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Twelve guides, grouped by what you are trying to do. Start at the top if the vocabulary is new; jump straight to troubleshooting if something is already broken.
Fundamentals
Read once, use for yearsWhat a bootable drive actually is
What firmware looks for, why copying an ISO is not enough, and the three preparation methods.
FundamentalsLegacy BIOS and UEFI: what changed
How each firmware finds a bootloader, what CSM does, and how to check your current mode.
FundamentalsSecure Boot without the folklore
The signature chain, the four reasons media gets refused, and how to handle the setting responsibly.
FundamentalsMBR and GPT: choosing a partition table
Limits, structure, which to use for a USB drive, and how to inspect what a disk already has.
FundamentalsChoosing a file system
FAT32, exFAT, NTFS and ext4 on bootable media, and three ways around the 4 GB file limit.
ToolsVentoy, Rufus, Etcher and WoeUSB compared
What each one does differently, where each fits, and where to download them officially.
Procedures
Step by stepA drive that carries several systems
Layout, setup, organisation, and what to do when one image refuses to start.
ProceduresPreparing Windows installation media
Getting the image from Microsoft, handling the oversized install file, and the requirements to check first.
ProceduresWriting an image from the terminal
Identify, unmount, write, verify — on Linux and macOS, with safer alternatives.
ProceduresVerifying a download
SHA-256 and GPG: what each proves, how to run them, and how to read the output.
ProceduresKeeping changes between live sessions
How the overlay works, sizing it sensibly, and when to install properly instead.
TroubleshootingThe drive will not boot
An ordered checklist for both cases: not listed at all, and listed but stalling.
Missing something? If a procedure you need is not here, or one of these is out of date on hardware you own, send us the details. Corrections take priority over new pages.