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How to Use an Operating System from a USB Stick

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Use an Operating System from a USB Stick

Do you want to carry around ALL your settings and not just portable applications? Do you have a netbook and would like to try another operating system? Perhaps you don't have a CD or DVD drive and would like to use another operating system. Well now you can - by booting one from a USB stick!

Edit Steps

  1. 1
    Ensure your PC is new enough to have a BIOS that can boot from USB[1].
  2. 2
    Get a USB stick with enough capacity for the operating system you intend to install (probably 8Gb).
  3. 3
    Installing Windows XP onto USB requires tweaking[2] and third-party software.
  4. 4
    Fedora Live USB creator
    Fedora Live USB creator
    Windows users can install the following Linux distros to the USB stick from within a Windows environment;
    • Ubuntu, Kubuntu and Xubuntu (since v8.10)[3]
    • Fedora (since v8)[4]
    • Knoppix (since v5.1)[5]
    • SLAX (since v6)[6]
    • PCLinuxOS MiniMe
  5. 5
    Non-Windows users may have to use a PC with a CD or DVD drive then install Linux to the USB stick. The following Linux distros can be installed to USB from the Live CD environment;
    • Ubuntu, Kubuntu and Xubuntu (since v8.10)[7]
    • Knoppix (since v5.1)[8]
    • OpenSuse[9]
  6. 6
    Mac-on-Stick enables you to run Mac OS Classic 7.01[10].

Edit Warnings

  • Flash memory has a finite number of erase-write cycles. Most commercially available flash products are guaranteed to withstand around 100,000 write-erase-cycles.

Edit Related wikiHows

Edit Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.pendrivelinux.com/2007/09/17/testing-your-system-for-usb-boot-compatibility/
  2. ↑ http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showforum=157
  3. ↑ http://www.pendrivelinux.com/2008/11/04/live-ubuntu-810-usb-persistent-install-windows/
  4. ↑ http://www.pendrivelinux.com/2008/05/17/install-fedora-9-to-a-flash-drive-using-windows/
  5. ↑ http://www.pendrivelinux.com/2007/01/01/usb-knoppix-510/
  6. ↑ http://www.pendrivelinux.com/2006/09/20/all-in-one-usb-slaxzip/
  7. ↑ http://www.pendrivelinux.com/2008/11/01/ubuntu-810-install-using-the-built-in-usb-installer/
  8. ↑ http://www.pendrivelinux.com/2007/02/20/installing-usb-knoppix-51-using-linux/
  9. ↑ http://www.pendrivelinux.com/2008/03/28/usb-suse-flash-drive-install/
  10. ↑ http://www.linuxbeacon.com/doku.php?id=minivmac

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Article Info

Last edited:
January 24, 2011 by Krystle

Categories:
Operating Systems

Recent edits by: Maestro44, JohnHoss, Martyn P (see all)

In other languages
Deutsch: Wie man ein Betriebssystem von einem USB Stick startet

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