how to burn a windows.iso to my USB flashdrive in ubuntu 12.04 LTS

Question

I am using a Dual boot system with windows 7 and Ubuntu 12.04 LTS. My windows recently crashed with the error "BOOTMGR CANNOT LOAD IMAGE CORRUPT" after i installed a mac theme.

So now i downloaded the windows repair ISO file in my UBUNTU OS. Please tell me how to burn this ISO file to my USB drive in my UBUNTU OS.

Solution

In Linux in general going from the iso to a bootable USB is very simple. Plug in a USB stick and make sure it is not mounted. Let's assume it is /dev/sdb. Then you just say:

 sudo dd if=/path/to/iso/file of=/dev/sdb

Here follows an important disclaimer: please be careful not to invert if (= Input File) and of (Output File), it could have disastrous consequences.

If you do not know how to make sure that the (unmount) stick is /dev/sdb, you can first mount it

 sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt

and then unmount it,

 sudo umount /mnt

If sdb1 does not work, then the stick may be sdc1, sdd1, ...

Also note that, in the dd statement, there is no '1' after /dev/sdb. This might be /dev/sdc, /dev/sdd on the basis of what you ascertained by mounting and unmounting it, but it is not sdb1, sdc1, sdd1 (this would not have catastrophic consequences, it would just not give you a bootable disk).

When dd'ing is over, unplug your stick and you are ready to go.

Comments

[Ramhound]

This is built into Ubuntu ubuntu.com/download/desktop/create-a-usb-stick-on-ubuntu

[pabouk - Ukraine stay strong]

Are you sure that copying CD/DVD ISO image to a USB flash disk will make the disk bootable?

[MariusMatutiae]

Yes I am sure. You may read it for instance on this very site, askubuntu.com/questions/116942/…

[MariusMatutiae]

Or here, superuser.com/questions/591234/… for an extended version. Or here, wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/USB_Flash_Installation_Media for an official Web site, or just Google "linux from ISO to bootable USB"

[pabouk - Ukraine stay strong]

There is an important comment on the first link you added: askubuntu.com/a/116974/67132 The ISO image must be a hybrid one. I must admit that I did not know that hybrid ISO images are being used. Thank you for the information. Let's hope that the Windows repair ISO is hybrid too.

[MariusMatutiae]

If it is not, Redmond is offcially awarded the title of "Last place on Earth where hybrid isos are not used", lol. Soon they will upgrade this "...in the Milky Way...".