Nowadays, users often create a bootable USB to fix computer issues. While many programs support quick USB boot creation, the most critical aspect remains whether your USB drive can boot or not.
Certainly, you can restart your computer and boot from the Bootable USB drive to check its boot capability. However, if you prefer not to restart your computer, you can apply one of the methods below to check USB boot capability on Windows 10 easily.
Method 1: Using MobaLiveCD to check USB boot capability on Windows 10
The simplest way is to use MobaLiveCD to check the USB boot capability on Windows 10. MobaLiveCD is software that simulates the Qemu system. This software will run an ad-hoc virtual machine and attempt to boot from your Bootable USB drive, allowing you to easily check the USB boot status and ISO files.
Follow the steps below:
Step 1: Download MobaLiveCD to your computer and install it.
Step 5: If prompted to create a virtual hard drive, click on No with the red X next to it.
Step 6: Next, a Command Prompt window containing text as shown below will appear on the screen. This indicates that the virtual machine is attempting to boot from the USB drive you selected in the previous step.
Step 7: If you see the Windows logo, it means your USB drive is bootable. You can then click on the X button at the top right corner to close the window.
If the process freezes or hangs on the Command Prompt window, it means your USB drive is not bootable.
Method 2: Utilizing Magic ISO Maker for disk image verification
Alternatively, you can employ the tried and tested method of using Magic ISO Maker to assess the boot capability of the disk image. While not the optimal approach, it's a method to ensure the image's bootability before burning it onto a USB drive.
Step 1: Download Magic ISO Maker onto your machine and install it.
Download Magic ISO Maker and install it from the following link: MacgicISO Maker
Step 2: After downloading and installing Magic ISO Maker, proceed to open the tool and select Open… from the File menu.
Step 3: Choose your ISO file from the menu.
Step 4: Look at the menu bar; if you see Bootable, it means your ISO file is bootable after burning it onto a CD or USB drive. If Bootable is not visible, it means the ISO is non-functional.
The best way to test the bootability of a USB drive on Windows 10 is to try booting your computer from the Bootable USB drive. However, if you prefer not to restart your computer, you can use MobaLiveCD to test the bootability of the USB drive.
Additionally, if you want to ensure that a disk image (such as ISO or DMG) is bootable before burning it onto a USB drive or CD, you can use Magic ISO Maker to check if the image contains the necessary files for proper booting.
In addition to using the two programs listed above, another way to check if the USB boot has been successfully installed is to use Qemu Simple Boot, which is also very convenient for readers to explore further.