If you are having trouble creating bootable USB using existing utility that you use, like UNetbootin, try to create it using LinuxLive USB Creator. The program is easy to use, has a very nice GUI and has a plenty of useful options. Here’s how to create a bootable USB using LinuxLive USB Creator:
1. Attach a USB drive to your PC. Backup any data that you may have on the USB drive.
2. Go to www.linuxliveusb.com/en/download and download the LinuxLive USB Creator.
3. Install the LinuxLive USB Creator and navigate to ‘C:\Program Files (x86)\LinuxLive USB Creator’. Launch ‘LiLi USB Creator.exe’ to start the program.
4. Choose the USB drive from the from the drop down menu in ‘STEP 1: CHOOSE YOUR KEY’.
5. Choose a source for installation in ‘STEP 2: CHOOSE A SOURCE’.
6. If an ISO image is chosen as a source, the program will check the ISO image and show you the profile that will be used for installing that ISO image to the USB.
7. If the Linux distribution’s live ISO image/CD supports persistence, you can choose to reserve some space for persistence (i.e. saving the changes made in the live session) in ‘STEP 3: PERSISTENCE’.
8. In ‘STEP 4: OPTIONS’, you can choose the following options –
a) Hide created files on the key – This will hide all the Linux installation files on the USB. This is useful if you plan on using the USB drive for storing other data and don’t want installation files deleted by accident.
b) Format key in FAT32 – Choose this option if your key is formatted in any other file system. Please note that this option will erase any data that may be present on the USB drive, hence, ensure that you have backed it up in advance.
c) Enable launching LinuxLive in Windows – This option installs portable version of Virtual Box on the USB and allows you to boot the virtual machine from the USB and install Linux inside the virtual machine using the USB drive! The virtual machine thus created can be used from within Windows. This option requires internet connection for downloading the Virtual Box portable installation files.
9. In ‘STEP 5: CREATE’, click on the lighting icon to start the installation and grab a coffee while the USB drive is prepared!
10. Your bootable USB drive is ready and can be unplugged for future use.
