What's the best way to make a bootable USB thumb drive for clean installs?
 

I need to install a new distro and Windows 10. I've always used UNetbootin, but someone very knowledgable here in LQ said UNetbootin is no longer the best way to make a bootable USB thumb drive. So what is?

Most distributioms provide hybrid ISOs and therefore the only tool you really need is the dd command.

WoeUSB is the tool to use to create a bootable USB from a file or dvd for installing Windows. Never had the need so no actual experience using it.

if you got a windows still working they have a web sight to make a bootable install usb stick. I'd do that first. if not then good luck finding a way to get it to work. I have not tired the WoeUSB .. so it might work...

Thanks. I'm checking out Woe.

Thanks BW. Yeah, I found that site. I'm checking it out.

I used to use the live to usb programs one might find on www.pendrivelinux.com and other sites. I haven't really made any of those types for a while. I make real installs to usb now so I use the installer. If I do need to make an install usb I tend to use dd command. I also use a lot of VM to usb installs since I can go from iso to usb and not touch real hardware host.

The live to usb deals would have to support the iso you have.

Rufus was reported to be good. I've used etcher too.

The link below has a list of software which can be used to create a multiboot usb. It has a brief explanation of using each. Some are available to use on Linux AND windows, some only Linux or windows. Some of them can create a bootable Linux as well as a bootable windows installer, some only Linux. Some of these other programs might work, I've never used any myself so am not sure.

https://www.linuxbabe.com/apps/creat...ux-windows-iso

I'm also surprised that you would be trying to use unetbootin to create a windows installer. Their home page specifically states it is to be used to install most (or at least some) Linux distributions and specifically states on that page "Also, ISO files for non-Linux operating systems have a different boot mechanism, so don't expect them to work either".

If you had a Linux OS with Grub2 installed, you could simply copy your Mint iso file to the usb (or any partition on any accessible HD) and boot the iso directly with a proper Grub entry. The windows installer needs a few more options set but extracted and copied to the usb or a different partition with a correct Grub entry works if done properly. The method to extract and copy to any partition also works for Linux with either Grub2 or Grub Legacy obviously, requiring a few more steps.

Thanks jefro. I've heard good things about Rufus, too. And I'm going to explore using dd to make the linux distro.

Thanks a lot, yancek. I was looking at that link, and I've heard of YUMI, but all those others are new to me. I'll check them out more thoroughly. Regarding using unetbootin to create a windows installer, a friend used unetbootin to install Windows 10 on one of my computers. I wasn't aware of the warning that it wouldn't work.

The link below describes a method to use unetbootin to get a windows installer on a flash drive. The standard method of just selecting the iso as with Linux probably would not work, don't know as I haven't tried it.

https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comme...a_windows_usb/

Another way to do it is to loop mount the windows iso, copy the extracted folders/files to a partition on a usb (or hard drive) formatted ntfs, mark it as active/bootable and put a chainload entry in grub.cfg. I used this with both windows 7 recovery partition and the windows 10 installer. No need for 3rd party software.

Yeah, yeah, that's what the friend did to get the Unetbootin to work! (in the link) Thanks for sharing that! And the loop mount sounds good but over my tech IQ at this point. :)

loop mount iso file, simple step by step
https://www.cyberciti.biz/tips/how-t...der-linux.html

Thanks BW. :)

Gregg Bell,

Etcher works accurately and quickly in both Linux and Windows:
https://www.balena.io/etcher/

Out of interest, using a SanDisk Ultra 16GB USB 3.0 drive, I compared the times to burn the 2.3GB ISO of Manjaro Xfce 18.1.3 using the dd command and Etcher.

Results:
dd command: 5m 32s

Etcher: 3m 20s.

I can highly recommend Etcher.

Thanks beachboy2. Etcher looks great. For a Windows 10 iso bootable USB thumbdrive would you say Etcher works better than the Windows Media Creation Tool?

Honestly, I'm not even sure if I want to do a clean install or a clone. Some people I know are raving about Macrium Reflect. I'm afraid of losing DragonNaturallySpeaking software because it will cost me $300 if I can't bring it back. (I'm switching out a SATA hard drive for an SSD.) So in that sense the clone seems safer. (I have the product key for the dragon, though.) A clean install (with Etcher) seems better but the clone with Macrium Reflect seems easier.