Want to install Linux in place of Windows 11? Or maybe you want to try one of the many great Linux distributions like Ubuntu to see how they run on your PC’s hardware before committing to it? This is made easy thanks to tools like Rufus, you can create a bootable Linux installer that you can use to demo and install Linux on any PC, once you have access to the BIOS that is. We’ll take a look at the process for you today, on Windows 11.
How to prepare a bootable Linux drive on Windows
To boot Linux from a USB drive on a modern Windows PC, there are a few security-related things you’ll have to do first. If you’re running Windows 11 Pro, you’ll need to turn off the BitLocker encryption (if you’re set up), to avoid disk errors the next time you want to go back to Windows after booting from USB. You’ll also need to disable fast startup, so you can access your BIOS. Finally, you’ll need to disable secure boot so you can boot from an external USB drive. This is because some Linux distributions might not be compatible with the standard configuration. Disabling these options won’t leave your PC vulnerable to viruses, it’s mainly to prevent less tech-savvy individuals from breaking the system.
Disable Fast Startup
- Open Control Panel.
- Switch the Control Panel to the Category view from the top under View by
- Choose Hardware and Sound.
- Select Power Options.
- Click on Choose what the power buttons do.
- Uncheck the box at the bottom for Turn on fast startup (recommended)
Disable BitLocker
- Open BitLocker.
- Click the top result for Manage BitLocker.
- In the window, click the Turn off BitLocker
- Agree to the prompts on the screen.
If you want to enable BitLocker again later, follow the steps in reverse.
Disable Secure Boot
We need to access the PC’s UEFI BIOS to disable Secure Boot and other hardware-level settings. This can be achieved by pressing the respective key on boot, but if you don’t know this button, another method is to follow these steps:
- Boot to the Windows 11 login screen.
- Click the power button in the lower-right of the screen.
- Holding Shiftclick Restart.
- Go to Troubleshoot> Advanced Options: UEFI Firmware Settings.
- Navigate to the Authentication, Boot, or Security tab in your BIOS.
- Look for a Secure Boot option and set it to Disabled.
- If there’s an option for it, under Authentication Boot, or Security, select the option for Enable Boot from USB devices.
How to create a Linux installation USB drive
Next up, in this second part, you’re going to have to download the ISO file for your Linux flavor. You’ll also create a bootable installer using Rufus. Keep in mind, that you’ll need a USB drive bigger than 4GB for this installation process. A 16GB USB drive is preferred.
- Download the ISO file for your favorite Linux flavor that you want to use. In our example, we use Ubuntu, which can be found here.
- Install the latest version of Rufus.
- Launch Rufus.
- Insert your empty USB drive.
- Select your drive under Device.
- Click the Select button and open the ISO file you downloaded earlier.
- Leave the Partition scheme as MBR, and Target System as BIOS or UEFI.
- Leave all other Format Options as Default.
- Click Start.
- If you get a pop-up, choose Write in ISO image mode.
- Depending on your Linux flavor, you might have another pop-up, choose Yes to download GRUB 2.06.
- Click OK to begin the process of installing Linux to that USB drive.
- When done, Rufus will prompt you to close.
How to boot into Linux from a live USB
Finally, you can now boot Linux from that USB drive you just created using Rufus. This is pretty easy, provided you follow the steps we mentioned to begin and configure your PC for booting from USB drives.
- Insert the USB drive you created into your computer.
- Some PCs might show a prompt to Select Boot Device or boot from a USB drive. If you see this prompt, press the corresponding key (Escape in our case) to be booted straight into the Linux install on your USB drive. This will be a temporary boot each time you start your PC. If you want to boot Linux from USB permanently, skip to the next step.
- While your PC is booting, press the key to boot into the BIOS loading screen. On most PCs, it can be Escape, F1, F2, F8, F10, F11, F12, or Delete. Check with your PC maker to see which key to press. For our example, it’s F2. (If unsure, open the Settings app, choose System> Recovery> Advanced Startup> Restart Now. Then, click Troubleshoot> Advanced options> UEFI Firmware settings.)
- Once in the BIOS, under the Boot menu, drag, or move your USB drive up to be the first boot option. This will make your PC boot from the USB drive right away, skipping the BIOS in the future.
- Save and exit the UEFI BIOS.
Reboot your PC and you should see that your system will boot right to your USB drive. Just click the Try or Install option on your screen.
Additional tips
That’s it! You’ve now booted Linux from USB and can enjoy the operating system. Keep in mind that on most Linux distributions, especially on Ubuntu, you can use the USB drive you created as a “Live installer”. This means you can try out Linux without impacting your main Windows install. Just choose the Try option on the installation screen. Keep in mind, though, that data will be lost each time you power off your PC if you go this route. Still, it’s a fun way to check if your hardware will work right with Linux before you commit yourself to it.