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Create a Bootable Ubuntu USB Flash Drive the Easy Way

Weve already covered how to use an Ubuntu Live CD to backup files from your dead
Windows computer, but using the boot cd can sometimes be a little slow. We can speed
up the booting process by installing Ubuntu to a bootable USB flash drive instead.
To accomplish this, well use a tiny software package called UNetbootin, which is designed
to make the installation process simple and easy.
Create the Bootable Flash Drive
Youll first need to download the UNetbootin software and save it somewhere useful, since
theres no installation required, just double-click to run.
I chose to use an already downloaded ISO image of the Ubuntu installation cd, and then
chose my flash drive, and clicked the OK button. Yes, this step is as simple as that.

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The process will extract the files from the ISO image (or download them), copy them to
the flash drive and then install the bootloader. Depending on what you are installing, this
really doesnt take very long.

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Once the process is completed, youll be prompted to reboot which you dont necessarily
have to do unless you want to test booting the flash drive on the same machine you are
using.

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Otherwise you can hit the Exit button.

Make Sure the Partition is Active
If you get a boot device error when you try and boot from the flash device, it could be that
your partition is not marked as active. What well do is use the command line diskpart
utility to fix this if you are in Vista open an administrator mode command prompt by
right-clicking and choosing Run as Administrator.
Now youll need to run this command to figure out the number of your flash drive:
list disk

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This will show you the list of drives, and you will use the disk number in the select disk
command:
select disk 1
select partition 1
active
The active command will actually mark the current partition as active, which is why you
need to select the disk and then the partition. At this point you should be done.

Booting From the Flash Drive

Now that you are all finished, you can try and boot from the flash drive. Every BIOS is
different, but most of them will have a message like Press F12 for the Boot Menu, which
is highly suggested. The boot menu will allow you to select the USB drive as the boot

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is highly suggested. The boot menu will allow you to select the USB drive as the boot
device. (apologies for the simply horrible camera phone screenshots)

Instead of the regular Ubuntu boot menu that you might be used to seeing, you will see
the UNetbootin menu, which has essentially the same options.

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Useful Note
If you are having issues booting Ubuntu Hardy (8.04) on a Dell machine, you might want
to switch back to using Ubuntu 7.10 instead.
I was able to boot all the way into the desktop in about 35 seconds using the flash drive
way faster than using the regular live cd.

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Stay tuned, were going to explore even more options for bootable CDs and USB drives
that help you repair your computer.
Download UNetbootin from sourceforge.net
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Comments (107)
September 2, 2008 5:43 am

Mohan

Excellent tip, I discovered this last week as I got the Asus Eee box and wanted to put Kubuntu
on it and after a little googling I ran into UNetbootin and it works like a charm.

September 2, 2008 5:47 am

Peter

What size USB Flash Drive would you suggest?

September 2, 2008 5:52 am

The Geek

@Peter
Thats a good question, I forgot to include it youll probably need a 1GB or larger drive to be
able to fit the contents of the ISO image.

September 2, 2008 6:14 am

raphoenix

What a nice surprise in my E-mail in-box this morning. Finally a small installer program that
doesnt require a 100 page explanation and 10 re-compiles to get a program to run on a
machine or device. Hats-Off to the folks over at Source Forge AND to The-Geek for another
Great How-To Article.
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Rick P.

September 2, 2008 7:19 am

haider_up32

any tips on to bootup linux distros from portable hdds

September 2, 2008 8:39 am

EJDean

Great article. Is it possible to have an fully customised Ubuntu ditsro installed on the USB stick?

September 2, 2008 9:48 am

murl

Is it possible to do same with CD? How ?

September 2, 2008 10:31 am

Bush -- not related

I mightve missed it, but does this process create a USB-based disc that allows for persistent
writes? That is, a fully editable environment? Or is this merely a USB-based Live CD?

September 2, 2008 10:35 am

Jean-Francois Messier

Although I did not use the program for hard disks just yet, I understand you would then select
Hard Disk and then select the drive letter for your USB-based device. Or just use the USB
device, it being a hard disk instead of flash memory. This should be the same as for the
software installation/download on the device.

September 2, 2008 10:22 pm

Mick Barker Sr.

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It probably wouldnt hurt to have a Two Gig Flash Drive for this, that way you always have extra
space for added programs, backups, etc.

September 3, 2008 10:09 pm

Yang

Hi, this boot disk is working, however not seem to be persistent. So no changes will be saved.

September 4, 2008 12:57 pm

John

I tried the latest Puppy Linux on a 512MB stick and it works good. It will allow you to save
changes and data to a save file of some kind.

September 4, 2008 2:39 pm

NOOBISH

does this install to the thumb or write over HD and windows install dont really want that (yet)
till I have driven and see how the games do then maybe kick vista to the curb thanks for
help.

September 4, 2008 3:24 pm

Bush -- not related

noonish, this is a live cd-type thang: doesnt touch your HD.

September 5, 2008 8:21 am

noobish

sweet I have the flash drive with the live but havent done the install gonna work on it next
many thanx, noobish

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September 7, 2008 4:13 pm

Daniel

Dear Geek,
Excellent website and tips! Just created my UBUNTU USB and it works great, except it will not
connect to the wireless signal. I tried it on two different laptops without results.
Also, is it possible to add items to the UBUNTU, such as a Virus Scanner and a Windows Boot
Sector repair tool?
Daniel

September 8, 2008 12:39 am

Chris

Argghhh help. Ive followed all your steps Mr Geek but when I go2 my boot menu on my Dell
Pheonix Award Bios and select USB its goes threw and say unable to load bootmgr :(

September 15, 2008 7:16 am

Irony

Dont people see the sad irony in using Windows and Windows utilities to create Linux/Ubuntu
setups? Ubuntu on a USB stick is a great idea. Using Windows to accomplish it, not so much.

September 15, 2008 8:01 am

Mike Honeycutt

Thanks for the article.

Has anyone created the ultimate USB key that boots Linux and Windows PE?
I play with this occasionally and can get one OS to install/boot from the USB key but not both.
Id be willing to pay for the details.
Mike Honeycutt

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September 16, 2008 2:30 am

Javaid

Great piece of advice!

Thanks very much for such a kind supoort.

September 29, 2008 12:13 am

James Charlton

Awesome..
so what do you do when the USB thumb wont show up after entering list disk.
two brand new 4GB Kingston data travelers
they show when you list volume but not list disk. They work for data transfer and benchmark
fine. just an issue with the brand/make
thoughts?

September 29, 2008 1:28 am

Bush -- not related

Ive been quite happy with my Kingston data traveler (4GB). Ive made and destroyed several
bootable drives on it, most recently a puppy linux to run on my eee when I borked the Asus,
somehow (can one EVER learn enough Linux to stop doing that?).
As for the fool who doesnt understand the definition of irony well, if all one has is Windows
but one would verymuch like to experience non-Windows, what are the alternatives? Its not
ironic, its cleverly using Windows against itself.

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