A USB drive that can start another computer
Rufus turns a USB stick into installation or recovery media. You choose an operating system image, select a removable drive and write the image in a form the target computer can boot. This is useful when replacing a system disk, installing an operating system on a new PC or preparing a recovery environment before trouble occurs. Copying an ISO onto a stick with File Explorer usually does not perform the same preparation.
The application runs on Windows, although the media it creates can start supported Linux distributions and other utilities. This distinction matters: a Linux ISO does not mean Rufus itself is a Linux application. The program is free and open source under the GPL. There is no paid edition needed to unlock ordinary USB creation, and an operating system license is separate from the tool.
Download and first launch
The current release is 4.15. Rufus requires Windows 8 or later; choose the executable that matches your computer's x64, x86 or ARM64 architecture. Both the standard and portable downloads run without an installation wizard. Download from the official project page, save the executable in a recognizable folder and launch it. Approve the administrator prompt only after checking the file's publisher.
You will also need a suitable USB drive and an image obtained from the operating system publisher. Required USB capacity depends on that image. Keep a copy of any existing USB files elsewhere before continuing. If an ISO is buried among old downloads, Everything can locate its filename quickly. Its search result should still be checked against the version and architecture you intend to install.
Choosing the right target settings
Read the Device field carefully. Disconnect unrelated removable drives if their names are easy to confuse. Select the ISO with the boot selection control, then inspect the proposed partition scheme and target system. GPT and UEFI are common on recent PCs, while older systems can require different settings. Use the target computer's boot configuration, not a guess based solely on the age of the USB stick.
Start writing only when the device and image are correct. Formatting replaces the stick's existing layout and destroys its current contents. Keep the computer powered and leave the USB connected until Rufus reports completion. A successful write means the medium was created; it does not certify that every computer will boot it or that an unsupported operating system will work properly.
After the drive is ready
Safely eject the USB, connect it to the intended computer and choose it from that machine's boot menu. If it does not appear, check the firmware mode and image architecture before repeating the write. Do not change unrelated firmware settings indiscriminately. Keep the installer image until you have confirmed the media boots as expected.
Rufus is not a backup program or a deleted-file recovery utility. If you accidentally select a stick containing important files, stop using that stick rather than writing another image. Recuva may help with some recoverable deletions, but formatting and subsequent writes can make recovery impossible.
