Booting from handy flash drive is method to bypass OS and run PC from software and files on USB drive. This is useful thing to have ready if you get virus or hard drive damages.

Download a Formatting Tool for a USB Flash Drive

1. Now you may able to format USB flash drive without tool, but tool is simple method to ensure you do not ignore anything. Ideas for tools contain HP USB Flash Drive Format Tool and Lexar's BootIt from Pendrive Applications. If you want to run OS other than Windows, you want to find different tool friendly with OS of your selection.

Run the Format Tool

2. Ensure USB drive is either vacant of data or has nothing that you want. Formatting drive deletes all files, so create copy of anything you want and put it on disc or drive. Run formatting tool to format USB drive. Set it up with one partition and select NTFS for file system if it asks you.

Make the USB Drive Bootable

3. Insert Windows OS disc in CD/DVD drive. Using formatting tool, choose an option to make boot sector or bootable drive on USB drive. Use Windows "bootsect" utility for this. Then you want to copy files from Windows CD to flash drive.

Change the Computer's BIOS

4. The BIOS is element of PC that tells it what to do when it first turns on, even before it starts running OS. Check with blue-collar that came with PC to search how to access and modify BIOS. Usually, you must resurrect PC and hold down key. After in BIOS, modify boot device settings so that PC checks for bootable USB before it boots from hard drive. Ensure it still has secondary option of booting from hard disk if flash drive is not installed except you never want it to boot from hard disk again.