Flash drive is one of the media that can be used to install Windows. However, before that we have to make it bootable first because that is something that has to be done.
Bootable flash drive is here to provide an answer for laptop users who don't have a DVD ROM. Currently, many laptop brands do not provide a built-in DVD ROM because they are pursuing a thin design.
In addition, the choice of reinstalling using a flash drive is a very right decision. Because with flash drive, it is very rare for corrupt files to occur in the OS during the installation process.
Well, for those of you who want to create a bootable USB flash drive but don't know how, on this occasion I will show you how to create a bootable flash drive with or without an application.
Previously you had to prepare an operating system iso file that you would install using a flash drive.
Download Operating System ISO File
Before stepping into the process of creating a bootable flash drive, you must first prepare an ISO file. In this step, I will give an example of downloading a Windows 10 ISO file.
1. First, please visit the Windows 10 download page.
2. After that, scroll down and click Download tool now.
3. If the Media Creation Tool has been downloaded, open the application and click Accept.
4. In the What do you want to do window, please select Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another PC and then click Next.
5. Then select your laptop bit on Architecture or you can also check Use the recommended options for this PC and then click Next.
6. Finally, select the ISO file > click Next > select a storage location > wait for the Windows ISO download process.
7. Finished.
The method above is just one example, because I will make Windows 10 bootable. For those of you who want to use Windows 7, Windows 8, or any other OS, you can download the ISO via the Internet.
How to Create Bootable Windows on a Flash Drive
After the ISO file is ready and the hard disk partition type is known, you can create a bootable flash drive using an application or without an application.
Below I will give an example of creating a bootable using the rufus application:
Rufus is the software of choice to make it bootable. Besides being free, using Rufus is also very easy.
This application can be used to create bootable Windows, Linux, Ubuntu, Fedora, and so on.
Rufus is available as an installer and is also portable. For those who choose the installer, then you must install it first. But for those who choose portable, you can immediately open it.
1. First, please download Rufus first.
2. After that, open the application. Do not forget to insert the flash drive that will be used.
3. If the flash drive is detected, its name will appear in the Device section. Click Select and select the ISO file to boot.
4. Please just adjust the settings like this. In the Partition scheme section, adjust your partition type (GPT or MBR). For the target system, it will adjust automatically.
5. After you click Start, a confirmation window will appear for the flash format, please click Ok. Wait until the process is complete, sooner or later depending on the ISO file size.
6. When finished, it will look like the image below:
Now, you can use it to install the operating system. I recommend downloading the latest version, because I practice this method with the latest Rufus.