Running FydeOS for PC for the first time

Last Update: 2024-07-15

Preparation

A device for flashing the FydeOS image, which can be a Windows, macOS, or Linux system computer.
Disable Secure Boot in BIOS.
A USB 3.0 storage device with a capacity of no less than 8G.

Downloading the FydeOS for PC Image

Go to the FydeOS for PC Image Download Page.
Choose the most suitable FydeOS for PC variant according to your device configuration.

FydeOS for PC currently offers the following 3 variants:
- PC with legacy (circa 2011-2017) Intel Core (3rd Gen - 7th Gen), Intel Celeron, or Intel Pentium processors with Intel HD integrated graphics
- PC with newer (circa 2018 and after) Intel Core (8th Gen - 13th Gen), Intel Celeron, or Intel Pentium processors with either Intel HD or Intel Iris Xe graphics
- PC with AMD or Intel processors (circa 2011 and after) and AMD Radeon discrete or integrated graphics
If you're still confused about choosing a variant, please refer to the FydeOS for PC Variant Selection Guide. Please note that FydeOS for PC does not support NVIDIA graphics cards.
Download the appropriate FydeOS image; when your download finishes, you will get an compressed image file with a .xz extension.

Flashing the FydeOS Image to USB Storage Device

We've noticed that the latest version of balena Etcher can occasionally run into issues when flashing FydeOS. To avoid any hiccups, be sure to decompress the .xz file first before using balena Etcher to write it. And if you're on a Windows system, we suggest using Rufus for a smoother flashing process.

Insert your USB storage device into your PC. Please note that all data on this storage device will be wiped, so backup your data if you still need it.
Download the appropriate balenaEtcher or other flashing application to flash the downloaded FydeOS image to your USB storage device.

balenaEtcher is a tool that helps users quickly flash OS image files to USB devices or flash memory cards and can be used in all major operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and mainstream Linux distros. This tool is beautifully designed, and the interface is friendly; I believe you will be familiar with its simple trilogy operation immediately:
Open the downloaded FydeOS image file with balenaEtcher (or your imager application of choice). Choose the USB storage drive that will be used to flash FydeOS. All you need to do next is click the Flash! button, and balenaEtcher will handle the rest for you.

Booting into FydeOS

After everything is done, you can remove the USB disk and insert it into your PC that you wish to boot FydeOS. Remember to configure your PC to boot from the USB storage (usually by going into your BIOS settings and change boot options), and now, enjoy FydeOS!

Troubleshooting

If you encounter problems during installation, please refer to the Troubleshooting Guide.

Video Tutorial

If you're a visual learner or find yourself a little lost while reading through instructions, these video tutorials will come to your rescue. We've handpicked some high-quality videos which offer a detailed walkthrough on how to install and use FydeOS for PC.