Fedora media writer for windows

As a Linux systems administrator who tests different distros, you may be required to create a bootable Linux USB drive many times. I still remember the frustration of using command-line tools on Windows to make Linux installation media—the syntax errors, failed boots, and corrupt images that cost me countless hours of troubleshooting. Although many GUI tools, such as Balena Etcher, are available for Windows 11 and 10 to create bootable Linux USB drivers, here, we will talk about Fedora Media Writer.

Well, many of you may not have heard about this USB bootable maker software, but it is quite good and an open-source application that anyone can use free of cost.

Whether you’re a Windows user curious about Linux or an IT professional managing multi-system deployments, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know about this invaluable cross-platform tool.

Fedora Media Writer is an official, open-source utility developed by the Fedora Project that allows users to create bootable USB drives from Fedora Linux distribution images. Unlike generic USB imaging tools, Fedora Media Writer was explicitly designed to simplify creating bootable Linux installation media on Windows, macOS, and Linux systems.

The tool first appeared in 2016 as a replacement for the older LiveUSB Creator. It has since evolved into a robust, user-friendly application that handles everything from downloading the latest Fedora images to correctly formatting and writing them to USB drives with verification.

Why Fedora Media Writer Matters

While there are numerous utilities for creating bootable USB drives, Fedora Media Writer stands apart for several reasons:

• Cross-platform compatibility: Unlike many Linux-centric tools, it works seamlessly on Windows, making it accessible to users regardless of their current operating system.
• Simplified workflow: The application handles downloading, verification, and writing in one integrated process.
• Official support: As an official Fedora Project tool, it’s specifically optimized for Fedora distributions and receives regular updates alongside major Fedora releases.
• Built-in verification: The tool automatically verifies written images to prevent boot failures from corrupt data transfers.

Installing Fedora Media Writer on Windows is straightforward. We can use the command line or the graphical user interface to install it. Here, we show both.

For PowerShell or Command Prompt users:

If you want to install the Fedora Media Writer on Windows using the command line, then we can use the inbuilt system package manager called Winget.

1. Right-click the Windows 11 or 10 Start button and select Terminal (Admin) or Windows PowerShell (Admin).
2. After that, type—widget to confirm it is available on your system. The command will list the options available for this Windows package manager.
3. Finally, execute the Winget command below, which will quickly install the Fedora Media Writer on Windows 11 or 10 without visiting any website.

winget install Fedora.FedoraMediaWriter

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Using the Graphical Executable file.

1. Visit the official Fedora Project website (Getfedora.org) and download the latest version of the Fedora Media Writer.
2. Once the Windows installer for Fedora Media Writer is on the system, double-click it. When it asks for administrator installation privileges, provide that because this is normal.
3. Note: Some antivirus software may flag the USB writing process as suspicious. Adding an exception for Fedora Media Writer in your security software can prevent interruptions.

I once had to deploy Fedora to 39 workstations for a training lab with only two hours of prep time. Setting up Fedora Media Writer on three Windows laptops simultaneously created all the needed boot media in under 30 minutes—a task that would have taken hours with manual methods.

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Bootable Fedora USB Drives

How Do I Create a Bootable Fedora USB Drive on Windows?

1. Insert a USB drive with a capacity of at least 4GB (8GB or larger is recommended for Workstation editions).
2. Launch Fedora Media Writer after installation by searching in the Windows Start menu.
3. Click the “Run as Administrator” option, which is necessary to access the drives on the system.

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1. Select the Image Source from the main screen. If you want to use the latest Fedora ISO Image to create a bootable USB drive, you can select “Download automatically.” Users with another Linux distro image should select the “Select .iso file” option. I am selecting that to show this tutorial.

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Note: If you use the “Download automatically” option, wait for the download, write, and verification process—this typically takes 10-25 minutes, depending on your internet connection and USB drive speed.

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Screenshot

1. On the next screen, click on the “Select” button and browse to the Linux distro file you want to use to create a bootable USB drive. For example, here, we are using the Deepin Desktop ISO image.
2. Choose your USB drive from the dropdown menu if multiple drives are connected.

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1. Now, Fedora Media Writer will ask permission to format or erase the data on the selected USB drive to write the image file. If you are sure nothing is essential on your Pen drive, click the “Write” button.

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1. When the writing process is done, click the Finish button and eject the drive safely using Windows’ safe removal feature before disconnecting it.

