How to Download and Install Linux from USB Flash Drive Step-By-Step Guide

[@azjah3]

Followed your instructions… installed Ubuntu on a 2007 Sony Vaio laptop running Windows Vista home edition…everything works great! Thank you, this was a big help.

[@IshantModi]

I might have the same laptop, is it core 2 duo with 3gb of ram. If we have the same laptops can you please tell how ubuntu is working on your machine, since I too want to dive into the world of linux and would like to know if ubuntu works smoothly on this laptop.

[@Rainingsandstone]

I still have a sony vaio from 2010ish and it still flies and is the most durable piece of hardward I have. Glad you have one as well.

[@Kari_chadd]

I've literally been trying for weeks, and now it worked. Thanks!

[@cheddar2648]

I haven't done this in over 10 years. It was time to knock off some dust and rust. Thanks for this video. A Linux Lite install went smooth as butter.

[@Spinrekisme]

Thank you, I'm new to Linux and never tried to install it before, I tried various other videos, not helpful at all, this was no problem at all very informative step by step, a little out of date but I got the basics. I now have unbuntu installed, now to learn how to use it. Thank You.

[@connie748]

Thank you so so much for this video. I have been trying to figure out how to install linux and you really opened the door for me. It really helped w/the step by step - I can't tell you how much. Thanks again.

[@HelpCloud]

You are welcome!

[@stu8642]

Followed this, the instructions are very clear and it works perfectly. Great tutorial.

[@HelpCloud]

Thank you!

[@Twiglet456]

Still working great in 2024, thanks!

[@steadymaroti2835]

Wow this helped, I’m up and running, though I’d never do it. Clearly stated, thanks man 👌🏽

[@GeoffryGifari]

Can a live USB drive be restored into an ordinary flash drive (to store more files) after the booting process? or is it irreversible?

[@israeljackson8944]

This worked flawlessly!! I loved every step and I am booting BLEND OS right now it looks astounding!.. PSA: When the machine says booting " Your OS name inserted here' it is doing exactly that! It will sound like it is doing nothing but it is be patient!

[@saiplaysgameswatching2734]

this is very informative, i am just curious the windows 7 os i installed was kinda janky and now i can't use the usb, ethernet and wireless internet due to the drivers missing and was wondering if burning it to a Disc will work the same or not?

[@HelpCloud]

It won't, you will need to download the drives for those devices.

[@mjultra5600]

Thank you so much mate! This is super informative and extremely useful. Really appreciate it!

[@HelpCloud]

Glad it was helpful!!

[@ThePerfector]

Works, needed a USB drive with more than 4GB storage space for the Ubuntu software. Thx!

[@jmursa959]

This was great got it running on an old toshiba satallite 13yrs old and it's lit

[@HelpCloud]

Awesome!

[@freddiehunter8629]

Thanks your video. I have a question about interenet, does the computer your installing on need to be connected to the internet prior to installation? So if I have a brand new dell XPS do I need to go through the normal microsoft set up and connect to the internet, then do the boot up mode with the USB, or can I install without internet connection? Thanks.

[@EvanShiwpaul]

Thanks for the awesome video! After many videos, you were able to help me get my machine up and running!

[@marjorieclamen3960]

Do you pull out the usb stick before you press enter to restart the pc after it is installed?

[@rajputscoc1529]

Thank you very much...... From india 🇮🇳

[@A_d_e_k]

Can you re-use the USB Stick for normal filing on Windows after I've tried out Ubuntu?

[@HelpCloud]

Yes you can.

[@wanadraws]

Thank you for all your explanations 😊

[@Venaber]

thanks. If someone is having issues try with ESC or try another time with Tab

[@JoseRuiz-mf8zb]

Best video out there. Really appreciate it man.

[@pouljacobmagnussen2310]

Thank you very much. This is a good informative and extremely useful. Much appreciate.

[@danielr.schafer9504]

Thanx’ great video! I’m a Mac user which linux would you suggest I try? I’ve heard some things like mint is good and a few others the same… I plan on using it on an older Imac, will it work, are there any things to not do or use? Thanx again for Your time!

[@AA-mc5il]

really straightforward many thanks

[@HelpCloud]

Very welcome!

[@Urbizzo]

I am interested in using LInux, but the subtitles to this video are strange. It looks like this:0:22 finally in the year of release the 0:25 working people to reading the USB Media 0:28 managerment Liverpool sunstorm 0:30 interactive Wedding Dress massage foot 0:33 advancement and want to help you avoid Distro Choose 0:36 Ok show person person to determine 0:39 whether you want to install sinh Delta 0:42 Delta the timing purple and gestures 0:46 spices and herbs depend on your love 0:49 would weather Do you like that of the 0:52 test of printing for that you want to

[@marvel-rock8908]

I am stuck at choosing my location where advanced features option popped up

[@satyakirankothapalli9067]

Thank you. It was very helpful and easy to understand😉.

