Rufus is a free, small, and easy-to-use program for Windows that helps you create bootable USB drives. Note that Rufus does not run natively on Linux. OK, you can run it in a VM, but for those of you more advanced who are thinking this, we’re not going down that rabbit hole for now!

Think of a bootable USB drive like a CD or DVD that you might have used in the past to install or try out an operating system. Instead of a disc, it’s a USB flash drive. Rufus takes an ISO image file (which is like a digital copy of a disc) and puts it onto your USB drive in a way that your computer can understand and boot from.

Getting Started:

Download the Linux ISO: First, you’ll need to download the Linux distribution (like Ubuntu, Fedora, or Mint) you want to try. We’ll talk later about distributions, and what they are, don’t worry. You’ll find these on the distribution’s official website. Look for the “download” section and choose the ISO file. This file is usually fairly large. (Usually a few giggabytes.)

Download Rufus: Next, download Rufus from its official website (usually a simple Google search for “Rufus download” will get you there). It’s a small program and doesn’t require installation – you just run it like a portable application.

Don’t put Rufus on the same drive you’ll be using for the bootable media!

Plug in your USB drive: Make sure you have a USB flash drive with enough space (at least 4GB, but 8GB or more is recommended). Plug it into your Windows computer. Important: Creating a bootable USB drive will erase everything on the USB drive, so make sure you back up any important files before you proceed, and again, don’t put Rufus directly on the drive.

Run Rufus: Open the Rufus program you downloaded.

Select the ISO image: In Rufus, you’ll see a drop-down menu labeled “Disk or ISO image (Please select)”. Click it and browse to the ISO file you downloaded earlier.

Select the USB drive: In the “Device” drop-down, make sure the correct USB drive is selected. Double-check this, as choosing the wrong drive could lead to data loss on a different drive, which would be a disaster!

Start the process: Leave the other settings at their defaults for now. Click the “Start” button. Rufus will warn you that all data on the USB drive will be erased. Click “OK” to continue. Rufus will now format the USB drive and copy the ISO image to it, making it bootable. This process might take a few minutes. Note that Rufus is completely 100 percent accessible with JAWS, NVDA, etcetera, which is exactly why I chose this method for you to get started.

Booting from the USB Drive:

Once Rufus is finished, you have a beautiful bootable Linux USB drive! Now, you need to tell your computer to boot from it. This is where things can get a little interesting.

Every computer is different. The way you tell your computer to boot from a USB drive varies. but by large, you’ll need to enter your computer’s BIOS or UEFI settings. This is usually done by pressing a specific key (like Delete, F2, F10, F12, or Esc) repeatedly as your computer starts up. The key you need to press is often displayed briefly on the bottom of the screen during startup, so watch closely.

Once you’re in the BIOS/UEFI settings, look for a “Boot Order,” “Boot Sequence,” or similar option. You’ll need to change the boot order so that the USB drive is listed before your hard drive. Save the changes and exit the BIOS/UEFI settings. Your computer should now boot from the USB drive. Note that most computers even have a way to get to a boot menu without having to go all the way into the bios/EFI setup.

Important Note: I can’t give you specific keystroke-by-keystroke instructions for booting from a USB drive because it’s different for every computer. I wish I could. It’s not that I’m trying to tell you to “RTFM” (read the manual), but it truly depends on your specific computer model. Your computer’s manual or the manufacturer’s website should have information on how to change the boot order. If you’re unsure, it’s always best to consult a computer professional for assistance. They can help you navigate the BIOS/UEFI settings and ensure you don’t accidentally make any changes that could cause problems down the road.

I haven’t covered the actual Linux installation process, as that’s a whole other topic. I hope this helps you get started on your Linux journey!