Try Anduin OS Without Installing Live USB and Virtual Machine Guide
The smartest thing about Anduin OS is that you never have to commit blind. A USB stick or a virtual machine gives you the full desktop first - Windows untouched, verdict yours.
✍️ Technical Anshu🐧 Anduin OS / Ubuntu⏱️ 7 minute read
🎥 Watch the full video - Anduin OS booted and tested live, step by step
Never install a new operating system on a promise. This page walks the zero-risk trial in the right order: the one safe download source, a live USB session that touches nothing, a virtual machine option, and the backup rules that must be finished before the install button ever gets pressed.
⚠️ Replace sdX with YOUR usb device - the wrong letter erases the wrong disk
✅ On Windows, Rufus or Ventoy do the same job with a mouse
✅ Verify the downloaded ISO checksum before writing it
Example commands - on Windows, the video route with a bootable USB tool is the friendlier path.
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Step 1 - Download From the One True Source
Open the official site: www.anduinos.com and download the current ISO.
Never take the ISO from a random "free download" portal - a modified system image is the worst possible download to trust.
If the site publishes a checksum, verify your file matches it before proceeding. It takes a minute and proves the download is untouched.
Recent builds are compact - around 2.5 GB - so the download itself is quick even on a modest connection.
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Step 2 - The Live USB Test (Nothing Gets Installed)
Write the ISO to a USB stick with Ventoy or Rufus on Windows - with Ventoy you simply copy the ISO file onto the stick.
Restart the PC and boot from the USB (boot menu key is usually F12, F9 or Esc, shown on the first screen).
Choose the Try / Live option. The full desktop runs from the stick - your Windows disk is not touched and nothing is installed.
Test the things that matter: Wi-Fi, sound, your printer, your real files, the browser with your real sites.
One honesty note: a live session runs from a USB stick, so it is slower than a real install. Judge the look, the apps and the hardware support live - judge final speed after installation.
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Step 3 - The Virtual Machine Test
Prefer zero risk to even a boot menu? Install VirtualBox (free) on your current Windows, create a machine with about 4 GB RAM, 2 CPU cores and 25 GB disk - the level the project recommends for real use - attach the ISO, and run Anduin OS in a window. Everything is reversible by deleting one folder.
The VM route is perfect for learning the desktop and testing apps. It is not a fair speed test - your real Windows is still running underneath and eating half the machine - so never reject Anduin OS for VM slowness.
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Step 4 - Install Only When You Are Sure
Back up your files first. Photos, documents, everything you cannot recreate - copied to another disk or drive.
For dual boot beside Windows, turn off Fast Startup in Windows power settings first, so the installer can handle the Windows partition safely.
Keep the PC on charge / mains power during installation. A laptop battery dying mid-install is how good days end.
Install, reboot, remove the USB - then run the updates the system offers and start living in it.
🎥 Watch the Boot and Install Live
Creating the bootable USB and running Anduin OS step by step - the full video shows every screen.
Does the live USB session change anything on my PC?
No. The live session runs entirely from the USB stick and RAM. Your Windows installation and files are not modified. Anything you save inside the live session disappears at reboot unless you save it to another drive - it is a test drive, not an install.
Why does Anduin OS feel slow from the USB or VM?
Both test routes are deliberately unfair: a USB stick is far slower than an internal disk, and a virtual machine shares your PC with the Windows still running underneath. Judge hardware support and comfort in the trial; judge real speed only after a proper install.
What do I need before installing for real?
Three things: a full backup of your files on a separate device, mains power connected, and - for dual boot - Windows Fast Startup switched off. With those done, the install itself is a guided, Ubuntu-style process.
This guide is based on the Technical Anshu video above • Project facts checked against the official Anduin OS website • Stuck on a step? Ask in the video comments 🙏