[@christopherramos7350]

Planning on doing retropi arcade which Linux OS is recommended?

[@bradleycrowell7862]

I messed up and didn’t check the other boxes at about 6:45 , the third party wifi and graphics , how do I install those now after it’s booted up?

[@HelpCloud]

You will have to do the manually.

[@W1thRaisins]

Thanks. That was easy. Liked and subbed.

[@bruhmomentgaming6784]

After emulating Linux mint for a solid month and decided to switch to cinnamon today thank you for the guide

[@HelpCloud]

Glad it helped!

[@iandace4790]

here at the end of 2023, windows gave me the blue screen of death on my pc and i had had enough. This tutorial was very easy, and don't get scared if it takes 5 minutes for the linux to download onto the flash drive.

[@ScrollVROfficial]

im installing linux cuz i cant login to my pc

[@michelegames]

so should I download ubuntu for desktop or?

[@DevlogBill]

Hi, HelpCloud what size USB Flash Drive Stick would you recommend? Went to the store and there were so many different sizes to pick from? Looking to download Cinnamon Mint for my pc, Google isn't so helpful, thank you in advance. Looking to download an Mint to replace my Windows11 operating System, nothing for a server just as a Desktop for when I program, thanks!

[@paulk468]

what type if program is Rufus? the other computer I have us also and older version of Linux so us Rufus available for linux?

[@diagraphephobic5980]

What am i supposed to do now, how to I get into Ubuntu because after I unplug my usb drive, it still shows up to windows menu. I also put on the don’t delete windows option

[@zack_the_proot]

There's the answer I'd believe

[@Mrgabe-yn7yh]

Hi, is there a way i could use windows and Linux, I'm going to use this on a computer with a dead hard drive, but if I were to download it on a normal computer with windows 10, could i switch back and forth between the two operating systems?

[@HelpCloud]

You can do swap between the 2, you will need to install Windows 10 first.

[@Mrgabe-yn7yh]

@@HelpCloud thx

[@saidi4988]

Thanks, but how to install it along with other operating system

[@noahriding5780]

What do you do when it looks like its installed but you are getting errors all over the place any time you try to open stuff or install programs? Is there a way to reset and redo the Linux installation?

[@takudzwamusinga2722]

Hey mate, I followed your helpful guide but when I restart it, it then fails to restart and starts flashing the screen saying Resert System and Press ESC key for Startup Menu. Any idea what could be causing this failure to restart

[@DeathMelodies]

I have a few questions. First, do you know anything about playing ffxiv on linux? I have heard some conflicting reports here and there about it.

[@vidakpantovic3796]

how to open this file? 5:37

[@alenm6247]

Please help me, when i close the rufus it didn't go to boot page. Go simply to home page, what did i do

[@bjletourneau7742]

I get this message during the install - "ubi-partman failed exit code 141" what do I need to switch to get past it?

[@geartvvideos]

Question, I tried this and when I went to install it, I get the welcome to grub! screen and a brief error message. Then, it goes into the list of options with "try or install." when I select the try or install. It goes to a blank screen with a flashing cursor in the top left. Did I do something wrong if so.. what? Thanks in advance.

[@pattiekruse4265]

Thanks so much. This was very helpful

[@zveSO2]

if i go try ubuntu thats mean i can you linux with usb only and i can go back to windows, but if i click install ubuntu thats mean its gonna install permanently right?!

[@maximventures3227]

This has helped me. Thumbs up🎉

[@benny2099]

Do i need to instal rufus as it is a virtiul machiene or just put the file on my usb

[@HelpCloud]

You will need rufus to create the correct boot files.

[@boxerpjr7959]

thank you so much . but i have same problem i can't install any thing . what should i do....

[@boxerpjr7959]

when i installed the sublime text it get me error like :: E: could not get lock /var/lib/lock-fronted. It is hold by process 6771(unattended-upgr)

[@HelpCloud]

New or used drive?

[@RAMCAM77]

Thx great tutorial! But at the end did you run it from USB or from HD ?

[@HelpCloud]

This was ran via the HDD partition. I don't run Linux very often so this was setup and shown on a VM.

[@RAMCAM77]

@@HelpCloud Alright thx

[@False_125]

So im in the boot up process for linux. however, I all I have is a black screen with a cursor. Where do I go from here? Update: got the linux background to pop up now but still nothing

[@False_125]

​@AMTNK_ nope, I just bought a cheap Windows 10 pro key for like $25 I was having to many problems with linux

[@monkeyman245]

Hey HC. Would the latest version linux OS work on an old pc from the early 2010? I ask because i know older computers are not compatibile with newer versions of windows and was curious if the same applies to linux. Thank you for your time.

