We all need to start from scratch sometimes and if you're building a new PC, chances are you'll need to learn how to make a bootable USB drive. This will enable you to boot your PC directly from a USB ...

When something goes wrong with your Mac, it's a boon to have a separate, external drive that you can work from — but Apple no longer makes that easy. Here's how to do it. The short answer to how you ...

You can troubleshoot an old PC at your home. In addition to common issues to look for, there's another task you should take on -- create a bootable USB drive. I know, I know. The first time I heard ...

PSA: for MOST use cases there is now a much easier solution. If your primary goal is just to download updates faster/not use up your limited data budget, and you have multiple Macs (otherwise why do ...

It's handy to have an external, bootable macOS Ventura installer, but you practically have to fight Apple to make one. Here's what you have to do. In Apple's ideal world, you let your Mac update ...

Windows install floppies and discs have gone the way of the dodo, but it still pays to keep a copy of the OS on a USB drive. Here's how to make your own.

To improve system security your M1 Mac won't boot if the internal solid state drive (SSD) completely dies. While there's been very little information released by Apple on their SSD architecture -- I'm ...

Starting your Surface from a USB drive can be useful if you want to change firmware settings or Windows startup settings or if your Surface device does not turn on, start, boot, or wake from sleep.

Creating a bootable USB drive is a common task for installing or repairing operating systems, but verifying its bootability without restarting the computer can be challenging. Here are several methods ...

There's one immutable law of PCs: sh*t happens. And when it does, there's usually a way to fix things, if you had the foresight to create one essential recovery tool first. Booting from a USB recovery ...

While I understand the utility of a USB installer, it should be mentioned that macOS Internet recovery has been around since Lion. You can choose to install latest ...