Create a bootable USB to replace Windows with Linux

Create a bootable USB stick so you can try Linux and install it in place of Windows. This guide is for anyone with an older Windows computer who wants to keep using it instead of replacing it.

Applies to: Linux, Windows – All clients

Why replace Windows with Linux

Windows 7 is out of mainstream support, as explained in our blog post on Windows 7 alternatives for Zoho users. Many computers still run Windows 7.

The obvious step is to upgrade to Windows 10, but that has its own issues:

Privacy: Windows 10 sends usage data (telemetry) back to Microsoft. You can configure how much, but you can't stop it altogether, and updates often switch it back to the defaults.
Hardware: Windows 10 needs a lot more computing power than Windows 7.

Replacing a perfectly good computer wastes money and puts unnecessary strain on the environment.

Create a bootable USB stick

To install a new operating system, you need to start (boot) the computer from an installation file. Unlike Windows, you can boot Linux from the USB stick into a "live environment" and try it out before you decide to install it or discard it.

Nothing you do in the live environment changes your computer's internal drive (hard drive or SSD). Nothing is installed until you choose to install it.
When you restart the computer, any changes you made or files you created in the live session are lost.

What you need

A USB stick (thumb drive) with at least 4 GB of space.
The Linux image file (.iso). It's usually around 1.8–2.2 GB. You'll find download links in the blog post. If you're feeling adventurous, visit DistroWatch and download any distribution you like.

This is how to download Feren OS, if that's your choice:

Flash the image to the USB stick with Rufus

You can't just copy the .iso file to the USB stick. You need to "flash" the image onto the stick, which needs a small extra program called Rufus.

Go to https://rufus.ie/ and download Rufus.
Open Rufus by double-clicking the downloaded file. You don't need to install it.

Always have an up-to-date, effective antivirus program on your Windows computer. Our download of this file was clean, but never trust anything that installs on your Windows computer, whatever the source.

Select the device you want to write the image to. This is the USB stick.

When you flash a USB stick with Rufus, all files on the stick are deleted.

Click SELECT and browse to the downloaded .iso file.
Complete the details.
When you're ready, click START. This takes a while.

Don't remove the USB stick or turn off the computer while Rufus is writing. This may make the USB stick unusable.

Boot into the Linux live environment

With the computer turned off, plug in the flashed USB stick.
Turn the computer on. Most Linux distributions (including the ones in the blog post) start in a live environment. The computer runs from the USB stick and nothing is written to its internal storage.
Try out the desktop. For the best experience, connect to the internet over Wi-Fi or Ethernet.

Most (if not all) hardware is detected and works straight away. You don't need to install drivers. You'll probably have a great experience with the free drivers rather than proprietary ones.

Install Linux on the computer

When you're ready to install, use the install icon on the live desktop to start the installation.

We don't recommend dual boot (installing Linux alongside Windows and choosing which one to use at startup).

The installation wipes everything on the computer's internal storage. Only start it when you have a full, verified backup of everything you want to keep.

To go back to Windows after installing Linux, you need a bootable Windows image to reinstall it. Linux has many apps in its software repository for creating bootable USB sticks, but you must supply a Windows .iso file and a working product key.

You may need to turn off "secure boot". This feature stops other operating systems (usually meaning non-Microsoft ones) from being installed on your computer.

If the computer starts straight into Windows with the USB stick plugged in, the internal drive is probably set as the first boot drive. Search the internet for the key that changes the boot drive on your computer model. It could be F2, F9 or F12, or the blue ThinkVantage button on some Lenovo models. A search like "change boot order <computer brand> <model>" is a good start.

Aurelian Group provides no warranty or support for this process. Managed Services clients with an active subscription (Digital Business) can call for basic support.

Tips: Linux isn't Windows

This isn't a full Linux manual. You'll find excellent content on the web. Overall, Linux is very easy to use, despite what many people think. A few pointers:

There's no C:\ drive, or any drive letters. All storage, including USB storage, is linked to the "root" folder (shown as /).
All your files, including configuration files, are stored in your /home folder.
Hidden files have names starting with a full stop (for example, .hidden).
For changes to your system, you must enter a sudo password (sudo stands for "super user do"). In most cases, it's the same password you set up to log in.
You don't need to use the terminal, but you may find it's not as scary as it first seems, and it can be quicker.
You usually install software from the software store. Look for Add/Remove Software.
In the software store, check for updates first. Updates cover both the operating system and your installed apps.
In the software store, search for AppImageLauncher and install it. It's handy for installing AppImage apps such as Zoho Mail Desktop Lite.
Zoho apps for Linux aren't in the software store. Download them from the Zoho website, where available.
You don't strictly need antivirus on Linux, but it's available. Search for ClamAV in the software store.
You never need to defragment the drive, even a spinning hard drive.
You can run some Windows apps through WINE, but you don't need to, and not all Windows apps are supported.

Make Linux yours

You can customise Linux to suit you. This is a customised Linux desktop (KDE on Manjaro):