[@zack_the_proot]

Actually if I'm not wrong it should work on it

[@ggviraj2672]

my laptop kepps showing a error and shuts down then cleans up the disk i dont know why this error shows up every time i start the process with rufus

[@seanadin5361]

Hey I followed the steps exactly as you did,but now I can’t find windows in my booting menu,what should I do?

[@Gtpharouq]

Its already deleted

[@Collas42]

@@Gtpharouq 😂

[@paulwarner5395]

Thanx for the informative video. Love your Baldwin steam loco picture on your desktop :-)

[@HelpCloud]

Thank you! That one is stationed at the Heber Valley Railroad in Utah.

[@_VISION.]

That bios menu ui is so much better compared to mine haha what pc is that?

[@HelpCloud]

This is a custom build but the BIOS is the Asus.

[@sandrajose7452]

thank you so much for the video, but im facing issue of rufus not detecting my external even after formatting

[@HelpCloud]

Does it show any other drives?

[@Nini-co6qv]

Hi, thank you for the tutorial. I have a question. Can I still use my flashdrive after making it bootable? I only plan to install Linux once and then store files in the drive again. Thank you in advance!

[@princesa_lina]

did u get ur answer yet?

[@Honyasu]

Hey, thanks. I'm thinking to use ubuntu in my work laptop. Thanks for this video.

[@ecofast8946]

I liked the last action

[@Onurr2757]

Friends, after the installation is completed, I remove the USB and press the enter button, then the PC turns off and on and this continues, I wonder what is the problem?

[@msaad8053]

can i do the same with an external hard drive?

[@Vpg001]

Can the usb drive still be used after this?

[@noxvri]

Dude, thank you lmao

[@HelpCloud]

Welcome!

[@fatoyeoluwaseun]

Awesome video!

[@TshegoMolefe]

Do I have to reset my pc before installing Ubuntu?

[@HelpCloud]

Normally you install windows first then Ubuntu along side.

[@TshegoMolefe]

@@HelpCloud I already have Windows preinstalled

[@rmp95]

So, when you this computer has no OS, are we just erasing the data on the USB drive or actually the drive on the PC itself? Your wording was a bit confusing, my apologies. I literally just want to run Ubuntu from my USB drive. When you get a chance, please let me know. Thank you. -Raj

[@HelpCloud]

You can run it from the USB. During the flash drive boot, it will have an option to run off the USB to try it out.

[@sugondese5321]

Can I use a memory card with the usb stick?

[@HelpCloud]

Yes, I have used a microSD with an adapter many times.

[@DeathStriker88]

How to install in a newly fresh built PC? If I build my PC tomorrow it won't have anything for sure

[@HelpCloud]

Same way.

[@Mmc1021]

After the restart the computer shows black screen with blinking underscore

[@jepoy1639]

Mine too, did you resolve it

[@minh1b]

so when i do this ut keeps sending me back to the bios

[@parthmakode5255]

can we use rufus to create a boot image on a DVD the 4 gigabytes one to install on a hard drive?

[@HelpCloud]

Yes you can!

[@samuelguest5536]

I decided to do down the route of keeping windows and installing Ubuntu. I am a little stuck tho, the only way I can boot Ubuntu is logging onto windows and restarting and going through the advanced menu click on the second option and clicking on Ubuntu. Can I make it boot Ubuntu by default then how do I change back to windows if I feel like using windows.

[@mazin-ix4no]

use bios lol then bootup to windows

[@matthew0659]

can i switch between the 2 os's ?

[@HelpCloud]

Yes you can upon boot.

[@Rawt4k]

if Im wanting to install linux on a different system, can i make to where it doesnt change my current machine? because i wanna boot into my older one with the iso, or just open the iso and download

[@HelpCloud]

You can install along side your primary OS.

[@ossno3053]

Let's say I installed Linux on my USB, then booted from it, after that I wanted to boot back up from my HDD to my Windows 10. Will I boot back to Windows as if I'm normally turning the PC on and find all my files and apps? Or do I have to re-install Windows again from the start?

[@HelpCloud]

Reboot and load Windows

[@jonahkabonah1039]

@@HelpCloudI followed your instructions and I’ve been unable to boot off my hard drive. It just gives a black screen and then boots me to Ubuntu. When I disable booting from Ubuntu and try to boot from my hard drive, it just gives a black screen and send me back to UEFI BIOS. Do you know what I can do? Thanks.

[@anamariacastro5272]

You sooo deserve my like. Thanks so much. Gonna subscribe. You saved my computer!! God bless you!!

[@HelpCloud]

Thanks and welcome!!

