Rufus
Rufus is an open-source utility designed to format and create bootable USB flash drives, memory sticks, and keys. It is primarily used to turn bootable ISO images into installation media for operating systems or to run low-level utilities on systems without an OS.
github.com · Official website
- ✓ Official source (winget)
- ✓ SHA256 taken from the official repository
- ✓ Last checked: Nov. 4, 2026
- This is not a virus scan. Check on VirusTotal
- Version
- 4.15
- Release date
- June 30, 2026
- License
- GPL-3.0-or-later
- Installer type
- portable
How do I use this?
Type Terminal in the Start menu and open it, paste the command (Ctrl+V or right-click) and press Enter. It uses winget, Windows' own package manager, to install the program from its official source.
winget install --id Rufus.Rufus -eSHA256 (file verification)
84c8a437f8af89257524478489e5c85f1edf25f761d299e2bcde46ac0afbe106We couldn't find a macOS version of Rufus in the official repositories; check the publisher's website.
We couldn't find a Linux version of Rufus in the official repositories; check the publisher's website.
We couldn't find a Android version of Rufus in the official repositories; check the publisher's website.
Rufus 4.15: what's new?
Highlights
- Creation of bootable USB drives from ISO and IMG disk images
- Support for both UEFI and Legacy BIOS target partition schemes
- Formatting options for FAT32, NTFS, exFAT, and UDF filesystems
- Bad blocks check to verify storage drive integrity before writing
Who is it for?
System administrators, IT technicians, and general users needing to install operating systems or run diagnostic tools from bootable USB drives.
Good to know before installing
- Available only on Windows; it does not natively run on macOS or Linux.
- Completely formats the drive, requiring full data backup beforehand.
- Does not support creating multi-boot drives with multiple operating systems on a single drive.
How to install
Windows
- Click the official download button on our page to download the executable.
- Launch the downloaded file directly, as no standard installation is required.
- Grant administrative privileges when prompted by Windows to proceed.
Alternatives
Frequently asked questions
Does using Rufus erase the contents of my USB drive?
Yes, Rufus formats the target storage drive during the process, permanently erasing all existing data on it.
Does Rufus require installation on Windows?
No, Rufus runs as a standalone portable executable without requiring a traditional installation process.
Is Rufus free software?
Yes, Rufus is free and open-source software distributed under the GNU General Public License (GPL) version 3 or later.