Balena Etcher – Creating Bootable USB drives and SD cards

Introduction

Balena Etcher is a simple yet powerful open-source tool for creating bootable USB drives and SD cards. It is widely used for flashing operating system images onto removable media, particularly for Raspberry Pi, Linux, and Windows installations.

This guide provides a step-by-step tutorial on downloading, installing, and using Balena Etcher effectively.

1. Downloading and Installing Balena Etcher

a) Download Balena Etcher

Balena Etcher is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. You can download it from the official website: https://www.balena.io/etcher/

b) Install Balena Etcher

For Windows:

1. Download the .exe file.
2. Run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions.
3. Open Balena Etcher after installation.

For macOS:

1. Download the .dmg file.
2. Open the file and drag Balena Etcher into the Applications folder.

For Linux:

1. Download the .AppImage file.
2. Make it executable using:

   chmod +x balenaEtcher-*.AppImage
   

3. Run it using:

   ./balenaEtcher-*.AppImage
   

2. Creating a Bootable USB or SD Card

a) Requirements:

• A USB flash drive or SD card (8GB or larger recommended).
• An ISO or IMG file of the operating system.
• Balena Etcher installed on your system.

b) Steps to Create a Bootable USB:

1. Open Balena Etcher.
2. Click “Flash from file” and select your .iso or .img file.
3. Click “Select target” and choose your USB drive or SD card.
4. Click “Flash” to start the process.
5. Wait for the flashing to complete, then safely eject the device.

3. Features of Balena Etcher

a) Simple and User-Friendly UI

• Minimalistic interface with clear steps.
• No advanced configurations required.

b) Cross-Platform Support

• Available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

c) Validates Flashing Automatically

• After flashing, Balena Etcher verifies the integrity of the written data.
• Reduces the risk of corrupted installations.

d) Supports Various Image Formats

• Works with ISO, IMG, BIN, and ZIP files.

e) No Need to Format USB Manually

• Automatically detects and prepares the USB or SD card.

4. Troubleshooting Common Issues

a) USB Drive Not Recognized

• Try a different USB port.
• Reformat the USB drive manually using diskpart (Windows) or GParted (Linux).

b) Flashing Failed

• Ensure the ISO file is not corrupted.
• Run Balena Etcher as Administrator (Windows) or use sudo (Linux).
• Try a different USB drive.

c) Device Not Booting After Flashing

• Check if the correct boot mode (BIOS/UEFI) is selected in your system settings.
• Verify the image file is bootable.

5. Alternatives to Balena Etcher

While Balena Etcher is a great tool, here are some alternatives:

• Rufus (Faster for Windows bootable USBs, supports persistence)
• UNetbootin (Cross-platform, supports Live USBs)
• Ventoy (Multi-ISO bootable USB)

6. Conclusion

Balena Etcher is a fast, simple, and reliable tool for creating bootable USBs and SD cards. Whether installing Linux, Windows, or Raspberry Pi OS, Balena Etcher makes the process seamless with its easy-to-use interface and built-in validation.

You may like also:

• Best OS for Raspberry Pi
• Setting up a Raspberry Pi headless