[@hamids4550]

I got all the steps down, until a page that says "Turn Off RST". What should I do? why mine says I have to turn off the RST? I read it online that if you don't do it properly it would not let window to boot up properly later. So idk at this point I'm stuck

[@HelpCloud]

Check this out discourse.ubuntu.com/t/ubuntu-installation-on-computers-with-intel-r-rst-enabled/15347

[@stevebrown1816]

Instead of using USB stick, could I use a HD that I have taken out from a previous laptop?

[@HelpCloud]

If you have an adapter to make it an external, yes. Otherwise the setup will not detect it.

[@aloisburkhardt2812]

Thanks, this made my day

[@HelpCloud]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@isabelsantos575]

if i have new laptop, do i still need to use a bootable usb? if i boot it in the usb do i need to plug in the usb everytime i use my laptop or nah?

[@HelpCloud]

If you are running from the USB yes, otherwise once installed, you don't need to leave the USB in.

[@ewilson0223]

it keeps saying the USB drive can't be mounted... I'm putting it on a new x570 build. I used rufus and unetbootin on my windows PC to format the flash drive.

[@HelpCloud]

Sounds like something with the drive, I would recreate it.

[@dhruv8124]

Hi i had a doubt so i installed linux on my USB and now i want to use windows on my hardrive what do i do . Do i just plug it out ? Also how after that how do i use linux again which is in the usb

[@HelpCloud]

Just reboot and unplug the USB drive.

[@kenv1866]

If I choose "Erase disk and Install ubuntu", will it delete all my files on my windows 10 or just the files inside the flashdrive?

[@HelpCloud]

Yes it will.

[@zar4540]

After doing this it always loads into gnu grub, what did I do wrong

[@nickson6395]

Great . It works

[@elketchup3830]

lets say your computer doesnt support hardware virtualization would this work to use kali linux?

[@HelpCloud]

If you are installing directly, yes. Virtualization is if you are trying to run in VM.

[@khaleds.t.t2445]

i have a big problem i do the installation like u do everything is great untill i reach tje page of updates and other software now when i click in next everything stops i let it 3 hours but nothing, i searched in google found nothing, please help me

[@HelpCloud]

How is your internet connection?

[@khaleds.t.t2445]

@@HelpCloud i have a good connection, i came up with a solution i installed windows first then reboot from USB and choose test ubuntu then i install it. it was the only way to install it, the fkrst time everything is cool all drivers are installed including my intel graphics but when i reboot i got a black screen i did nomodeset but nothing i tried all the solution that i can found but nothing still black screen so i decided to return to windows unfortunately

[@blueman46]

tried everything but this would not work at all for me, Rufus just would not set up, just showed all the zipped files, unzippped and nothing but files. threw the laptop away instead, ancient crap with windows 7. wasted frustrating hours

[@Venomous_Network]

Mine says Linux initrd file not found on ISO while trying to burn the ISO to my multi boot flash drive using WinUSB any advice?

[@HelpCloud]

Try to redownload the Linux file

[@RealBaldnold]

Great video many thanks

[@HelpCloud]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@xdjakeisthename8767]

when i open rufos it is not showing my usb

[@HelpCloud]

Is the USB formatted at all?

[@tysonboss2072]

"there is a problem that's keeping us from getting your pc ready to use " after this it tells me to select region and time but after it continues to loop the same. Can I install linux in this.

[@HelpCloud]

Try a new install. You may need to recreate the USB if you made one. I would correct that issue first before installing Linux.

[@orangutan3809]

You have to unplug the usb after

[@mrsage555x]

What size USB do you need

[@HelpCloud]

I tend to use an 8GB or larger

[@mr.tsipouras3706]

will installing ubuntu will it erase my primary harddrive of will it erase the usb stick??

[@HelpCloud]

Using rufus will wipe out the USB stick.

[@Jayman001]

great AWSOME THNX!

[@HelpCloud]

Welcome!

[@Ayoub_Awesat]

If i dont use a virtual machine and decides to use it as an alternative OS will the files on my laptop get deleted???

[@HelpCloud]

Yes if you format the drive. If you install on a separate hard drive, you will be fine.

[@Ayoub_Awesat]

@@HelpCloud I don't know what to say, thank you so much, I'm trying to use a different OS on my dad's laptop he's using windows 7 32bit and I couldn't run new versions of the programs i want so I resorted to this method thinking I'll just boot from my USB every time I use the laptop i hoped you would answer and you did thank you so much again, you saved me from getting in a world of trouble haha

[@HelpCloud]

You are welcomd!

[@NotEzn]

I’m a bit confused if I install this on to a usb linux is just on the usb and won’t affect my computer what so ever right?

[@HelpCloud]

You can run it directly off the USB.

[@NotEzn]

@@HelpCloud Thanks that’s exactly what I was wondering!