---
title: "Creating a Bootable USB Flash Drive"
canonical: "https://docs.infoblox.com/space/BloxOneInfrastructure/204670643/Creating%20a%20Bootable%20USB%20Flash%20Drive"
format: markdown
---
> 📝 The USB flash drive must be empty and formatted as FAT32.

To create a bootable USB flash drive and burn the NIOS-X ISO image to it, use the 7-Zip command-line utility tool for Linux, Mac OS, or Windows:

### On Linux:

Assuming /dev/sdb1 is the USB drive, enter the following in the command terminal:

```
apt install p7zip-full
mkdir -p /mnt/usb && mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt/usb
7z x ~/Downloads/NIOS-X_OnPrem_ISO_vX.Y.iso -o/mnt/usb
```

### On Mac OS:

Assuming /dev/disk6 is the USB drive, enter the following in the command terminal:

```
brew install p7zip
diskutil list
diskutil eraseDisk FAT32 NIOSX MBRFormat /dev/disk6 
```

![image-20260206-191817.png](media://a5edcfcf-e615-42fb-8699-c451f7c7b8f4)

```
diskutil mountDisk /dev/disk6
```

The message **Volume(s) mounted successfully** appears on the screen. Then, enter the following command to extract the ISO image:

```
7z x ~/Downloads/NIOS-X_OnPrem_ISO_vX.Y.iso -o/Volumes/NIOSX
```

![image-20260211-123010.png](media://7a743633-e0b0-4797-ab34-19c1bd458f5e)

### On Microsoft Windows

1. Press **CTRL+R** and enter **cmd**.
2. Assuming F:\ is the USB drive, enter the following command: