Creating a bootable Windows 8 USB stick is not a very complicated process, but there are few things you should be aware of. First of all, there are plenty of methods which can be used in this regard, some of which are more complex than the others. Secondly, before creating the bootable stick it’s recommended to backup all the data from it (if any), and even better, to backup the important files from your PC too. Thirdly, you have to make sure that you have enough space in your stick to copy the Windows 8 installer files. A minimum of 4GB will be required for the 32-bit version, while the 64-bit version will ask you for at least an 8GB stick. At last but not least, you’ll have to download the Windows 8 ISO file in order to start the creation process. Below I’m going to present you 3 methods that can be successfully used to make a bootable Windows 8 USB Stick.

Method 1

- Using built-in Windows tools

This is one of the simplest way of creating the bootable stick, since it doesn’t require any additional tools.

1) Format the stick in FAT32 by right-clicking it from My Computer and selecting “Format…”.

2) Mount the Windows 8 ISO image with Daemon Tools (or other ISO Mounting software), or simply extract it to a certain location and open it.

3) Copy all the files and folders found inside it and paste them to your stick.

4) Go to Start > Run > cmd (the “cmd” command requires administrator rights)

5) Create the bootable stick by using the command prompt. To do this simply type in; F: (enter), cd boot (enter), bootsect / nt60 (enter). Please note that F is your drive letter in this case.

That’s it, your PC will now boot from the USB stick at restart (given that the USB Drive is selected as “primary boot device” in the BIOS options).

Method 2

- Using Windows 8 USB Installer Maker

Windows 8 USB Install Maker is a free application that works under Windows Vista and higher. It features a very simple and intuitive interface which resembles the Windows 8′s modern panel.

1) Download the application. This can be done through Softpedia, CNET or any other mirrors. Softpedia link

2) Unzip the contents using any archiver software and open Win8USB.exe.

3) Now you’ll access to the program’s interface. First off, you’ll have to select the USB drive which you want to install Windows 8 to. Next, simply select the location of your Windows 8 ISO file via the “Search ISO” button, tick the “Format Drive” box, and click “Create”. Your new bootable stick will be ready in minutes.

Method 3

- Using WinUSB Maker

WinUSB Maker is a tool similar to the above-mentioned one, only that a little more complex. If you’d like more transfer options for your bootable stick, then you should definitely go with this one.

1) Download and extract WinUSB Maker on your computer. The application is free and portable, so it won’t require any kind of installation. CNET link.

2) Run the .exe file (make sure you have administrative privileges).

3) Select the USB stick that you want to install Windows 8 on and proceed to “Setup to USB”.

4) Select the location of your Windows 8 installation and select the corresponding option (whether you have it in ISO format or extracted to a directory). Make sure to also tick the FAT32 box for extra compatibility. Click on the “Make USB Bootable” button.

That’s it, your bootable stick will now be automatically created. If you want more options you can also check the other features of this app, such as “GRLDR to USB” (transfer the GRUB Loader to your USB device), “MSDOS to USB” (transfer the Microsoft DOS to your USB), “Full USB Backup” (make a full backup of your USB), etc.

Natasha is writer and blogger.She contributes to the online society by blogging on a variety of topics, currently exploring in cloud computing, web hosting, cloud server, dedicated servers, VPS and other popular cloud and tech related trends.Currently writes for Ninefold, Australia.

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Code analysis through the help of visualization is very much necessary. There are so many tools available online that can be used for this purpose. However, the security of coding can only be analyzed through tools that are reliable. Coding analysis is something that has to be done at every step starting from the pseudo code design, gathering tools for implementation, preparing the code, implementing, testing and even after the implementation when it is the time for feedback and updating. Free software and open source code analysis tools can be applied but not every software is related to the type of code you have. That is why security through relevant and reliable software is needed. One of the few reliable, free, and trustable coding analyses through visualization tools is named as Source Monitor. A free ware tool has the following functionalities:

1)      The source files are used by this application to get metrics faster and in just a single pass through the code.

2)      The application is meant for all kinds of software coding in the languages for programming named as C, C++, C#, Java, Delphi, VB, VB.NET, HTML, and even VB6.

3)      The applications contain the function level and the simpler metrics for the languages like C++, Delphi, Java, C, C#, and VB.

4)      There are check marks made for the coding analysis so that at every step of the check mark, the coding can be checked for any kind of vulnerability. This can be done through the whole process of software development life cycle.

5)      The metrics are then displayed in the form of charts, graphical representations, tables, etc. These are then prioritized into the weaker to the most strengthened code and vulnerabilities.

6)      The check marks are then tested with respect to the results that come out, that are displayed in the tables and the graphical designs.

7)      The files are then built using the XML and HTML coding. This is done through the help of a standard GUI Windows interface. This includes command line execution of the code so that the code can be checked and crosschecked every time it is run.

8)      The data is then imported to the files separated by comma values, in XML or (CSV)

While the projects are made every day in the developer companies, it is better that the source monitor is made a part of daily practice. This way, it would be easy to keep integrating the code files with the analyzer so that based on graphic visualizations, the code can be made secure.  The applications like the above-mentioned one also help in accessing if there is any duplication of the code, visual metrics generator, tagging names and cloud visualization etc. Some of the tools also are code dependent like one language tool. They entertain and specialize in the same code security. Because the coding analysis sticks to one domain, it is easier to keep updating such tools for all kinds of vulnerabilities specific to that coding language. This is how specialized tools are built and then their horizon expands to entertain regularly woven vulnerabilities by security breaches every day.

For further details, you can look for online help material and service help from companies like checkmarx.com. If you are a pro, you can understand the importance of such kinds of tools. You can also get help as mentioned above, from online tester companies so that when it is time, you can provide security to the websites, codes for applications and sometimes if the tool you use is specialized enough, you can calculate the location of a security breach holder to capture the spamming tool.

Author’s bio:

Muhammad Azam is technology blogger and writer. He has written several posts on different technology and software related topics. He also writes for a well reputed company checkmarx.com which Identify software security vulnerabilities and fix them professionally.

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