---
series: Tips
date: "2020-12-23T08:34:30Z"
header:
  teaser: assets/images/posts-2020/-lp1-DGiM.png
tags:
- chromeos
title: Burn an ISO to USB with the Chromebook Recovery Utility
toc: false
---

There are a number of fantastic Windows applications for creating bootable USB drives from ISO images - but those don't work on a Chromebook. Fortunately there's an easily-available tool which will do the trick: Google's own [Chromebook Recovery Utility](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/chromebook-recovery-utili/jndclpdbaamdhonoechobihbbiimdgai) app. 

Normally that tool is used to creating bootable media to [reinstall Chrome OS on a broken Chromebook](https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/1080595) (hence the name) but it also has the capability to write other arbitrary images as well. So if you find yourself needing to create a USB drive for installing ESXi on a computer in your [home lab](https://twitter.com/johndotbowdre/status/1341767090945077248) (more on that soon!) here's what you'll need to do:

1. Install the [Chromebook Recovery Utility](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/chromebook-recovery-utili/pocpnlppkickgojjlmhdmidojbmbodfm).
2. Download the ISO you intend to use.
3. Rename the file to append `.bin` on the end, after the `.iso` bit:
![Screenshot 2020-12-23 at 15.42.40.png](/images/posts-2020/uoTjgtbN1.png)
4. Plug in the USB drive you're going to sacrifice for this effort - remember that ALL data on the drive will be erased.
5. Open the recovery utility, click on the gear icon at the top right, and select the *Use local image* option:
![Screenshot 2020-12-23 at 15.44.04.png](/images/posts-2020/vdTpW9t7Q.png)
6. Browse to and select the `*.iso.bin` file.
7. Choose the USB drive, and click *Continue*.
![Screenshot 2020-12-23 at 15.45.59.png](/images/posts-2020/p_Ieqsw4p.png)
8. Click *Create now* to start the writing!
![Screenshot 2020-12-23 at 15.53.03.png](/images/posts-2020/lhw5EEqSD.png)
9. All done! It probably won't work great for actually recovering your Chromebook but will do wonders for installing ESXi (or whatever) on another computer!
![Screenshot 2020-12-23 at 15.53.32.png](/images/posts-2020/-lp1-DGiM.png)

You can also use the CRU to make a bootable USB from a `.zip` archive containing a single `.img` file, such as those commonly used to distribute [Raspberry Pi images](https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentation/installation/installing-images/chromeos.md).

Very cool!