This guide will show you how to install multiple operating systems onto a single USB drive.There are many reasons why you might want to do this. If you are going to use Linux on a powerful computer then you might use Ubuntu or Linux Mint.
1) Introducing the YUMI Multiboot Creator
We will direct you how to create a multiboot Linux USB drive using Linux. However, if you are using a less powerful computer you mighthave to use Lubuntu or Q4OS.By having more than one Linux distribution installed on a USB drive you can have Linux available to you wherever you go.We assume you are using the Windows operating system to create the USB drive.In order to create the USB drive you will need to install YUMI. YUMI is a multiboot USB creator.
2) Get the YUMI Multiboot USB Creator
To download YUMI visit the following link:
“ https://www.pendrivelinux.com/yumi-multiboot-usb-creator/ “
Scroll down the page until you see the 2 buttons with the following text on them:
• Download YUMI
• Download YUMI (UEFI YUMI Beta)
You can choose to download either version but we recommend going for the UEFI YUMI Beta version .Beta generally means that the software isn’t fully tested yet, it works very well and it will allow you to run the Linux distributions you install to the USB drive on all computers without having to switch to legacy mode.
Most modern computers now have UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) as opposed to the old school BIOS (Basic Input Output System).
3) Install and Run YUMI
In order to run YUMI follow these instructions:
- Insert a formatted USB drive
- Open Windows Explorer and navigate to your downloads folder.
- Double click on the file UEFI-YUMI-BETA.exe file.
- A license agreement will be displayed. Click “I Agree”
- You should now see the main YUMI screen.
4) Add the First Operating System to the USB Drive
The YUMI interface is fairly straight forward but let’s go through the steps to add the first operating system to the USB drive.
- Click on the list under “Step 1” and choose the USB drive where you wish to install the operating system to.
- If you can’t see your USB drive place a check in the “Show All Drives” and click on the list again and choose your USB drive.
- Click on the list under “Step 2” and scroll through the list to find the Linux distribution or indeed the Windows Installer should you wish to install it.
- If you don’t already have the ISO image downloaded to your computer click on the “Download the ISO (Optional)” checkbox.
- If you have already downloaded the ISO image of the Linux distribution you want to install click on the browse button and navigate to the location of the ISO image of the distribution you wish to add.
- If the drive isn’t empty you will need to format the drive. Click on the “Format drive (Erase all content)” checkbox.
- Finally click “Create” to add the distribution.
5) Install the First Distribution
- A message will appear telling you exactly what will happen if you choose to continue. The message will tell you whether the drive will be formatted, a boot record will be written, a label will be added and the operating system will be installed.
- Click “Yes” to start the installation process.
- What happens now depends on whether you chose to download the distribution or install from a pre-downloaded ISO image.
- If you chose to download then you will have to wait for the download to finish before the files are extracted to the drive.
- If you chose to install an already downloaded ISO image then this file will be copied to the USB drive and extracted.
- When the process has completed click the “Next” button.
- A message will appear asking whether you want to add more operating systems. If you do then click “Yes”.
6) Now Add More Operating Systems to the USB Drive
To add a second operating system to the drive you follow the same steps as before except you should not click on the “Format drive” option.
- Choose the drive you wish to add an operating system.
- Choose the operating system from the list in “Step 2” and select the next operating system you wish to add
- If you wish to download the operating system place a check in the box
- If you want to select an ISO image that you downloaded earlier click on the browse button and find the ISO to add.
- To continue adding the second distribution click “Create”.
- You can continue adding more and more operating systems to the USB drive until you have as many as you need or indeed you run out of space.
7) How to Remove Operating Systems from the USB Drive
If you wish to remove one of the operating systems from the USB drive you can follow these instructions:
- Insert the USB drive into the computer
- Run YUMI
- Click on the “View or Remove Installed Distros” checkbox
- Select your USB drive from the list in step 1
- Select the operating system you wish to remove from step 2
- Click “Remove”
8) How to Boot Using the USB Drive
To use your USB drive make sure that it is plugged into the computer and reboot your computer.
When the system first starts press the relevant function key to enter the boot menu. The relevant key differs from one manufacturer to another.
The list below should help:
• Acer – Esc, F9, F12
• ASUS – Esc, F8
• Compaq – Esc, F9
• Dell – F12
• EMachines – F12
• HP – Esc, F9
• Intel – F10
• Lenovo – F8, F10, F12
• NEC – F5
• Packard Bell – F8
• Samsung – Esc, F12
• Sony – F11, F12
• Toshiba – F12
When the menu appears use the down arrow to choose your USB drive and press enter.
9) Choose Your Operating System
- The YUMI boot menu should now appear.
- The first screen asks whether you want to reboot your computer or view the operating systems you have installed on the drive.
- If you choose to view the operating systems you have installed to the drive then you will see a list of all the operating systems you have installed.
- You can boot to the operating system of your choice by using the up and down arrows to select the desired item and the enter key to boot into it.
- The operating system you have selected will now boot and you can start using it.
