LESSON 6:
BOOTABLE FLASH
DRIVE
Computer Systems Servicing
WHAT IS A BOOTABLE FLASH DRIVE?
A bootable USB drive is a USB drive that allows
you to use the file system stored in a flash
drive to boot the computer rather than using
hardware. A bootable USB drive has a lot of
benefits. Install an Operating system. The most
common use is to install and run operating
systems such as Windows and macOS.
HOW TO CREATE A
BOOTABLE FLASH
DRIVE?
USING COMMAND PROMPT
BEFORE WE PROCEED, WHAT IS
COMMAND PROMPT?
A command prompt is the input field in a text-
based user interface screen for an operating
system (OS) or program. The prompt is
designed to elicit an action. The command
prompt consists of a brief text string followed
by a blinking cursor, which is where the user
types command prompt commands.
STEPS IN CREATING A BOOTABLE
FLASH DRIVE USING COMMAND
PROMPT
1. Insert a USB flash drive into a running computer.
2. Open a Command Prompt window as an
administrator.
3. Type diskpart, and then select ENTER.
STEPS IN CREATING A BOOTABLE
FLASH DRIVE USING COMMAND
4. PROMPT
In the new command line window that opens,
determine the USB flash drive number or drive
letter by typing list disk, and then select ENTER.
The list disk command displays all the disks on the
computer. Note the drive number or drive letter of
the USB flash drive.
5. At the command prompt, type select disk <X>,
where X is the drive number or drive letter of the
USB flash drive, and then select ENTER.
STEPS IN CREATING A BOOTABLE
FLASH DRIVE USING COMMAND
PROMPT
6. Type clean, and then select ENTER. This command deletes all
data from the USB flash drive.
7. To create a new primary partition on the USB flash drive, type
create partition primary, and then select ENTER.
8. To select the partition that you just created, type select
partition 1, and then select ENTER.
STEPS IN CREATING A BOOTABLE
FLASH DRIVE USING COMMAND
PROMPT
9. To format the partition, type format
fs=ntfs quick, and then select ENTER.
STEPS IN CREATING A BOOTABLE
FLASH DRIVE USING COMMAND
PROMPT
10. Type active, and then select ENTER.
11. Type exit, and then select ENTER.
12. When you finish preparing your custom image,
save it to the root folder of the USB flash drive.
HOW TO CREATE A
BOOTABLE FLASH
DRIVE?
USING VENTOY
WHAT IS VENTOY?
Ventoy is an open source tool to create bootable USB
drive for ISO/WIM/IMG/VHD(x)/EFI files.
With ventoy, you don't need to format the disk over and
over, you just need to copy the ISO/WIM/IMG/VHD(x)/EFI
files to the USB drive and boot them directly.
You can copy many files at a time and ventoy will give
you a boot menu to select them
You can also browse ISO/WIM/IMG/VHD(x)/EFI files in local
disks and boot them.
x86 Legacy BIOS, IA32 UEFI, x86_64 UEFI, ARM64 UEFI
and MIPS64EL UEFI are supported in the same way.
STEPS IN CREATING A BOOTABLE
FLASH DRIVE USING VENTOY
Install Ventoy To USB Drive
For Windows - GUI Mode
Download the installation package, like ventoy-
x.x.xx-windows.zip and decompress it.
Run Ventoy2Disk.exe , select the device and click
Install or Update button.
STEPS IN CREATING A BOOTABLE
FLASH DRIVE USING VENTOY
Notes:
Ventoy2Disk.exe is a x86_32 application and supports both 32-bit and 64-bit
Windows PC with intel/amd processor.
Since 1.0.58, Ventoy also provides
Ventoy2Disk_X64.exe/Ventoy2Disk_ARM.exe/Ventoy2Disk_ARM64.exe you can
use them if needed.
These exe files are in altexe directory of the installation package.
You must copy them to the upper directory to use them. (The same location
with Ventoy2Disk.exe)
STEPS IN CREATING A BOOTABLE
FLASH DRIVE USING VENTOY
Install Ventoy To USB Drive
For Windows - GUI Mode
Download the installation package, like ventoy-
x.x.xx-windows.zip and decompress it.
Run Ventoy2Disk.exe , select the device and click
Install or Update button.
Copy Image files
• After the installation is complete, the USB drive will
be divided into 2 partitions. The 1st partition was
formatted with exFAT filesystem (You can also
reformat it manually with
NTFS/FAT32/UDF/XFS/Ext2/3/4).
Copy Image files
• You just need to copy iso files to this partition. You
can place the iso/wim/img/vhd(x) files any where.
Ventoy will recursively search all the directories and
subdirectories to find all the image files and list
them alphabetically in the boot menu. Also you use
plugin configuration to tell Ventoy only to search for
image files in a fixed directory (and its
subdirectories).
Update Ventoy
• If a new version of Ventoy is released, you can
update it to the USB drive.
• It should be noted that the upgrade operation is safe,
all the files in the first partition will be unchanged.
• Upgrade operation is in the same way with
installation. Ventoy2Disk.exe and Ventoy2Disk.sh will
prompt you for update if the USB drive already
installed with Ventoy.
ISO = Identical Storage image of
Optical media
• NOTE: An ISO file is an exact copy of an entire optical disk
such as a CD, DVD, or Blu-ray archived into a single file. This
file, which is also sometimes referred to as an ISO image, is
a smaller sized duplicate of large sets of data.
• In order to perform its function, the ISO file needs to be
opened and assembled so the data can be viewed.
• Many people use ISO files to back up their optical disks or
store their data in a more functional way.
• Its actual function is to replicate an original optical disk and
store it until it is needed to burn a new disk having the same
data within it.
