How to Install and Run Windows, Linux, or macOS from a USB Stick

Download Article

Learn how to create a portable OS from a USB drive

Co-authored by Luigi Oppido and Megaera Lorenz, PhD

Last Updated: August 21, 2026 Fact Checked

Download Article

Using Rufus (Windows or Linux)

|

Using Portable macOS

|

Video

|

Expert Q&A

|

Tips

You can install an operating system onto a flash drive and use it like a portable computer by using Rufus on Windows or the Disk Utility on Mac. Rufus will also work for installing Linux on a USB drive. For each method, you'll need to acquire the OS installer or image, format the USB flash drive, and install the OS to the USB drive. Then, you can boot up your computer from the USB drive. Don't forget to activate USB booting in the BIOS for Windows/Linux PCs and switch the startup disk for Mac!

Creating a Portable OS Drive

If you’re creating a Windows or Linux bootable drive, you’ll need to use a free third-party app called Rufus.
You can create a bootable macOS drive using Disk Utility.
You’ll need to enable your computer to boot up from external media no matter which operating system you’re using.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Creating a Windows or Linux Bootable Drive with Rufus

Download Article

1
Enable USB booting in the BIOS. BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) helps you manage the hardware in your computer. During startup, press the designated key to access the BIOS (typically F2 or Del). Use the arrow keys to navigate to the “Boot” tab. Move USB to the top of the list with ↵ Enter. Select Save and Exit, and your computer will reboot with the new settings.^{[1]
X
Research source}
- Different manufacturers use different types of BIOS in their computers. Check your manufacturer’s specifications for exact buttons for accessing and altering the BIOS configuration.
- If you’re using Windows 11 or the latest version of Windows 10, you can also enter the BIOS from the Settings menu.
- Make sure you do this on the computer where you plan to use the portable OS. If you’re using a different computer to create the bootable USB drive, you don’t need to enable USB booting on that computer.
- This method describes how to perform a full install of Windows or Linux on your USB drive. In other words, this is a fully functional version of the OS that you can run from a portable drive, as opposed to a more compressed "live" version that you might use to test out an operating system.
2
Purchase an appropriate USB flash drive. You will want a flash drive with at least 16GB capacity. USB 2.0 will work, but the greater speed of USB 3.0 is highly preferable.
- 32GB or greater is recommended if you want to fit anything beyond the operating system on the drive. The increase in storage capacity is relatively inexpensive (in many cases, there’s only about a $5 difference between 16 and 32 GB)!
- Be aware that standard USB drives aren't really built for running an OS, and the constant read/write operations necessary to do so will cause your drive to wear out quickly. You might also notice slow or glitchy performance. For the best results, use a high-speed USB 3.0 drive or, even better, a portable SSD drive.
Advertisement
3
Download the "disk image" of the operating system you want to install. The Rufus website has a collection of links to downloadable OS disk images at the bottom of the page under the header “Non-exhaustive list of ISOs Rufus is known to work with”. The file you'll need to download is called an ISO.
- You can also download the ISO you need directly from the developer’s website. For example, you can get the Windows 11 ISO here and the Windows 10 ISO here.
- If you’re creating a drive with Linux, you can get the ISO from the developer website for whichever distribution you want to use (e.g., Mint, Ubuntu, or Fedora).
4
Obtain a Windows license. In order to activate and run Windows 10 or 11 from your USB drive, you’ll need a valid license.^{[2]
X
Research source} You can purchase digital license from the Microsoft store or a third-party retailer.
- Linux is open-source, so you don’t need a license or product key to run it.
Download and open Rufus. Rufus is a self-contained program and does not need to be installed–only downloaded and opened.
It will appear listed with your other drives in “This PC”.
7
