Having bootable media ready can be a real lifesaver when you need to do a clean installation of Windows. Thankfully, it's easy to set that up. There are two main ways to create bootable media for a ...

Want to try or install a Linux distribution (distro) on your computer? Making a bootable flash drive with an image of the distro is the simplest route these days. I've done it dozens of times, and ...

You can troubleshoot an old PC at your home. In addition to common issues to look for, there's another task you should take on -- create a bootable USB drive. I know, I know. The first time I heard ...

Running Windows completely off of a USB flash drive is quite handy if you want to try a newer or older version of Windows without affecting your current system. The USB drive can also serve as a ...

Linux offers a versatile platform for various computing needs, and creating a portable Linux distribution on a USB drive unlocks a world of mobility and flexibility. Whether you're a developer needing ...

Apple only sells OS X Mountain Lion as a digital download in the Mac App Store. The installer weighs in at a hefty 4.05GB, but the good news is that you can install your copy of Mountain Lion on all ...

Apple makes it harder to make an external boot drive for your Mac than it has in the past, but sometimes you still need to do it. Here's how to do it in macOS Sequoia. Apple Silicon and macOS may be ...

Every Windows PC usually starts from the built-in hard drive, as the term “Windows PC” implies. This is because the Microsoft operating system is not anchored in or with the hardware, but is installed ...

Creating a bootable USB drive is a common task for installing or repairing operating systems, but verifying its bootability without restarting the computer can be challenging. Here are several methods ...

David Nield is a technology journalist from Manchester in the U.K. who has been writing about gadgets and apps for more than 20 years. He has a bachelor's degree in English Literature from Durham ...

You know you’ve got a serious PC problem when your computer refuses to get through even the first phase of startup properly. If you can't get into Windows or macOS at all, then your troubleshooting ...