How To Install Ubuntu From a USB Stick on Windows 10 PC

For installing Ubuntu Linux from a USB stick, first, we need to create a bootable USB drive. Like Windows, Ubuntu can be installed from a USB flash drive and most of the people opting this method because of the lack of CD DVD ROM in the modern notebooks and computers. Moreover, handling USB drive is much convenient than CD-ROMs. Here in this step by step tutorial, we will show, how to install Ubuntu Linux from a USB memory stick. The USB memory stick sometimes also called Pen drive, USB  flash drive or USB mass storage device.

Prerequisites

  • A USB drive of at least 4 GB to install Ubuntu. Although its depend upon, what type of Linux OS installation you want and the size of the USB drive is depends on that.
  • The USB Memory stick should be blank and completely formatted
  • Downloaded Ubuntu Linux ISO image

Step By Step Installation of Ubuntu from a USB Stick on Windows 10

Step 1: First of all download the open-source Linux Ubuntu ISO from the Ubuntu official website. The different flavours of Ubuntu available are Kubuntu, Lubuntu, Mythbuntu, Ubuntu Kylin, Ubuntu GNOME, Ubuntu Budgie, Ubuntu MATE, Ubuntu Studio and Xubuntu. The installation procedure is the same for all the Ubuntu flavours but in performing this tutorial we use the standard Unity Ubuntu.

Step 2:  After downloading the Ubuntu ISO, the second step is to get the Ubuntu bootable USB-creator.  There are a couple of good free and open-source software options are available such as Linux Live USB Creator, Unetbootin, Rufus and Win32 Disk Imager. You can use any of them but for the tutorial, we are using the Rufus as an Ubuntu startup disk creator. Link to get the open-source Rufus USB installer.

Step 3: After downloading the Rufus install and run it.

Setting up the Rufus USB installer

  1. Select the USB drive or stick in which you want to install the Ubuntu.
  2. From a “Create a bootable disk using” option select an ISO image from the drop-down.
  3. Click on the CD-ROM icon to select the downloaded Ubuntu ISO image.
  4. Click on the start button to begin the Ubuntu bootable USB creation process.
Install Ubuntu From USB Stick on windows 10

Step 4: After hitting the start button, the Rufus start processing the ISO image, it might ask to download two files ldlinux.sys and lidinux.bss. Click on “Yes”.

Install Ubuntu From a USB Stick on Windows 10 2

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Step 5: Hybrid image confirmation…  The Rufus detected the Ubuntu ISO images as an ISOHybrid image which means the same image file without any conversion can use for DVD and USB stick without any modification. Leave the pre-selected recommended option as it is and click on OK.

Install Ubuntu From a USB Stick

Step 6:  Next step, the Rufus will ask confirmation to destroy any data, if present in the USB memory stick. Click OK and after that, it will start the creating Ubuntu bootable USB stick or pen drive.

rufus usb installer
Rufus usb-creator

Start the Ubuntu Installation from USB

Step 1: Without removing the USB stick, reboot the computer and change the boot order from bios. Key to getting the boot menu depends on your motherboard model. For example, here we are using the Gigabyte and the F12 is the key to select the boot order. You can google about your motherboard model or you can also find it from the first boot screen of the computer. Normally key need to press is one of the following: F1, F2, Del, Esc, F10, F11, or F12.

Note: If the USB does not appear in the boot menu then you need to enable it from the bios.

Once the boot menu appears, select the pen drive or USB stick which we used to create the Ubuntu bootloader.

Install Ubuntu from pendrive

Step 2:  If everything is fine, you will see the Ubuntu boot screen.

Ubuntu USB installationon windows 10

Step 3: To Install the Ubuntu select the option “Install Ubuntu”.

Select the Install Ubuntu

If you want a dual boot configuration of Ubuntu and Windows 10 then at Installation type window, select the first option “Install Ubuntu alongside them“. It will preserve your Windows 7 or Windows 10 OS with all data and give you Operating system selection menu every time you boot the computer. This also applies to other Operating systems using an Ubuntu dual boot environment.

Dual boot installation Ubuntu Linux and Windows 10