How to Use Rufus

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Rufus is a program that allows you to create a bootable USB drive from an .iso file, which is helpful when you want to install programs and operating systems on Windows-based computers that lack an optical disc drive. To use Rufus, you must:

Part 1
Part 1 of 2:

Using Rufus

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    Navigate to the official Rufus website at https://rufus.akeo.ie/.
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    Scroll to the “Downloads” section, and select the option to download the latest version of Rufus to your Windows-based computer.
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    Double-click on Rufus to launch the application when the download is complete. No additional installation is necessary.
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    Insert the USB drive you want to use with Rufus into an open USB port on your computer.
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    Transfer any personal files stored on the USB drive to your computer prior to using Rufus. Rufus will format and erase all data from your USB drive.
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    Select your USB drive from the “Device” dropdown menu in Rufus. In most cases, your USB drive will be listed as “No_Label.”
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    Place a checkmark next to “Create a bootable disk,” and select “ISO Image” from the dropdown menu. An .iso file is an image file that contains all contents of a specific file system, such as an operating system.
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    Click on the drive image logo displayed to the right of “ISO Image,” and select the .iso file you plan on using with Rufus.
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    Click on ”Start,” then click on “OK” to confirm that you want to erase and format the USB drive for use with Rufus. Rufus will start copying the contents of the .iso file to your USB drive, which may take up to five minutes to complete.[1]
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    Click on “Close” when Rufus finishes preparing your USB drive.
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    Eject the USB drive from your computer.
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    Verify that the computer on which you want to install the .iso file is powered off, and insert the USB drive into an available USB port.
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    Power on the computer. Your computer will automatically boot from the USB drive using the .iso file, and you can now install your program or operating system as desired.
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Part 2
Part 2 of 2:

Troubleshooting

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    Place a checkmark next to “List USB Hard Drives” in Rufus if the program fails to detect your USB drive. Some USB drives may not be compatible with Rufus.
    • Click on the arrow next to “Format Options” to access the advanced options panel in Rufus.
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    Try using another USB flash drive if you receive the message, “Device eliminated because it appears to contain no media” when using Rufus. This error normally indicates that the USB drive is no longer able to detect memory, or is out of rewrites.
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    Try re-enabling automounting on your computer if you receive the message, “Error: [0x00000015] The device is not ready.” This error may occur if you previously disabled automounting.[2]
    • Type “cmd” into the search box in Start or Windows Explorer.
    • Right-click on “cmd.exe,” then select “Run as administrator.”
    • Type “mountvol /e” into the dialog box, then press “Enter.”
    • Close the command prompt window, then try using Rufus again.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    Why are the pictures showing Rufus being run on a MacOS when Rufus is only supposed to run on Windows?
    Похождения К0тяры
    Похождения К0тяры
    Community Answer
    It's not only supposed to run on Windows. It's open-source, and can be compiled to any desired platform and operating system.
  • Question
    Will a Rufus format remove all data from a USB flash drive?
    Arrogance
    Arrogance
    Top Answerer
    Yes. You should back up or move any important files somewhere else before formatting.
  • Question
    Will I lose all my stuff on my PC if I follow this procedure?
    Arrogance
    Arrogance
    Top Answerer
    No. Rufus will not format an internal hard drive. It will only format flash drives.
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Warnings

  • Rufus is a third-party program independent of Microsoft Windows, and may not be compatible with all .iso files and USB flash drives. Keep this factor in mind when trying to create a bootable USB using Rufus.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
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References

  1. ↑ http://bootableusb.net/install-windows-ubuntu-usb-drive-using-rufus/
  2. ↑ https://github.com/pbatard/rufus/wiki/FAQ

About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 166,992 times.
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Co-authors: 7
Updated: February 14, 2023
Views: 166,992
Categories: Software
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