Live USB

FreeNAS can be run from a 128MB - 2GB USB Flash Drive (or potentially larger with manual edits). The benefit of this is that all HD space can be reserved for server duties.

To create a USB image without having to burn a CD on Windows:

• Download Physdiskwrite
  • Read the warnings about selecting the USB stick correctly
• Download the current 0.69 FreeNAS IMG file (not ISO) from Sourceforge
• Plug the USB stick (128MB - 2GB size) in your Windows PC and format the disk as FAT (right-click -> Format; select FAT not FAT32).
  • To eliminate any errors make sure that only the target disk is connected.
• "Safely Remove" the USB stick, and then reinsert it.
• Drag the FreeNAS IMG file to the Phydiskwrite icon in Windows File Manager
  • You must be logged in as Administrator in Windows (default user).
  • A text window will open, detailing the drives connected; look at the list and select the USB drive
  • The USB stick will likely be the last entry in the list. It should also have low C/H/S details.
  • Physdiskwrite will not write to any disk larger than 2GB (to prevent accidentally wiping your internal HD)
  • When the writing completes, the text screen will close
• "Safely Remove" the USB stick.
• You now have a FreeNAS LiveUSB!

Time to boot your FreeNAS server now.