Creating Bootable USB Drives from Image Files

Purpose

CD/DVD image files provide a way to replicate to bootable media. This will cover the steps in creating bootable USB devices from CD/DVD images.

Details

Image files typically are ISO types, but can be IMG or other types of files. These files contain the data and boot loader information that are required for CD/DVD and USB media to boot. Download the latest Clonezilla ISO from the vendor’s website, http://clonezilla.org/

I’ll cover methods in Windows and Linux.

USB Boot Drive Creation on Windows

Use Rufus to create bootable USB drive, tool can be found here http://rufus.akeo.ie/

Ready image for burn.

1. Select the ISO image of Clonezilla
2. Change the volume label
3. Press Start to burn the image to the bootable USB drive.

Choose the ISO Image mode in the next dialog window.

There will be a warning dialog. Click OK to continue with the burn.

The progress bar will indicate work is being done.

Click CLOSE when ready appears.

Eject the USB Drive when done, it can be used to boot an Intel based system.

USB Boot Drive Creation on Linux

Use UNetBootin to create bootable USB drive, tool can be installed with this command

sudo apt-get install unetbootin

Once install, run it from the command prompt using this command.

sudo unetbootin

Select Diskimage then choose ISO. Next, browse to the iso file. Your USB Drive should appear. Click OK to start the burn.

You may get a prompt to overwrite the USB drive, be sure this is ok before continuing.

The ISO will start to burn to the USB Drive.

Now you can exit and boot a system with the USB drive.