3.2. Making USB Media

Btrfs

The GRUB bootloader does not support the Btrfs file system. You cannot create bootable USB media on media formatted as Btrfs.

Unusual USB Media

In a few cases with oddly formatted or partitioned USB media, image writing may fail.

USB media often comes in the form of flash devices sometimes called pen drives, thumb disks, or keys; or as an externally connected hard disk device. Almost all media of this type is formatted as a vfat file system. You can create bootable USB media on media formatted as ext2, ext3, or vfat.

You can transfer a distribution image file, a live image file, or a minimal boot media image file to USB media. Make sure that sufficient free space is available on the device. You require around 4 GB for a distribution DVD image, around 700 MB for a live image or around 200 MB for a minimal boot media image.

3.2.1. Making Fedora USB Media on a Windows Operating System

Note — This Method Is Not Destructive

This method is not destructive, so existing data on the media is not harmed. Nevertheless, it is always a good idea to back up important data before performing sensitive disk operations.

The most straightforward way to place a Fedora image on USB media using a Windows operating system is to transfer the Fedora live image to the USB device with the LiveUSB Creator tool.

Note that the dd tool discussed in Section 3.2.2, “Making Fedora USB Media in UNIX, Linux, and Similar Operating Systems” is also available for Windows. Follow the instructions in that section to use an implementation of dd for Windows operating systems. The instructions in this section assume that you will use LiveUSB Creator.

Download the LiveUSB Creator program for Windows from http://fedorahosted.org/liveusb-creator.
LiveUSB Creator can create live USB media either from an image file that you downloaded previously, as described in Section 2.1.3, “Which Files Do I Download?”, or it can download an image file from the Internet. Either:
- click the Browse button under the Use existing LiveCD label, browse to the location where you previously downloaded a Fedora Live ISO file, and select that file.
- select a Fedora Live ISO file from the drop-down menu that LiveUSB Creator presents under the Download Fedora label. Note that image files are large and that it is probably impractical to use LiveUSB Creator to download an image file if you do not have a broadband connection to the Internet.
Click Create Live USB.