Easy Guide: How to Make a Flash Bootable

Why make a flash bootable for Windows PC?

Most of the time, if something goes wrong with your Windows 10 computer and it starts to run slowly or stops working at all, you will first look online for a solution. You might be able to find a good way to fix this problem. If that doesn't work, the last thing you should do is reinstall the OS from the DVD or CD. What if the hard drive in your PC doesn't work or if you can't find the original installation DVD?

A bootable USB installer is a great alternative in this case because it lets you reinstall Windows 10 from a USB drive. In short, the USB stick can be taken anywhere and works with almost all laptops and desktop computers. In the end, every PC has a USB port. Also, it's faster to install OS from a USB drive than from a DVD or CD. Because of this, more and more people like to keep a bootable USB installer on hand.

A bootable USB drive is an external hard drive that contains the operating system and can be used to boot a computer or laptop. Most users plan to create a bootable USB drive in Windows for the following three different purposes.

◆Repair Windows PC: the most important one should be saving the PC when it cannot boot successfully due to a virus, serious system failure, defective hard drive, or other disk errors. With the bootable USB drive, you can reboot the computer and repair it accordingly.

◆Clean install OS: it can be used as an external installation media to clean install the operating system. This is much quicker and easier than installing OS from CD or DVD-ROM.

◆Bring your familiar OS everywhere: the bootable USB drive can also be a portable Windows device, which you can take everywhere and enjoy the familiar OS environment on other computers, even the brand-new one without OS installed.

How to make a flash bootable?

Choose a reliable bootable USB creator

Many Windows users are eager to make a bootable Windows USB drive and boot their customized OS from it on any computer. For this demand, Microsoft develops the “Windows To Go” feature for Windows 10 Education/Enterprise/Pro and Windows 8/8.1 Enterprise users. If you are running those operating systems, you can try it to burn ISO to USB drive and make the USB bootable.

However, this function also requires a USB that is larger than 32GB and certified by Microsoft, otherwise, you will fail to make a bootable USB from ISO. Thus, you might want to use a more powerful bootable USB making tool to make a bootable USB flexibility. Here we recommend using AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional.

Advantages over Microsoft “Windows To Go”:

★Allow you to create a bootable USB drive on all editions of Windows 10/8/7 and Windows XP/Vista (32 bit and 64 bit).

★Not require a certified USB drive which is over 32GB.

★Support creating a bootable USB drive from ISO/system disc, as well as making a bootable Windows USB drive with the current system.

Step-by-step Guidance on Create Windows Bootable USB with AOMEI Partition Assistant

To install or reinstall Windows on your computer, you need to create a running USB drive for Windows 10 or Windows 11, transferring installation files to a USB drive using a tool that you can install Windows on a Windows-compatible computer.

AOMEI Partition Assistant is a renowned disk partition management software that can be compatible with Windows 10/8.1/8/7. In addition to Windows 11, it can also create a bootable USB for other Windows OS, and the operation methods are the same. More importantly, it also supports to resize the size of your partition, Wipe hard drive, etc. If you want to know more practical functions, you can directly go to this part.

Please note: Windows 11 only supports UEFI boot mode. If you want to install Windows 11 directly on your computer, please make sure your system disk is GPT disk, otherwise please convert MBR to GPT without data loss.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to create a Windows bootable USB using :

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Requirements:

• A USB flash drive: At least 13GB in size, and 16GB or larger is recommended to ensure enough space for future updates.
• Windows OS ISO file: This is a disk image file that contains the entire contents of the Windows 10 installation media. You can download the Windows 10 ISO file directly from Microsoft's website.
• A software tool to create the bootable drive: Microsoft's Media Creation Tool is the most straightforward option for downloading the ISO and creating a bootable USB on Windows systems. For users on other operating systems or preferring an alternative, AOMEI Partition Assistant is a popular choice.
• Download the Media Creation Tool From the Official Microsoft Website.
• Follow the instructions to burn the installation media into the USB.

Steps to Create a Bootable USB

1. Open AOMEI Partition Assistant: Start the program on your computer.
2. Insert Your USB Drive: Make sure it’s empty or backed up, as it will be formatted.
3. Launch 'Windows To Go Creator': Find this option in the main interface and click it.
4. Select 'Create Windows To Go with system disc/ISO': Click “Next.”
5. Choose Your ISO File: Click “Browse” to locate and select your Windows 10 ISO file and choose the right drive from the list.
6. Start the Process and Wait the Completion: Click “Proceed” and confirm that you understand all data on the USB will be erased. Then wait patiently.

Using the Bootable USB

• Insert the USB into the PC where you want to install Windows.
• Restart the PC and enter BIOS/UEFI settings (usually by pressing F2, Del, or Esc at startup).
• Set the USB as the primary boot device, save the settings, and exit.
• Follow on-screen instructions to install Windows 10.

More functions of AOMEI Partition Assistant

Apart from creating Windows bootable USB, AOMEI Partition Assistant also has these benefits for you to better management.

• Drive Management: Offers easy disk management tools for separating, merging, formatting, splitting, extending, and merging partitions. 

• Disk Conversion: Convert between different partition styles, such as convert MBR to GPT or vice versa without data loss or formatting.

• Data Migration: It supports migrating the operating systems from one SSD to another with all system-related files between different storage devices, including SSDs and HDDs.

• System Optimization: It helps increase system performance and speed by running 4K Alignment, organizing partitions,or providing practical functions to extend C drive space without formatting, which can considerable enhance overall computer using experience.

Conclusion

Making a bootable USB drive for your Windows PC is a quick and easy way to fix a broken system, install an OS from scratch, or take your familiar OS environment with you wherever you go. Making bootable USB drives is easy and reliable with tools like AOMEI Partition Assistant. This gives you the freedom and control you need to manage your system well.

FAQs

1. Why should I create a bootable USB drive for my Windows PC?

A bootable USB drive allows you to reinstall Windows, repair system issues, and carry your OS environment on the go, offering a portable and efficient solution for various scenarios.

2. What are the advantages of using a bootable USB creator like AOMEI Partition Assistant over Windows To Go?

AOMEI Partition Assistant offers broader compatibility across Windows editions, does not require a certified USB drive over 32GB, and supports creating bootable USB drives from ISO files or the current system.

3. What are the requirements for creating a bootable USB drive with AOMEI Partition Assistant?

You'll need a USB flash drive of at least 13GB in size (16GB or larger recommended), a Windows OS ISO file, and AOMEI Partition Assistant software installed on your computer.

4. Can I use a bootable USB drive to install Windows 11?

Yes, you can create a bootable USB drive for Windows 11 using AOMEI Partition Assistant, ensuring compatibility with the UEFI boot mode required by Windows 11.

5. Besides creating bootable USB drives, what other functions does AOMEI Partition Assistant offer?

AOMEI Partition Assistant provides comprehensive disk management features, including drive management, disk conversion, data migration, and system optimization, enhancing overall system performance and user experience.