How To Create Bootable USB Flash Drive Using Rufus

Today, we focus on how to create bootable USB Flash Drive using a free software called Rufus. This is somewhat different from the accustomed installation of windows using a Blank DVD. In this method, you don’t need to burn anything to a Blank DVD, you don’t even need a Blank DVD.

Rufus is a free software that helps format and create bootable USB flash drives such as Memory Cards, Flash drives, Hard Disk Drives, Pen Sticks and so on.  It is a very useful tool which is best used for the following cases

• Creating a bootable USB Flash drive from a downloaded Windows .iso file. It works for the installation of Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP, Linux, Debian etc.
• Installation of Windows, Linux on a computer without any Operating System before
• Reloading a computer’s Operating System
• Upgrade from Windows 7 – 8 or Windows 8 – 10.
• You want to flash a BIOS or other firmware from DOS
• You want to run a low level utility
• You need to perform system restore, to repair the OS.

How To Create Bootable USB Drives

You need the software – Rufus. DownloadHere (861KB)

• No need for installations, it is a portable file. So, all you should do is Double Click to Open the software

• Plug in your USB Flash Drive or Pen Drive or Memory Stick
• Make Sure you tick the following and Select ISO Image
• Quick Format
• Create a bootable disk using [ISO Image]
• Create extended label and icon files
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• Locate and Select the downloaded .iso file. This can be a Windows OS.iso file or a repair toolkit.iso or any .iso file that works in DOS mode and you want to make bootable.

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• Rufus scans the .iso file
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• Everything is ready! Click on Start, a warning message pops up. This warning message is basically telling you that Rufus is going to format the USB flash drives, memory stick or pen drive you want to use to create a bootable drive. That’s why we checked that quick format option earlier.
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• The installation takes a while. Usually less than 30 minutes depending on how fast your system is.
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• Everything is ready! All you have to do now is
  • Eject the USB flash drive or Pen drive.
  • Shutdown your computer
  • Turn it back on
  • Press ESC or F9 or F11 or F12 to Skip Startup and Change Boot Option. Which ever option appears for your computer.
  • Change Boot Option from HDD to your USB drive or Pen drive by selecting it
  • Voila! Computer now boots from your USB flash drive or pen drive, your .iso should appear.
  • If it’s for Windows OS Installation, Simply follow the steps i will write a tutorial on that next. Think of it as the second part to this tutorial! Part 2…