Click the “Device” dropdown and select your USB flash drive from the list.
- If you don’t see your device in the dropdown, click Show advanced drive properties and check the box next to “List USB Hard Drives.” You’re more likely to encounter this issue if you’re using a larger external hard drive rather than a regular USB thumb drive.
- Make sure you select the correct USB device, since anything that’s already on the drive will be erased during the flash process!
You’ll see this right under the “Device” dropdown, near the top of the menu.^{[3]
X
Research source}
Your computer’s file browser will open when you click the Select button. Navigate to the location of the ISO file you downloaded, then select it.^{[4]
X
Research source}
10
Select the portable version of your OS in the “Image option” dropdown. For example, if you’re installing Windows, select Windows To Go.
- You might not see this option with all types of OS. Skip this step if you don’t see the “Image option” dropdown.
11
Click the “Partition Scheme” dropdown and select “GPT”. This option works best for modern computers (made in the last 10 years or so) that use UEFI rather than BIOS. If you're using your bootable USB with an older computer that uses BIOS, select MBR (Master Boot Record) instead.
- If you're installing Linux, Rufus may automatically select the correct partition scheme based on the ISO file you're using.
12
Make sure “UEFI (non CSM)” is selected in the “Target system” dropdown. This should be selected by default. In some versions of Rufus, this may say “BIOS or UEFI” instead.
- If you’re installing Linux, you might also see a “Persistent partition size” slider in this section of the menu. Use the slider to adjust how much space on the drive you want to reserve for persistence (the ability to save settings and other data across reboots).^{[5]
  X
  Research source}
13
Click the “File system” dropdown menu and select the appropriate filesystem. Use “NTFS” if you are installing Windows to your bootable USB stick drive. If you are installing Linux to your bootable USB stick drive, select the default file system recommended by Rufus (typically FAT32).^{[6]
X
Research source}
- The “File system” dropdown is under the Format Options header. Optionally, you can also change the name of your drive under this header in the “Volume label” field (e.g., you can change it to something like “Windows 11 Pro” or “Linux Mint”).
14
Click Start. If prompted, select the version of the OS you want to install (e.g., “Windows 11 Pro”), then click OK. You might also be asked if you want to customize your installation (e.g., by disabling data collection or creating a local account using your current username). Check any relevant options and click OK again. If you see a warning that the process will delete data on your flash drive, click OK to continue. A progress bar will display the progress of the flash. You will be notified when the process is complete.
- Note: This process will format the flash drive. Formatting the USB drive will erase ALL content. If you have any data on your USB flash drive you want to save, copy it to your computer first to save it.
- If you're creating a Linux drive, you might see a warning that additional downloads are needed to finish writing the ISO. Click Yes. You might also be asked whether you want to write in ISO Image Mode or DD Image Mode. Select the ISO Image Mode option and click OK.
- The speed of the process may depend on the size and quality of the USB drive you’re using. It can take anywhere from a few minutes to over an hour.
- Click Close when the flash is complete.
If you created the portable OS drive on a different computer from the one where you plan to use it, eject the drive now. Then, insert it into the computer where you enabled USB booting in the first step.
16
Restart your computer to test your bootable drive. With USB booting enabled, your computer should restart and use the USB to boot using the disc image.^{[7]
X
Research source}
- Some BIOS have a separate menu specifically for selecting your startup disk. This menu will have a different access button on startup from the regular BIOS menu. Check with your manufacturer’s specifications to determine if this is the case if you are having trouble booting into your flash drive.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Installing macOS to a Portable Drive

