3 Ways to Install Ubuntu on a USB Stick From Windows

If you're willing successful trying Ubuntu but presently usage Windows, you whitethorn deliberation you request a technician to help. Fortunately, nan task is easy and quick, and you tin do it without an master around. All you request to do is create a bootable Ubuntu USB drive, besides called a unrecorded disk.

Live disks are complete operating systems (OSes) that you tin tally from a USB stick. They're useful for galore reasons, for illustration utilizing nationalist computers pinch less risks, arsenic is our case, trying Ubuntu without removing Windows. So, let's do it!

First, Download nan Ubuntu ISO

The first measurement is downloading nan ISO image from Ubuntu's website. On that page, you request to take which Ubuntu type you want. LTS (Long-Term Support) intends you won't person each nan caller features, but information updates are provided for 5 years. The regular type (XX.04 aliases XX.10, wherever XX is nan existent year) only gets 9 months of support, but you'll beryllium capable to upgrade each April and October—new versions are released successful these months each year.

Regardless of nan type you choose, click nan respective greenish "Download" fastener connected nan correct broadside of nan screen. The ISO record is considerably large, astir 5GB, truthful it whitethorn return immoderate clip to complete.

An ISO record is called a "disk image". Simply put, it's for illustration compressing everything successful a difficult thrust into a azygous file. You tin usage ISOs for respective things, and successful our case, we'll conscionable "copy" each nan disk files to our USB stick.

While you hold for nan download to finish, instal nan instrumentality to make that ISO record your caller Ubuntu USB disk. We person 3 options: balenaEtcher, Rufus, and Ventoy.

Option 1: Use balenaEtcher to Install Ubuntu From Windows

balenaEtcher is perchance nan astir straightforward instrumentality to instal Ubuntu connected a USB stick. Start by downloading balenaEtcher. It has an installable type and a portable 1 that runs straight from nan EXE file.

After opening balenaEtcher, click connected "Flash From File" and navigate to nan downloaded file's location. Then, take your USB thrust connected "Selected Target". The app usually hides your computer's disks, listing only removable ones. Then, click connected "Flash!" to start.

You mightiness beryllium prompted to run nan app arsenic administrator. Allow it, and past balenaEtcher will instal Ubuntu connected your USB thrust (green advancement bar), besides doing a verification cheque to guarantee nary files were corrupted (orange advancement bar). When you spot nan "Flash Completed" prompt, it's done.

Option 2: Install Ubuntu From Windows Using Rufus

Rufus is besides an easy instrumentality to instal Ubuntu from Windows. However, pinch its optional features, it whitethorn look much analyzable than it is.

To begin, download Rufus—again, location are installable and portable versions, but some are very mini downloads.

Rufus opens pinch a mini model showing a fewer options. There's nary request to interest astir about of them. Just prime your USB thrust connected "Device" and your ISO record successful "Boot Selection" by clicking nan "Select" button. After that, click nan "Start" fastener astatine nan bottommost of nan window.

Rufus will springiness you a fewer warnings. You tin conscionable click "OK" done them all, we conscionable request nan default settings. When nan advancement barroom (highlighted successful red) finishes, nan process is done.

Option 3: Install Ubuntu From Windows With Ventoy

Ventoy useful otherwise from nan erstwhile tools. Both balenaEtcher and Rufus activity by "flashing" nan ISO file: they transcript each nan files from nan disk image to nan USB instrumentality and past alteration a mounting to show computers that this thrust tin beryllium utilized to commencement a machine up (like nan soul HDD aliases SSD your machine usually boots from).

Ventoy, connected nan different hand, is for illustration a micro-sized OS. You flash Ventoy connected nan USB instrumentality and past transcript nan full Ubuntu ISO record to nan thumb drive. The advantage is that, successful this case, you're not constricted to a azygous disk image.

If you want to find and effort nan champion Linux distributions, for illustration Fedora, Linux Mint, aliases Arch Linux, you tin download their ISOs from nan respective charismatic sites and transcript them to Ventoy's partition—given that your USB thrust has capable space.

That besides intends Ventoy's interface is simpler than nan 1 successful Rufus aliases balenaEtcher. Since you only request to take nan destination disk, there's conscionable a drop-down paper listing disks and an "Install" fastener (or "Update" if nan programme detects a Ventoy installation successful nan selected drive).

If you want to springiness it a shot, commencement by downloading Ventoy—the Windows type comes arsenic a ZIP file. Extract nan ZIP file and tally nan "Ventoy2disk" app.

Select your desired USB thrust and click "Install". It will show 2 dialog boxes successful a row, conscionable for you to make judge you selected nan correct drive, and past commencement flashing.

Since Ventoy is simply a very lightweight tool, this should return little than a minute. Then, a caller partition (aptly named Ventoy) will beryllium created connected nan USB stick.

Copy your Ubuntu ISO record to that partition and we're bully to go. When you footwear into Ventoy, it'll show a database of ISOs stored connected nan thrust (in this case, conscionable Ubuntu).

Ready? Boot Ubuntu From nan USB Disk

No matter which method you choose, aft installing Ubuntu to your USB instrumentality you'll request to make your machine footwear from it. The nonstop menus alteration widely, but we person a bully wide guideline connected really to change a computer's footwear order.

You'll astir apt request to disable a mounting called Secure Boot successful nan EFI settings/BIOS menu, too. If you determine connected moving Ubuntu alongside Windows successful a dual-boot setup, make judge you disable accelerated startup connected Windows, since it whitethorn forestall your Linux installation from starting.