Create a Fedora Live USB from Windows ▷ Fedora Media Writer

Create a Fedora Live USB. The following tutorial covers how to create and boot Fedora from a flash drive using Windows and the Fedora Media Writer. Fedora is a Linux distribution that is sponsored by Red Hat and is both driven and maintained by the community. It is comprised of open source software and will always remain free to use, study, modify and or redistribute.

About Fedora Linux

Fedora Linux is a popular and widely used open source Linux distribution. Well known for its community driven development model and commitment to providing cutting edge, free and open source software to its users.

This distribution's key features include:

Cutting Edge Software: Fedora includes the latest versions of software packages, which makes it attractive to users who want access to the newest features and technologies.
Stability: Despite its focus on offering the latest software, it strives to maintain stability and reliability. Undergoing rigorous and stringent testing before each new release.
RPM Package Management: Fedora uses the RPM (Red Hat Package Manager) package management system to install, update, and manage software packages.
Community Driven Linux Distribution: It is developed by a large and diverse community of volunteers and contributors who work together to create a robust and functional operating system.
Fedora Variants: Different variants or "spins" are offered which tailor to specific use cases, such as Fedora Workstation for desktop users, Fedora Server for server environments, and Fedora Core OS for container orchestration.
Fedora Security: Fedora places a strong emphasis on security and strives to include the latest security enhancements in its releases. It also provides tools and resources for users to improve system security.
Free and Open Source: It strictly adheres to open source principles, and the vast majority of software included is open source.
Easy Software Management: The distro includes the DNF package manager, which makes it relatively easy to install, update, and remove software packages.
Fedora Customization: Users can customize Fedora to suit their specific needs, making it a flexible choice for various computing environments.
Well Documented Community Support: Fedora has an active community that provides documentation, forums, and support to help users get the most out of their Fedora Linux installations.

Fedora is often used by developers, system administrators, and enthusiasts who appreciate its combination of new technologies, open source principles, and community driven development. It serves as the upstream source for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), which means that many of the technologies and innovations developed in Fedora eventually find their way into RHEL, a commercial enterprise Linux distribution.

Fedora Specifications

Distribution Home Page: Project Page
Lead Developer: Warren Togami
Release Date: Fedora Linux was first released in 2002
Minimum flash thumb drive size: 4GB
Persistent Feature: Yes

Essentials for creating a Fedora Bootable USB

Here we will be using a Windows host PC
Fast USB flash drive
Bootable USB Software: Fedora Media Writer, YUMI, or DD for Windows
Fedora Live ISO file

How to Make a Fedora Live USB

There are several different methods you could use to Make a Fedora Live USB drive from within Windows. Here, we will cover just a few of them. Note that unlike tools such as Unetbootin or YUMI, when using the Fedora Media Writer or DD for Windows tools, your memory stick will be resized to the size of your chosen ISO file. The drive will then work like a CD ROM and no longer be detected by Windows as a regular USB flash device. However, when you've finished playing with Fedora, you can easily perform a flash drive recovery to restore your USB back to full capacity.

Method 1: Using the Fedora Media Writer

To use the Fedora Media Writer to create a Fedora Live bootable USB:

Download Fedora Media Writer
Run the executable .exe and proceed to install the program on your PC.
Launch the program from your Computer.
Select an Image Source, and then click Next:
Choose your destination USB Drive, and then click Write
WARNING: The contents of your USB will be overwritten. Make sure you have backed up your content before proceeding:
The program will proceed to write the contents of the ISO file to your USB drive using a direct copy method.

A progress bar will indicate the progression of your USB Fedora Live creation.
Once the process has finished, simply close the program.
Then,
(1.) Restart your PC.
(2.) Using your "Hotkey" during system post: Access BIOS
(3.) Set your system to boot from the USB and save your changes (F10).
(3.) Proceed to boot up the operating system from your flash drive.

If all goes well, you should now be booting into your own portable Live USB Fedora Linux.

Method 2: Using YUMI to Make a Fedora Live USB

You might also consider using YUMI which can also be used to boot from USB multiple ISOs. It also allows you to still use your flash drive for storage purposes. YUMI can make a Multisystem bootable flash drive containing several Linux Operating Systems, Windows Installers, PE, Antivirus tools, and computer diagnostic utilities. Here's how to make a Fedora Live USB using YUMI:

Download YUMI: Go to the YUMI page and download the latest version.
Run YUMI: Open the downloaded executable. You don’t need to install it, as it’s a portable application.
(1.) Select Your USB Drive: In the YUMI interface, choose your USB drive from the droplist.
(2.) Choose Fedora: From the list of distributions, select Fedora.
(3.) Browse for the ISO: Click on Browse and select the Fedora Live ISO file you downloaded from the official Fedora website.
(4.) Create Your Live USB: Click Create and wait for the utility to write the ISO to your USB drive. Once done, you’ll have a bootable Fedora Live USB.
Boot from USB: Restart your computer and boot from the USB drive. You may need to change the boot order in your BIOS or UEFI settings.

Method 3: Create a Fedora Live USB with dd for Windows

Here’s how to create a Fedora Live USB using dd for Windows by chrysocome. Note, this method works like the Fedora Media Writer by overwriting all contents on the drive making it appear the same size as the ISO file.

Download Fedora Live ISO:
- Visit the official Fedora website and download a Fedora Live ISO file.
Download dd for Windows:
- Go to chrysocome.net and download dd for Windows.
Extract dd for Windows:
- Extract the contents of the dd zip file to a convenient location on your computer, such as C:\dd.
Prepare Your USB Drive:
- Insert your USB drive. Ensure it's at least 4GB and has no important data, as the process will erase the drive.
Identify Your USB Drive Letter:
- Open "This PC" in File Explorer and note the drive letter assigned to your USB drive (e.g., E:).
Open Command Prompt:
- Press Win + R, type cmd, and press Enter to open the Command Prompt.
Navigate to the dd Directory:
- In Command Prompt, change to the directory where you extracted dd. For example:
```
cd C:\dd
```
Run the dd Command:
- Use the following command to write the Fedora ISO to your USB drive:
```
dd if=path\to\Fedora-Workstation-Live-x86_64-XX-YY.iso of=\\.\E: bs=4M --progress --size
```
- Replace path\to\Fedora-Workstation-Live-x86_64-XX-YY.iso with the full path to your Fedora ISO file.
- Replace E: with the actual drive letter of your USB drive.
Wait for the Process to Complete:
- The process will take some time. The --progress flag will show the progress of the operation in the Command Prompt.
Eject the USB Drive:
- Once the dd command has finished, safely eject your USB drive.
Boot from USB:
- Restart your computer and boot from the USB drive. You may need to change the boot order in your BIOS or UEFI settings.

That's the method using the power of dd for Windows to create a bootable Fedora Live USB, offering a command line alternative for users familiar with the process of using the dd command.