Create bootable USB drives in a flash
We live in an era where everything has to be compact. Mobile phones got thinner but better in features. Laptops get lighter and get heightened specs. Some computers and their parts have also became more space saving. This however meant sacrificing a few components that have now been replaced with more efficient alternatives—like the disk drive.
While disks are now considered almost irrelevant, they still played a key role in storing digital information. Gone are the days when you need a physical CD or DVD for you to be able to install a software or an operating system. This is all thanks to flash drives and bootable USB creators like Rufus.
Speed & usage
Don't let its size fool you. Rufus has got it all for you.
One of the biggest reasons why other users recommend Rufus is because of its speed. In fact, it's twice as fast as its major competitors. It can format and create a bootable flash drive in three minutes and 25 seconds. This is 10 seconds faster than WiNToBootic and roughly four minutes quicker than UNetbootin when creating a Windows 7 bootable flash drive.
When creating Ubuntu 11.10 bootable flash drives, Rufus leads the race with only one minute and 15 seconds while Universal USB Installers comes five seconds behind, and UNetbootin comes in last by 30 seconds. Meanwhile, on Slackware, Rufus can create a bootable flash drive in 20 minutes and 15 seconds while UNetbooting may take you an hour to do so.
You don’t need to install the program, all you need to do is download and run the executable file. This program is as light as 1.1 MB, so it does not eat up as much memory from your computer. It offers a simple and straightforward interface, to minimize the trouble for new users. It comes with presets and a default setting that you can operate instantly. It's so easy to use that you can create a bootable USB flash drive in just three steps. Simply click on the disc icon, browse and load the ISO file, hit the start button, and let it do its job.
It supports both GPT and UEFI boot systems and also has advanced format options to help make your drive compatible with older computers. There's also a selection of customization you can do like changing file system type, editing the volume label, disabling the quick format, and enable scanning for bad blocks. It's small in size but packed with so many features. Since Rufus is an open-source software, you are free to modify, distribute, and even sell the software under the General Public License. You may also view its source and documentation.
That being said, support relies heavily on the information that the authors included in its official website. There's a comprehensive FAQ page where you might find the information you need from the details about the developer to the guides on general application behavior. You may also send the author an email to report bugs or request any enhancements.
Where can you run this program?
Rufus works on PCs running on Windows 7 or later. It doesn't matter whether you're using 32 or 64-bit version as the application is ready to use right after downloading. You can also use this program on computers running on MacOS and Linux operating systems. It supports several languages including English, Spanish, Japanese, and many more.
Is there a better alternative?
Universal USB Installer is a bootable USB creator for Live Linux. It supports a wide selection of Linux variations including Ubuntu, Puppy, and Debian. This tool provides an easier way for you to run the open-source operating system on your computer. Download it for free on their official website.
UNetbootin runs on Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows. Like the other mentioned software, this helps you create bootable Live USB drives for Ubuntu and other Linux distributions without burning a CD. There are two ways to use it. You can let the program download an ISO (CD image) files for you, or you can use an ISO file you have already downloaded. It's free and easy to download. You will also find numerous helpful information online to guide you through using it.
Our take
Rufus is a pretty impressive tool. It can format your USB faster than other programs of its kind. The downloadable file is small, but it has everything you need.
Should you download it?
Yes. It's the fastest, most efficient tool in creating bootable USB drives. That in itself is all the reason you need.
