How to Create a Bootable USB for Linux Mint 22.1 with Persistence Using Rufus

Want to try Linux Mint 22.1 without installing it? A bootable USB with persistence lets you run Mint directly from a thumb drive and save your settings, files, and apps between reboots.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to create a Linux Mint 22.1 bootable USB using Rufus on Windows—with optional persistence support.

🧠 What is persistence?
It allows you to save changes (like files, installed apps, wallpaper, and settings) even after you shut down and reboot the USB session.

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🧰 What You’ll Need

• A USB stick with at least 8GB (more if you want a large persistence partition)
• The Linux Mint 22.1 ISO (Cinnamon edition or your choice)
• Rufus – Free tool for creating bootable USB drives on Windows
• A working Windows PC

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🔽 Step 1: Download Linux Mint

1. Go to https://linuxmint.com/download.php
2. Select Linux Mint 22.1 Cinnamon (64-bit) or your preferred edition
3. You can download via torrent or choose a mirror server close to your location

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⚙️ Step 2: Launch Rufus

1. Insert your USB drive
2. Open Rufus (no installation needed if using the portable version)
3. It should auto-detect your USB drive

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📦 Step 3: Select the ISO

1. Click Select
2. Choose the Linux Mint 22.1 ISO you downloaded
3. If you want persistence:
   • Move the Persistence slider to choose how much space to allocate (e.g., 2GB–4GB or more depending on your drive size)
   • If you don’t want persistence, leave it at 0

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🛠️ Recommended Settings

• Partition Scheme: MBR
• Target System: BIOS or UEFI
• File System: Leave as default (usually FAT32)
• Cluster Size: Leave as default

💡 Using MBR with BIOS/UEFI ensures maximum compatibility across older and newer hardware.

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▶️ Step 4: Create the USB

1. Click Start
2. Accept the warning that all data on the USB will be erased
3. Rufus will begin writing the ISO and creating the persistence layer (if selected)

This step may take several minutes.

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✅ Step 5: Boot From the USB

Once Rufus is done:

1. Leave the USB in the port
2. Reboot your system
3. Enter your BIOS or boot menu (usually F12, ESC, F2, or DEL)
4. Select the USB drive as the boot device

Linux Mint will boot into a live environment, and if you selected persistence, your changes will be saved after rebooting.

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🧠 Why Use Persistence?

Persistence lets you:

• Save personal files and settings
• Install new apps temporarily
• Try Linux in a more realistic way without installing it

It’s ideal for:

• Testing Linux before full install
• A portable Linux environment
• Teaching and training setups

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💬 Final Thoughts

Creating a bootable USB for Linux Mint with persistence is a simple and powerful way to explore Linux without commitment. Rufus makes it easy, even for beginners.

Let me know if you’ve tried persistence mode before—or how your Linux Mint experience has been so far. Comments and questions welcome!