Installing Linux as a dual boot system is a bridge too far for many people. Linux Live USB Creator makes it much easier. The program guides you step by step to get a Linux Live distribution on a USB stick. By booting your computer from the USB stick, you can immediately start using the Linux operating system without compromising your Windows installation.
1. Linux Live USB Creator
There are multiple ways to get a Linux distribution onto a USB stick, but Linux Live USB Creator's approach is unique. The program is in Dutch and offers you the free choice to download an ISO file from the installation CD (or DVD) yourself, but you can also do this automatically. We choose the latter method here. Linux Live USB Creator supports many Linux distributions. For an average Linux distribution, a 3 GB or 4 GB USB stick is sufficient. Open Start / Computer and check the drive letter of your USB stick. Note: The stick will be completely erased during the Linux installation. Download and install Linux Live USB Creator. Insert an empty USB stick.
2. Create USB stick
Linux Live USB Creator works with five steps. Add Step 1 the drive letter of your USB stick. Bee Step 2 you can point to an ISO file or read an installation CD from your CD/DVD player. We choose this Download then a drop-down menu will appear. Find the desired Linux distribution, e.g. Ubuntu, and confirm with Automatically. Linux Live USB Creator searches for the fastest download server and then asks where you want to keep the Ubuntu iso file. Choose a simple location, such as your desktop. Once the stick is ready, you can manually delete the iso file. Place now at Step 4 a checkmark hide the created files on the usb key, Format usb with FAT32 Linux Live USB Creator and finally at Enabling Linux booting into Windows.
Linux Live USB Creator downloads and installs the desired Linux distribution automatically.
3. Startup
Of Enabling Linux booting into Windows you will soon find a folder on the USB stick called VirtualBox. By running the file Virtualize_This_Key.exe here, you can also start Ubuntu in Windows. Now wait patiently for the Ubuntu iso to arrive and create the Linux USB stick with the button at Step 5.
To boot your system from the USB stick, your computer should see the USB stick as the first bootable medium. If not, Windows will boot from your hard drive. Shortly after turning on your computer, you will be given the option to choose a temporary bootable medium, for example by pressing ESC, F8 or F2. You may also need to adjust your computer's BIOS settings. A hotkey is also available for this, but it differs per brand and type of computer. Then look for something similar to boot sequence or Boot priority and make sure that the usb becomes active as the first storage medium.
Linux Live USB Creator also installs VirtualBox so you can use Linux directly in Windows as well.
