What is a bootable USB drive?
A bootable USB drive is a USB flash drive set up so a computer can start from it. Instead of loading the system on the internal disk, the computer loads the system stored on the USB.
What people use them for
- Trying an operating system. Many Linux systems have a live mode that runs from the USB without changing the computer's disk.
- Installing an operating system. The USB holds the installer.
- Repair and recovery. Tools such as Clonezilla can be started from USB for disk cloning and backups.
- Older computers. A lightweight system can give an older machine a second life.
What you need
A computer that can start from USB, a few minutes, and a backup of anything you cannot lose. Our guide on how to boot from a USB drive walks through the steps.