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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteTo boot from a USB drive, first create bootable media, then select it when the computer starts. These are separate steps: copying an ISO file onto a USB drive is not the same as writing the installer or disk image to it. The startup selector depends on the computer—typically a firmware boot menu on a PC, Startup Manager on an Intel Mac, or the startup-options screen on Apple silicon.
Before you start: make the USB bootable
- Choose the right image for the target computer. A bootable drive prepared for one operating system or type of hardware may not work on another.
- Back up the USB drive. Creating installation media erases its existing contents. Double-check the selected drive before writing anything.
- Use a blank drive of at least 8 GB for the Windows and Ubuntu workflows described here. Microsoft specifies a blank USB flash drive of at least 8 GB for its installation media, and Ubuntu recommends 8 GB or larger. Microsoft’s requirements and Ubuntu’s USB instructions explain the respective processes.
Use the official Windows Media Creation Tool to make Windows installation media. It can be used to install a new copy of Windows, clean-install Windows, or reinstall it. Microsoft’s page covers Windows 11 and Windows 10; Windows 10 support ended on October 14, 2025, so Windows 11 is the current choice for a supported Windows installation.
For an Ubuntu or other Linux image, use an image-writing application appropriate to the computer you’re using to prepare the drive. Ubuntu documents Disks, Startup Disk Creator, KDE ISO Image Writer, or dd on Linux; Rufus on Windows; and balenaEtcher or dd on macOS. A graphical writer is the safer default for most people. Ubuntu warns that dd is intended for advanced users: selecting the wrong device path can destroy data on the running system. See Ubuntu’s bootable USB guide for the options and instructions.
Choose the startup method for your computer
| Computer | Startup selector | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Windows PC or Linux PC | One-time firmware boot menu | Restart with the USB attached and choose it from the boot menu. F12 is common; Esc, F2, and F10 are also used. The key varies by make and model. |
| Intel Mac | Startup Manager | Start or restart while holding Option/Alt, then choose the USB volume if it appears. |
| Apple silicon Mac | Startup options screen | Hold the power button until startup options appear, then select an available startup disk. This does not guarantee that an arbitrary Linux USB image is compatible. |
Boot from USB on a Windows or Linux PC
- Shut down or restart the computer, leaving the bootable USB connected.
- As the computer starts, press its one-time boot-menu key. F12 is common in Ubuntu’s guidance, but Esc, F2, and F10 are common alternatives. The exact key is manufacturer- and model-dependent; check the computer maker’s instructions if you do not know it.
- In the boot menu, select the USB drive or its listed boot volume. If the firmware starts the USB automatically, follow the installer or live-environment prompts instead.
For Ubuntu media made with Rufus that will not start on a modern UEFI system, Ubuntu suggests checking whether the drive was created with GPT and UEFI (non-CSM). Treat this as a conditional troubleshooting configuration, not a setting that every PC needs.
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Boot from USB on an Intel Mac
- Connect the bootable USB drive.
- Start or restart the Mac and immediately hold Option (also labeled Alt on some keyboards).
- When Startup Manager appears, select the available USB startup volume and continue.
Apple documents the Option/Alt Startup Manager shortcut, and Ubuntu describes it for bootable Ubuntu media on older Intel Macs. The USB must still contain media compatible with the Mac. See Apple’s startup key-combinations guidance and Ubuntu’s USB guide.
Boot from USB on an Apple silicon Mac
- Connect the startup drive, then press and hold the Mac’s power button while starting it.
- Release the button when the startup-options screen appears.
- Select an available startup disk or volume and continue.
Apple documents this method for opening startup options, but it does not mean every operating-system image can boot on Apple silicon. Ubuntu’s generic USB instructions describe its standard USB compatibility for PCs and older Intel Apple hardware; for Linux on Apple silicon, they point to the Ubuntu Asahi community project, which Canonical does not support and whose hardware compatibility varies. Check support for the exact Mac model and the Linux project’s current instructions before preparing media. Apple’s startup guidance and Ubuntu’s documentation describe these qualifications.
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If the USB drive does not appear or start
- Not listed in a PC boot menu: Confirm that the image was written with a bootable-media tool rather than copied as a file. Try another USB port if appropriate, and consult the computer manufacturer’s instructions for the correct startup key and firmware settings.
- Rufus-made Ubuntu drive fails on a modern UEFI PC: Check Ubuntu’s suggested GPT and UEFI (non-CSM) configuration before changing settings; it is not a universal fix.
- Linux on Apple silicon: Identify the exact Mac model and verify its support in the Linux project’s current documentation. Ubuntu describes Asahi as an unsupported community project with varying machine support.
- Considering an external macOS startup disk: Apple’s external-storage instructions concern macOS, not general Linux USB compatibility. Apple silicon requires a working built-in startup disk to start from external storage. On a Mac with a T2 Security Chip, external or removable startup may need to be allowed in Startup Security Utility. These conditions do not establish that a Linux image will boot. See Apple’s external startup-disk instructions.
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