Rufus
Version 4.15.2396 · Akeo Consulting · Windows 7 / 8 / 10 / 11 (32-bit and 64-bit) · ranked #88 in the library
A tiny open source tool that writes an installer image to a USB stick correctly and quickly, and does the awkward extra work of setting up the boot mode and the partitioning so the stick actually starts the machine.
Read the installation section below before you start. The order of the steps matters on this release.
About this release
Overview
Rufus does one job better than anything else: it turns an ISO into a bootable USB stick. It is a single small executable, it needs no installation, and it is noticeably faster at writing than most of the alternatives. But speed is not the reason it became the default. The reason is that it gets the fiddly parts right, the partition scheme, the boot mode, the file system, so the stick it produces actually boots the machine you meant it for rather than being ignored by the firmware.
It exposes exactly the choices that matter and picks sensible defaults for the rest. You choose the image, it detects the sensible partition scheme and target system, and you write. For a system installer it handles the split between the older legacy boot and the newer firmware boot, and it can prepare a stick that works on both. It also knows the workarounds for installing the current system on hardware the stock installer refuses, and offers them as tick boxes while writing.
Beyond system installers it writes the small bootable utilities people keep on a stick, memory testers, partition tools, recovery environments, and can lay down a plain bootable DOS or UEFI shell. It is free, open source, carries no advertising, and runs portable from wherever you put it. This is the current release with both architectures available.
What it does
Feature breakdown
Fast, correct USB writing
Writes an installer image to a stick quickly and, more importantly, with the boot mode and partitioning set up so it actually boots.
Boot mode handling
Gets the legacy and firmware boot split right, and can prepare a stick that works on both.
Install workarounds built in
Offers the tick box workarounds for installing the current system on hardware the stock installer refuses.
Utility and shell media
Writes bootable memory testers, partition tools and recovery environments, or a plain bootable shell.
Portable single executable
No installation, runs from wherever you put it, a couple of megabytes in size.
Open source and free
No advertising, no bundled offers, and the source is published.
Changed in this build
Version 4.15.2396
- Improved writing speed on recent USB controllers.
- Updated workarounds for installing the current system on unsupported hardware.
- Better detection of the correct partition scheme for mixed firmware machines.
- Additional bootable utility image types recognised.
- Several interface translations refreshed.
Installation
Follow these in order
- Extract the archive.
- Run the executable. There is nothing to install.
- Insert the USB stick you want to write to, having moved anything off it first.
- Select the image, confirm the detected partition scheme and target, and start.
- Wait for the write to complete before removing the stick.
- Nothing else. It leaves nothing on the machine.
Release notes
From whoever packed it
- Writing a stick erases it completely. Move anything off it first.
- Confirm the boot mode matches the machine you will install on, especially on older hardware.
- It runs portable, so there is nothing to uninstall afterwards.
System requirements
Minimum and recommended
| Operating system | Windows 7 through Windows 11, 32-bit or 64-bit |
|---|---|
| Processor | Any x86 or x64 processor |
| Memory | 256 MB |
| Graphics | No requirement |
| Storage | 5 MB for the executable plus a USB stick to write to |
Questions about this release
Answered before you ask
- Does it need installing?
- No, it is a single portable executable that leaves nothing behind.
- Can it make a stick that boots on old and new machines?
- Yes, it handles the legacy and firmware boot split and can prepare media for both.
- Will it help install the current system on old hardware?
- Yes, it offers the known workarounds as tick boxes while writing.
Download
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