5 – Create a bootable linux install usb thumb drive
This bootable usb thumb drive is similar to the bootable drive described in method 2.
Step 1 : Download a program called unetbootin http://www.make-bootable-disks.com/downloads-utilities/unetbootin-iso-to-bootable-usb-drive-13.html Extract the file and double click on the .exe.
Step 2 : First thing we need to do is select the media source, We can use two sources “Distribution†or “ISOâ€. If you select the “Distribution†radio tab (Shown Below) you can then select the version of linux you want to install, The unetbootin program will then automatically download the version of Linux that you have selected. If you have an ISO file of the linux version you wish to install you can select the Disk image tab (shown below) then select ISO and browse to the ISO file and add it to the program.
Step 3 : Once that is done make sure “USB Drive†is selected under type and the correct drive is selected under “Drive†Now double check all the settings and if you are ok with them hit the ok button and follow the prompts.
Contents For Make USB Thumb Drive Bootable
Pre Checks – Enable your system to boot to a usb thumb drive.
Method 1 – Simple method to make a usb thumb drive bootable
Method 2 – Create an MS-DOS bootable usb thumb drive
Method 3 – Create a multiple anti-virus bootable usb thumb drive
Method 4 – Create a bootable utility usb thumb drive
Method 5 – Create a bootable linux install usb thumb drive
Pre Checks How to Make usb Thumb Drive Bootable
First thing you need to do is to make sure your computer can boot to usb drives. Go in to your computers BIOS (Usually F1, del or etc key on post) and make sure the option “Boot to usb / boot to usb floppy / Boot to usb zip†is enabled. If this option is not in the BIOS don't worry, some computers enable it by default. Next take a look at the computers boot list and make sure that the usb drive is set to the #1 position.
Method 1 – Simple Method to Make a usb Thumb Drive Bootable
By far the easiest way to create a bootable usb thumb drive is to use a program from hp called “HP Drive Key Boot Utilityâ€
Step 1 : Download from HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool - v2.1.8 Download - EXTREME Overclocking and install the program.
Step 2 : Download the windows 98 system files @ Windows 98 System Files Download - EXTREME Overclocking extract the files in to a folder.
Step 3 : Make sure your usb thumb drive is inserted in to your computer and format it with fat32 file system. Now run the HP drive key program.
Step 4 : Make sure the correct usb thumb drive is selected under device, Select fat32 under file system, Tick “Quick Format†box, Tick “Create a DOS startup disk†then click on the three dots in the square on the right and browse to the folder where you extracted the windows 98 system files in step 2. Then click on start and follow the prompts. (All the options you need to take are shown in the picture below.
Now if you put the usb thumb drive in your system and boot to it your system will boot to a windows 98 dos screen which will include a few basic programs such as edit, print, echo. If you want to add more programs search the web for such programs.
Method 2 – Create an MS-DOS Bootable usb Thumb Drive
This bootable usb thumb drive is similar to the bootable drive described in method 1.
Step 1 : Download a program called unetbootin UNetbootin – ISO to Bootable USB Drive | Make Bootable Disks Extract the file and double click on the .exe file and you will get a screen like the one below.
Step 2 : Download the .iso file for ms-dos. You can get that from here AllBootDisks ISO Image Downloads | AllBootDisks - Providing Free Boot Disks from MS-DOS to Windows XP. this iso is for ms-dos 6.22, If you want to use another version of dos its not a problem, just get the iso of the version you want, try searching http://www.allbootdisks.com
Step 2 : Now you have the iso file go back to the unetbootin program and select the “Disk image†radio button, make sure “ISO†is selected then browse to your ISO (Shown in PIC above)
Step 3 : Once that is done make sure “USB Drive†is selected under type and the correct drive is selected under “Drive†Now double check all the settings and if you are ok with them hit the ok button.
Method 3 – Create a Multiple Anti-Virus Bootable usb Thumb Drive
If you had a bootable usb thumb drive with many different anti-virus programs this could be very handy in cleaning up infected pcs without connecting them to the network. You could scan the PCs with many different virus scanners before you connect the PC back to the network. We are going to make this multiple anti-virus bootable usb thumb drive with a program called Sardu, With this program we can include the following anti-virus scanners
-Avira AntiVir Rescue System -BitDefender antivirus Rescue
-Dr.Web Live
-PC Tool AOSS
-AVG Rescue
-F-Secure Antivirus Rescue
-GDATA Rescue
-Kaspersky
-Kav Rescue
-Panda Safe
Step 1 : Download Sardu from http://www.make-bootable-disks.com/downloads-utilities/sardu-94.html and extract the file in to a folder. Now double click on the sardu.exe file and the program will load.
Step 2 : Click on the anti-virus tab, Put a tick in the box next to the anti-virus scanners you want to include. When you click on the name an internet window will open which will take you to the anti-viruses website where you can download the lastest anti-virus version from them. The file will be in .ISO format, save this .ISO file in to the ISO folder where the sardu.exe is located.
Step 3 : Close the Sardu program and reopen. When you reopen you will notice that there will be a tick in the box next to the virus scanner you just downloaded. Click on the disc icon to burn all the antivirus programs to a bootable .iso file.
Step 4 : Using a program called Unetbootin you can easily burn your ISO files to a usb device. Download unetbootin http://www.make-bootable-disks.com/downloads-utilities/unetbootin-iso-to-bootable-usb-drive-13.html Extract the file and double click on the .exe file.
Step 5 : Select the “Disk image†radio button, make sure “ISO†is selected then browse to your ISO. Once that is done make sure “USB Drive†is selected under type and the correct drive is selected under “Drive†Now double check all the settings and if you are ok with them hit the ok button.
Method 4 – Create a bootable utility usb thumb drive
I am going to show you an easy way we can make a bootable utility usb thumb drive using Hirens boot CD. Hirens Boot CD Is probably the most popular utility boot disk around.
Step 1 : Download GRUB4DOS from http://www.hiren.info/download/dos-files/grub4dos.zip
Step 2 : Download USB Disk Storage Format from http://www.hiren.info/download/freeware-tools/USBFormat.zip now run the program. Make sure the disk radio button is selected and select your usb thumb drive from the drop down menu. Under Part List make sure “Whole disk (MBR)†is selected from the drop down and click on refresh, Then click on install. All steps are shown in the pic below.
Step 3 : The usb thumb drive is now bootable, we need to add the utilities. Download hirens boot cd and extract all the files to the root of your usb thumb drive. Now copy the file “grldr†from the GRUB4DOS files and paste this file on the root of your usb thumb drive.
Method 5 – Create a bootable linux install usb thumb drive
This bootable usb thumb drive is similar to the bootable drive described in method 2.
Step 1 : Download a program called unetbootin http://www.make-bootable-disks.com/downloads-utilities/unetbootin-iso-to-bootable-usb-drive-13.html Extract the file and double click on the .exe.
Step 2 : First thing we need to do is select the media source, We can use two sources “Distribution†or “ISOâ€. If you select the “Distribution†radio tab (Shown Below) you can then select the version of linux you want to install, The unetbootin program will then automatically download the version of Linux that you have selected. If you have an ISO file of the linux version you wish to install you can select the Disk image tab (shown below) then select ISO and browse to the ISO file and add it to the program.
Step 3 : Once that is done make sure “USB Drive†is selected under type and the correct drive is selected under “Drive†Now double check all the settings and if you are ok with them hit the ok button and follow the prompts.
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