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A bootable USB stick is a USB flash drive prepared so a compatible computer can start an operating-system installer, live session, or repair environment from it. Making one means writing bootable media to the drive—not simply copying an image file—and the process can erase files already stored there.
What “bootable” means
“Bootable” describes what prepared media can do: a computer that supports the media and its boot method can use it as a startup source. An ordinary USB storage drive does not become bootable just because it can hold files. The contents must be prepared in a format the target computer can start.
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As Ubuntu’s official guide to creating a USB stick puts it, writing an image “is different from copying a file to the USB stick.” The image-writing process lays down the media needed for startup; placing the image file on the drive as a regular file is not equivalent.
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A bootable USB stick can provide a way to install or upgrade an operating system, try a live desktop without changing the computer’s configuration, start that environment on another compatible machine, or access repair tools when an installed system has a problem. The precise options depend on the image written to the drive.
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How a bootable USB stick is made and used
- Get the image and a suitable writer. Obtain the operating-system image from its official source, then use a writing method appropriate for that image and your computer. Ubuntu documents graphical image-writing options for supported Linux desktops and writer tools for Windows and macOS; its Startup Disk Creator is intended for Ubuntu images and Ubuntu-based distributions.
- Choose the USB drive and write the image. Confirm that the selected device is the intended USB stick. Writing the image can overwrite its existing contents; Ubuntu warns that the process destroys data stored on the stick, so copy anything important elsewhere first.
- Start the target computer from USB. Insert the prepared stick and restart. If the computer does not start from it automatically, open the firmware boot menu and select the USB entry. The key for opening that menu varies by computer, and successful startup depends on the target’s firmware, boot mode, image, and creation method.
Requirements can be specific to an operating system and tool. For example, Microsoft’s WinPE instructions use MakeWinPEMedia to create bootable media and warn that the command formats the selected partition. Follow the instructions for the particular image rather than assuming every USB-creation process works the same way.
Capacity and compatibility depend on the use case
Ubuntu Desktop’s documented installation-media workflow calls for an 8 GB USB stick or larger. That is the requirement for that Ubuntu use case, not a universal minimum for every bootable image. Check the image’s own instructions for its capacity and compatibility requirements.
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- High-speed USB 3.0 performance of up to 150MB/s(1) [(1) Write to drive up to 15x faster than standard USB 2.0 drives (4MB/s); varies by drive capacity. Up to 150MB/s read speed. USB 3.0 port required. Based on internal testing; performance may be lower depending on host device, usage conditions, and other factors; 1MB=1,000,000 bytes]
- Transfer a full-length movie in less than 30 seconds(2) [(2) Based on 1.2GB MPEG-4 video transfer with USB 3.0 host device. Results may vary based on host device, file attributes and other factors]
- Transfer to drive up to 15 times faster than standard USB 2.0 drives(1)
- Sleek, durable metal casing
- Easy-to-use password protection for your private files(3) [(3)Password protection uses 128-bit AES encryption and is supported by Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, and Mac OS X v10.9 plus; Software download required for Mac, visit the SanDisk SecureAccess support page]
Booting is also not guaranteed just because the stick was written correctly. The computer must support the relevant boot method and media, and the USB may need to be selected from its startup menu. Some workflows impose additional conditions: Microsoft’s Factory OS procedure, for instance, specifies a UEFI-capable target with Secure Boot disabled. Those are requirements for that Factory OS workflow, not for all bootable USB sticks.
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- Lightweight and convenient: Lexar JumpDrive A30E (USB Type-A) boasts a slim, portable design for easy device compatibility; lightweight at 7.41 g
- Transfer speeds up to 100 MB/s: 10x faster than standard USB 2.0 drives; Based on internal testing, performance may vary depending upon the host device, interface, and usage conditions
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Rank #3
- High-speed USB 3.0 performance of up to 150MB/s(1) [(1) Write to drive up to 15x faster than standard USB 2.0 drives (4MB/s); varies by drive capacity. Up to 150MB/s read speed. USB 3.0 port required. Based on internal testing; performance may be lower depending on host device, usage conditions, and other factors; 1MB=1,000,000 bytes]
- Transfer a full-length movie in less than 30 seconds(2) [(2) Based on 1.2GB MPEG-4 video transfer with USB 3.0 host device. Results may vary based on host device, file attributes and other factors]
- Transfer to drive up to 15 times faster than standard USB 2.0 drives(1)
- Sleek, durable metal casing
- Easy-to-use password protection for your private files(3) [(3)Password protection uses 128-bit AES encryption and is supported by Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, and Mac OS X v10.9+; Software download required for Mac, visit the SanDisk SecureAccess support page]
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