Rufus- Make Bootable Pendrive Easily

Introduction

Rufus is a lightweight yet powerful tool for creating bootable USB drives. It is widely used for installing operating systems such as Windows, Linux, and other ISO-based systems. This guide will walk you through downloading, installing, and using Rufus effectively.

1. Downloading and Installing Rufus

a) Download Rufus

Rufus is available for Windows and can be downloaded from the official website: https://rufus.ie/

b) Install Rufus

• Rufus does not require installation; it is a portable application.
• Simply download the .exe file and run it.

2. Creating a Bootable USB with Rufus

a) Requirements:

• A USB flash drive (8GB or larger recommended)
• An ISO file of the operating system (Windows, Linux, etc.)
• Rufus software

b) Steps to Create a Bootable USB:

1. Insert the USB drive into your computer.
2. Open Rufus (Run as Administrator for best results).
3. Select the USB drive from the “Device” dropdown menu.
4. Click “SELECT” and browse for your ISO file.
5. Choose Partition Scheme:
   • MBR for BIOS/Legacy boot.
   • GPT for UEFI boot.
6. Set File System:
   • FAT32 (for UEFI & compatibility with older systems).
   • NTFS (for larger files, required for Windows ISOs).
7. Click “Start” and confirm any warnings.
8. Wait for the process to complete, then eject the USB drive safely.

3. Advanced Features in Rufus

a) Windows To Go

• Allows running Windows from a USB drive without installation.
• Select a Windows ISO and enable the “Windows To Go” option.

b) Persistent Storage for Linux

• Enables saving files on a bootable Linux USB.
• Available for distributions that support persistence.

c) Bad Block Check

• Checks for bad sectors on USB drives before writing.
• Useful for ensuring USB integrity.

d) Auto-Download for Windows ISOs

• Rufus can download Windows ISOs automatically from Microsoft servers.
• Select “Download” instead of choosing an ISO manually.

4. Troubleshooting Common Issues

a) USB Not Recognized

• Try another USB port or restart Rufus.
• Format the USB drive manually (diskpart in Windows).

b) Boot Error After Creating USB

• Ensure the correct Partition Scheme (MBR/GPT) is selected.
• Use FAT32 for UEFI compatibility.

c) Slow Bootable USB Creation

• Use a USB 3.0 drive for faster performance.
• Disable Bad Block Check to speed up the process.

5. Alternative Tools to Rufus

While Rufus is one of the best tools, here are some alternatives:

• Balena Etcher (Cross-platform, easy-to-use UI)
• UNetbootin (Linux-focused, persistent storage support)
• Ventoy (Multi-ISO bootable USB)

6. Conclusion

Rufus is a fast, lightweight, and reliable tool for creating bootable USB drives. Whether installing Windows, Linux, or running Windows To Go, Rufus provides a straightforward and powerful solution for USB boot management.

You may like also: Etcher – Flash OS images to SD cards & USB drives, safely and easily