Download Article

1
Acquire an appropriate USB flash drive. To install a modern macOS operating system, you will want a flash drive with at least 32GB capacity. USB 2.0 will work, but the greater speed of USB 3.0 is highly preferable.
- 32GB or greater is recommended if you want to use a modern version of macOS. Even with an older version of macOS, you’ll need extra space to fit anything beyond the operating system on the drive. The increase in capacity is relatively inexpensive (depending on the manufacturer, there’s sometimes only about a $5 difference between 16 and 32 GB)!
- Be aware that standard USB drives aren't really built for running an OS, and the constant read/write operations necessary to do so will cause your drive to wear out quickly. You might also notice slow or glitchy performance. For the best results, use a high-speed USB 3.0 drive or, even better, a portable SSD drive.
2
Download the OS installer from the App Store. You can find links to different versions of macOS in the App Store here. You won’t be able to find them by searching directly in the App Store. When you open the download page, click Get to download the installer to your Mac. This will open the Software Update window, and you’ll be asked if you want to download macOS. Click Download to proceed.
- The installer will open automatically when the download is complete. Don’t do anything with it yet! Instead, close the installer. It will be saved to your Applications folder.^{[8]
  X
  Research source}
- You’ll need to download a version of macOS that is compatible with the model of Mac where you want to use the portable drive. The Get button will be greyed out if the OS you choose is not compatible.
3
Connect the USB flash drive to your computer. The drive will mount automatically and appear on the desktop.
- If you’re using a Mac with Apple Silicon, make sure you don’t plug the drive into the DFU port. You can find a guide to DFU port locations on different Mac models here.
4
Go to Applications > Utilities and open the Disk Utility. The Disk Utility is used to manage and modify your drives. Your flash drive will appear in the list of drives on the left.
- You can also click the
  Spotlight search icon in the menu bar at the top of the screen and search for disk utility. Launch Disk Utility from the results.
It will be in the left-hand menu pane in Disk Utility. If you don’t see it, click the View icon at the top of the Disk Utility window and select Show All Devices.
6
Check the format of your drive. Before you proceed, you’ll need to make sure your USB drive is in the correct format. If you want to install macOS High Sierra or later, the drive will need to be in APFS format. For macOS Sierra or earlier, your drive should be in Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format.^{[9]
X
Research source}
- You’ll see the format info under the name of the drive at the top of the right-hand menu pane.
- If your drive is not already in the correct format, you can use Disk Utility to format it. This will erase anything on the drive.
You can do this by clicking the drive’s name in the right menu pane to select the text, then typing in your preferred name. Something like “My Volume” will make it easier to recognize and keep track of your drive during the setup and installation process.^{[10]
X
Research source}
The installer is located in your Applications folder.
You may be prompted to agree to the licensing terms before you proceed. Move through the steps until you’re prompted to select which drive you want to install macOS on.
10
Select your flash drive as the installation disk. If you don’t see it, click Show All Disks. Then, click the flash drive and click Continue.^{[11]
X
Research source}
- Follow the on-screen prompts to finish the installation process. You might need to verify by entering your administrator password or using Touch ID. Enter any other requested information.
11
Enable startup from an external disk (Macs with T2 Security Chips only). If you have an Intel-based Mac with a T2 Security Chip, you’ll need to take some extra steps to make your Mac bootable from a USB drive.^{[12]
X
Research source} Here’s how to do it:^{[13]
X
Research source}
- Press and hold Command + R immediately after turning on your Mac. Let go when you see the Apple logo or a spinning globe.
- Select your user name and enter your password. Click Next.
- On the next screen, click Utilities in the menu bar and select Startup Security Utility.
- When prompted to authenticate, select Enter macOS Password, then choose your administrator account and enter the password.
- Under the Allowed Boot Media header, click the radio button next to “Allow booting from external or removable media.”
- Exit the utility and restart your Mac.
12
Change your startup disk to the portable macOS drive you created. You can either change your bootup disk one time, or set the external drive as your default startup disk. Before you begin, make sure your portable macOS drive is connected to your computer.^{[14]
X
Research source}
- To change your startup disk once:
  - If you have a Mac with an Apple Silicon chip, press and hold the power/Touch ID button while starting up until you see the “Loading startup options screen.”
  - For other types of Macs, press and hold Option and the power button at the same time as you start up your Mac.
  - You should now see a screen where you can select a startup disk. Click the portable macOS drive and click Continue or the ↑ icon.
  - Restart your computer to boot up from the USB drive.
- To change your default startup disk:
  - Go to
    Apple menu > System Settings > General and select Startup Disk. Select the USB drive where you installed macOS, then click Restart.
Once macOS is installed on the drive, you can update it just like you would on your Mac’s hard drive! Boot up from the USB drive, then go to
Apple menu > System Settings > General > Software Update. If an update is available, select Update Now.^{[15]
X
Research source}

Expert Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Question

What button do you press to interrupt the boot sequence?

Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist
Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over 7 years.

Luigi Oppido

Computer & Tech Specialist

Expert Answer

That depends on the manufacturer: On most Dells it's F12, most HPs are F2, and Lenovo has a tiny button you have to push with a pin.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 2 Helpful 5
Question

How long does it take to put Windows 10 on a flash drive?

Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist
Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over 7 years.

Luigi Oppido

Computer & Tech Specialist

Expert Answer

Once you format the flash drive, it takes about 20 minutes to create a bootable flash drive for Windows 10.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 1 Helpful 2
Question

Can I go back and forth between my original and the USB OS?

Community Answer

You technically can, but it does require a restart every time you want to switch OS's

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 1 Helpful 15

See more answers

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Video

Tips

Using a macOS/OSX portable drive on a Windows computer or vice versa is likely to encounter significant incompatibility issues. A portable Linux installation is likely to function on either machine.

Thanks
Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0