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1. Now, plug in the drive where you want to install your bootable Linux Distro created using Fedora Media Writer.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

From my experience supporting hundreds of users through this process, these are the most frequent issues you might encounter:

• “Access Denied” errors are usually caused by Windows file locks on the USB drive. Try closing all File Explorer windows, restarting the application, or using another USB port.
• Slow write speeds: Some USB 3.0 drives paradoxically perform better when connected to USB 2.0 ports due to driver optimization issues in Windows. If writing seems unusually slow, try different ports.
• Failed verification: If verification fails, the USB drive may be counterfeit or failing. I recommend using name-brand USB drives from reputable sources—I’ve had excellent reliability with SanDisk and Samsung drives.
• Boot failures: If the created USB doesn’t boot, ensure your computer’s BIOS/UEFI is configured to allow USB booting and that Secure Boot is disabled if using older Fedora versions.

Common Questions & Misconceptions

Conclusion: The Bridge Between Windows and Linux

Fedora Media Writer lowers the technical barriers by providing Windows users with a straightforward path to experiencing Linux. Whether you’re a curious Windows 11 user looking to explore alternatives to Rufus, an IT professional managing diverse environments, or an educator preparing lab environments, Fedora Media Writer deserves a place in your technical toolkit. Its simplicity, reliability, and official support make it the ideal bridge between the Windows and Linux worlds.

This post provides a quick tutorial about Fedora Media Writer and its usage in both Fedora and Windows. Fedora Media Writer is a very small, lightweight, comprehensive tool that simplifies the Linux getting started experience. It downloads and writes your favorite Fedora flavor onto a USB drive, which can be later used to boot up any system.

This also means you can now create Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) LiveCDs in just a few minutes. Since RHEL was recently made freely available to all developers, you can download the ISO to use with the Fedora Media Writer.

How can you get Fedora Media Writer?

For Fedora (requires Fedora 24):

sudo dnf install liveusb-creator

For Windows: You can download Fedora Media Writer here and execute liveusb-creator.exe with admin privileges.

How does Fedora Media Writer work?

For both Windows and Linux, it works in exactly the same way. When you run Fedora Media Writer, you should see a dialog like this:

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1. Run Fedora Media Writer.

   

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2. Choose your favorite Fedora flavor (or other operating system).

   

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3. Click Create Live USB and wait for it to download and write.

Want to make this better?

You can go ahead and test the basic test cases and post your karma. You can also go ahead and contribute to GitHub with patches.

Note the Fedora Project also provides multi-platform command-line instructions for creating live USB media.

Last updated:
July 2, 2024

Fedora Media Writer — программа для создания загрузочной флешки с Linux Fedora. Она создана разработчиками дистрибутива и предназначена для целевой работы с ним.

Fedora Media Writer также умеет работать и с иными дистрибутивами Linux. Она может записать на накопитель образы Linux Mint и Ubuntu. С готовой флешки можно будет запустить иные дистрибутивы на компьютере.

Программа достаточно удобная — как по формату, так и по функционалу. Она может своими силами скачать образ Linux Fedora, в том числе официальные сборки. Это могут быть дистрибутивы с графическими оболочками KDE, MATE, и прочее. Удобство для пользователя в том, что при создании загрузочной флешке человеку не придется заранее скачивать образ системы. Программа сделает все своими силами. При этом есть и возможность пользоваться готовыми образами, которые предварительно загружены пользователем.

Программа доступна сразу на нескольких системных платформах:

• Windows.
• Mac OS.
• Linux.

В последнем варианте ПО открывается только при помощи DNF из дистрибутива Fedora. Если у пользователя на компьютере другая сборка, но на данный момент разработчики не предусмотрели никакой возможности запуска.

Создание загрузочной флешки

Теперь можно приступить к работе с самой программой. Так как главная задача — создание загрузочного накопителя, то этот процесс и будет рассмотрен. В качестве примера будет показана стандартная версия дистрибутива в среде GNOME:

1. При запуске программы на экране будет отображено меню рабочей среды. Нужно выбрать раздел «Загрузить автоматически».
2. Программа предложит выбрать источник для скачивания дистрибутива. Можно выбрать «Официальные версии». В контекстном меню оставить «Fedora Workstation».
3. Затем предстоит обозначить параметры записи. В стандартном варианте можно оставить версию «39». Далее указывается аппаратная архитектура, подходящий накопитель, установленный в системе.
4. Выбрать «Загрузить и записать».

Программа начнет автоматически скачивать нужный дистрибутив. Пока идет процесс, пользователь может проверить накопитель. После завершения загрузки автоматически начнется запись файлов на флешку. По окончанию на экране отобразится уведомление «Закончено».

Сам образ хранится на жестком диске и требует дополнительного пространства. После записи его можно удалить. Когда накопитель готов, нужно кликнуть на «Закрыть» в программе и продолжить дальнейшую работу уже с USB-накопителем.