Simple Tutorial: Download Tails OS, Write to USB, and Boot on Your PC

Tails is a private, secure operating system that you can run from a USB stick. It helps protect your privacy and leaves no trace on your computer.

Step 1: Download Tails OS

  1. Go to the Tails website.
  2. Click "Download Tails".
  3. Download the IMG file (it will be named something like tails-amd64-7.4.1.img).

Step 2: Write the IMG to a USB Stick

  1. Insert a USB stick with at least 8 GB of space into your computer.
  2. Open Rufus (you can download it from Rufus.ie).
  3. Click "Select" and choose the Tails IMG file you downloaded.
  4. Make sure the USB stick is selected in the "Device" dropdown.
  5. Click "Start" to write the IMG to the USB stick.
  6. đź“ť Rufus will format the USB stick. Make sure to save any important data first.

If writing the IMG to USB using Linux follow these directions.

Step 3: Boot Tails from the USB Stick

  1. Insert the USB stick into your PC.
  2. Restart your computer.
  3. As your PC starts up, press the key to enter the boot menu (common keys: F2, F10, F12).
  4. Use the arrow keys to select the USB drive.
  5. Press Enter to boot from the USB.

Step 4: Use Tails

Your PC will now boot into Tails.

You can use it like any other operating system.

All data is stored in RAM, so nothing is saved to your hard drive.

To shut it down, click the "Shut Down" button in the top-right corner.

That’s it! You now have a private, secure operating system running from your USB stick.