Yesterday, we saw how you can install and test the latest build of Windows 8 on your system as a virtual operating system using Oracle VirtualBox. For those who haven’t heard, the consumer preview of Windows 8 is now available for everyone to test. It’s like what Microsoft did during the launch of Windows 7. They first released a free preview build to get feedback from users before submitting the final version of the product. And the big news is that the Windows 8 consumer preview has passed 1 million downloads.
UPDATE: You’ll be happy to know that we recently compared the Top 5 Tools to Create Bootable ISOs in Windows. Check that out for more on better tools to get the job done.
After a few hours of testing, I am convinced that the build is stable enough and I can take it to the next level by installing it side-by-side with Windows 7 via dual boot. If you are also looking forward to installing Windows 8 on your computer, I would like you to create a bootable USB drive instead of a bootable DVD.
Note: This is a consumer preview of Windows 8 and is not the final stable version. So keep in mind that you are always alone if you crash your computer while installing or using this build of Windows 8.
USB drives are always faster than DVDs, and the chances of a faulty or damaged installation are very low compared to optical media. So let’s see how you can create Windows 8 bootable USB in the easiest way possible.
Necessary prerequisites
- Download the Windows 8 ISO file on your system.
- Minimum removable drive 4 GB for 32-bit Windows operating systems and 8 GB for 64-bit Windows 8 operating systems.
- Back up all data (if any) from your removable drive. Better yet, back up important data on your PC.
Create a Windows 8 bootable USB drive
Step 1: Download and extract WinUSB Maker on your computer. WinUSB maker is a portable application and therefore does not require installation of any kind. You just need to run the .exe file.
Step 2: Run the WinUSB Maker tool with administrative rights to start creating your bootable USB drive. (right click the file and click Run as Administrator)
Step 3: In the tool, select the option ISO image bootable disk under Function part. Select Normal detection mode and browse for the Windows 8 Bootable ISO (Image File) you downloaded on your system.
Step 4: Finally, select the USB drive and the MBR system drive (if you plug in one, it is selected by default, if you have multiple drives then click the drop-down menu and choose from the list) and click the Make it Bootable button.
That’s it, the tool will format the USB drive and copy all the Windows installation files to it and make it bootable.
You can now plug the device into your system and select the removable drive as the first boot choice option in the BIOS and install Windows 8.
My judgment
Although there is an official Microsoft tool to create a bootable USB drive from an ISO image, the portable and easy-to-use nature of the WinUSB maker caught my attention. Furthermore, WinUSB offers a little more control to the user compared to the official tool.
Categories: How to
Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/
