Page 1
Performance Hardware
User’s Guide
Version 1.0 April, 2010
H o w T o C r e a t e t h e
U l t i m a t e B o o t a b l e U S B
F l a s h D r i v e
A guide for using a utility that will turn your USB flash
drive into a versatile bootable tool!
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How to Create the Ultimate Bootable USB Flash Drive
1
Download and Run the Utility
Corsair has provided an easy to use utility that will convert your USB flash drive
into a versatile bootable tool. Developed by Pendrivelinux.com, the simple installation makes the drive bootable allowing the user to boot directly to Memtest or to
a FreeDOS prompt. The drive is also still fully usable as a standard USB flash drive.
Download the Ultimate Bootable USB Flash Drive Tool here:
http://forum.corsair.com/v3/showthread.php?t=85815
Once you have downloaded the tool, unzip it and run the application. If you accept the agreement and wish to use the utility to create the tool, select the I Agree
option and move to the next step.
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How to Create the Ultimate Bootable USB Flash Drive
2
Basic Installation
Select the USB flash drive from the dropdown menu. We recommend formatting
the drive using this utility to ensure best results. You cannot use NTFS with this
tool if you decide to manually format. Select Create and the utility will run.
This is typically a very short procedure but the time taken can vary depending
upon your drive size and speed.
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How to Create the Ultimate Bootable USB Flash Drive
3
Finish the Installation
Select Finish and the process is complete. Steps 4 and 5 illustrate how to boot to
the drive and to select the utility you wish to use.
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How to Create the Ultimate Bootable USB Flash Drive
4
Boot to Your USB Flash Drive
To use the utilities on your drive, you will need to boot your system to this drive
as opposed to booting to your system drive. There are 2 ways to do this. Option 1
below shows how you would manually select the boot menu and select the drive
to which you want to boot. Refer to your manual as the key for this varies across
different motherboards. You may also set the USB flash drive as the first item in
your boot order as shown in option 2. Either method works equally well.
OPTION 1
Option 2
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How to Create the Ultimate Bootable USB Flash Drive
5
Select the Utility you Wish to Use
Once you boot to your USB flash drive, you will see the boot menu as shown below. Select the utility you wish to use and it will be loaded. The versatility of this
tool is apparent once you begin to use it. The two default utilities, Memtest86+
and FreeDOS, are invaluable during system builds and trouble shooting.
Your flash drive can become a virtual toolbox of utilities that you can carry in your
pocket as opposed to carrying archaic floppy disks or bulky CDs and DVDs. You
also have the option of far greater storage capacity when using a USB flash drive.
Your USB flash drive will still be fully functional as a removable storage drive. This
is a great tool for testing memory or running programs from a DOS prompt such
as firmware or BIOS updaters. The only real limits are the drive size and your creativity.
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How to Create the Ultimate Bootable USB Flash Drive
Resources
The Ultimate Bootable USB Drive Tool:
http://forum.corsair.com/v3/showthread.php?t=85815
Corsair USB Flash Drive Product Page:
http://www.corsair.com/products/flash.aspx
Pendrivelinux.com:
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/
© April, 2010, Corsair Memory, Incorporated. All rights reserved. All trademarks and registered
trademarks are the property of their respective owners in the United States and/or other countries.
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