How to use the `dd` command to create a bootable USB drive from an ISO file on a Linux-based system

Reference: Prerequisites ISO File: Ensure you have downloaded the Windows ISO file you want to use. USB Drive: Insert a USB drive into your computer. Confirm that it has sufficient space for the ISO file and back up any important data, as this process will erase the USB drive. Terminal Access: You need access to a terminal or command line interface. Step-by-Step Guide Step 1: Identify the USB Drive Open a terminal. Run the following command to list all connected drives: lsblk This command displays a list of block devices. Identify your USB drive by its size and name, which will typically be listed as /dev/sdb, /dev/sdc, etc. Ensure you correctly identify the USB drive to avoid overwriting other drives. Step 2: Unmount the USB Drive Before writing to the USB drive, you need to unmount it. Replace /dev/sdX1 with the actual partition of your USB drive (e.g., /dev/sdb1). sudo umount /dev/sdX1 If your USB drive has multiple partitions, you may need to unmount all of them. You can unmount all partitions of the USB drive using: sudo umount /dev/sdX* Step 3: Write the ISO to the USB Drive Now, you can use the dd command to write the ISO file to the USB drive. Replace /path/to/your.iso with the path to your ISO file and /dev/sdX with your USB drive (without the partition number). sudo dd if=/path/to/your.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress if=: Input file (the ISO file). of=: Output file (the USB drive). bs=4M: Sets the block size to 4 megabytes, which can speed up the process. status=progress: Displays the progress of the operation. Important Note: Ensure that you do not include a partition number (like sdX1) in the of= parameter, as writing to a partition instead of the whole drive can lead to an incomplete or non-bootable USB. Step 4: Wait for the Process to Complete The dd command will take some time to complete, depending on the size of the ISO and the speed of your USB drive. Once it finishes, you will see a summary of how many bytes were copied. Step 5: Sync and Eject the USB Drive After the dd command completes, it’s a good practice to ensure all data is written to the USB drive before removing it. Run the following command: sync This command flushes the file system buffers, ensuring that all data is written to the USB drive. Now you can safely eject the USB drive: sudo eject /dev/sdX Important Considerations Double-Check Device Names: Be very careful with the of= parameter. If you specify the wrong device, you could overwrite important data on your hard drive. Data Loss Warning: This process will erase all data on the specified USB drive. Make sure to back up any important files before proceeding. Booting from USB: After creating the bootable USB drive, you can boot from it by changing the boot order in your BIOS/UEFI settings. You may need to press a specific key (like F2, F12, ESC, or DEL) during startup to access the boot menu.