A few years in the past, in all probability round 2015, I ditched Home windows altogether, opting to run Linux on my computer systems. Getting older {hardware} was a key motivator, so was the perceived velocity of Linux and its alignment with my wants (I do not do PC gaming).

Not too long ago, nevertheless, I’ve wanted to run a chunk of obscure software program that solely runs on Home windows. The opposite day, I spent a number of hours backing up my recordsdata, shrinking my Linux partition, writing Home windows 11 to a USB, and putting in it on a partition on my laptop computer.

Maybe essentially the most troublesome a part of all this, at the very least if I did not have some stellar directions, is writing Home windows to USB. In contrast to Linux distributions, you’ll be able to’t simply use GNOME Disks and restore the disk picture, it takes a extra specialised strategy. On this information, I need to define the steps I took so as to create Home windows set up media your self ought to it is advisable.

The next instructions are aimed toward Ubuntu-based distributions as they’re what most individuals have, on different techniques like Fedora, you’ll be able to largely comply with alongside however software program set up instructions are a bit totally different. The next directions are for the WoeUSB terminal instrument which I’ve examined and may verify works. There may be additionally a graphical instrument referred to as WoeUSB-ng, nevertheless, I’ve not examined this myself and have no idea how nicely it really works.

The very first thing we have to do is set up WoeUSB. I feel there’s a graphical model of this instrument, however for this information I can be explaining how you can use the command line model as I’ve examined this technique.

First, add the WoeUSB repository with this command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:tomtomtom/woeusb

Subsequent, it is advisable run:

sudo apt replace

As soon as you’ve got pulled within the information from that repository, you’ll be able to go forward and set up WoeUSB from there with this command:

sudo apt set up woeusb

Nice, if all the things has gone easily, you must have WoeUSB put in. Subsequent, you will need to put together your set up media, however do not plug it in simply but.

As a substitute, run the next command:

lsblk

Pay attention to the output right here; in the direction of the tip of the output you must see your storage mediums and their partitions, designated with ‘disk’ and ‘half’, in addition to their storage sizes. Now that you understand that are your laborious drives, go forward and plug within the USB you need to write Home windows to, and run lsblk once more and see which disk was not within the record earlier than, that is your USB gadget.

The knowledge you actually need from the lsblk output is the identifier of your USB disk; in my case, it was sdb.

WARNING: Following directions past this level will result in the destruction of information in your USB gadget (and probably your laborious drive for those who do not comply with the directions intently).

Now that we’ve got this, and assuming you’ve got already downloaded Home windows, you’ll be able to write Home windows to your USB gadget with the next command. If it makes issues simpler, you’ll be able to take away the Home windows ISO path and surrounding quotes and simply drag your Home windows obtain onto the terminal and the trail can be auto-inserted, serving to you keep away from errors. Additionally, substitute sdX together with your disk’s precise title, corresponding to sdb in my case.

sudo woeusb --target-filesystem NTFS --device '/path/to/file.iso' /dev/sdX

The set up of Home windows to your USB gadget will take a number of minutes, relying on the velocity of your {hardware}, however as soon as the set up has accomplished, you’ll be able to reboot your pc and set up Home windows from for USB gadget.

Putting in Home windows alongside a Linux set up is past the scope of this information, however if you wish to discover, I like to recommend putting in Linux Mint Xfce on one other USB gadget to resize your laborious drive with GParted. You should definitely again up your information earlier than resizing the drive. Should you set up Home windows to the brand new partition, and you’ve got any boot points, you’ll be able to boot again into Linux Mint Xfce and use the pre-installed boot restore instrument, permitting you to decide on Linux or Home windows at startup.