COVER FEATURE
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WHAT YOU CAN DO
- • Run Windows from a USB stick to take
your data and settings with you - • Install the free Linux distribution
Zorin and switch between it and
Windows - • Prevent anyone else from knowing
what you do when you use a shared
computer - • Breathe new life into an old PC by
running Chrome OS from a USB stick - • Recover lost files before they’re
overwritten and gone for good - • Store music, videos and photos on a
stick using VLC and IrfanView - • Avoid personalised adverts by
creating a separate USB stick for
online shopping
Install your favourite operating systems and
software on a USB stick and you’ll be able to
run them on any computer, wherever you are.
Nik Rawlinson reveals the best tools, and
explains what you have to do
started. In most cases, 8GB will be
sufficient, but prices are now so low that,
if you’re buying new, we’d recommend
something larger. At the time of writing,
you can pick up a 32GB SanDisk stick for
just £6.79 (www.snipca.com/41614).
When installing an operating system on
a USB stick, you need to unpack it and
make the stick bootable at the same time.
We’ll be using free software Rufus to do
this for each system, so before going any
further visit http://www.snipca.com/41508
scroll to the Downloads section, and click
the link for the most recent version (3.18
at the time of writing).
Save the file to your Downloads folder.
Click ‘Yes’ each time you launch it to tell
Windows you’re happy for it to make
changes to your computer. It will also
warn you that the data on your USB stick
will be destroyed, so make sure you’ve
backed up anything you need to keep.U
SB sticks are cheap and
convenient. Keep one in your
pocket, and you can carry your
files, photos, and favourite
music, to access on any machine. But if
that’s all you’re doing with it, you’re
missing out. They can also be used to run
programs that don’t need to be installed
on a hard drive or SSD. Known as
portable software, these programs cover a
wide range of tasks, from getting you
online to fixing a broken computer.
In this feature, we’ll highlight the best
portable software, help you put together
an essential PC repair kit, and show you
the benefits of running a browser from a
stick. We’ll even explain how you can set
up a portable operating system –
including Windows, Linux and Chrome
OS – so that whichever computer you’re
using, it will work just the way you like it.
You don’t need a large stick to get27 April – 10 May 2022 • Issue 630