Have you ever encountered a sudden blue screen crash, lost unsaved work, or struggled to install Windows on a new hard drive? Whether you’re upgrading an old PC to Windows 11 or installing Windows 10 on a fresh SSD, having a reliable bootable USB drive is essential. In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to create one using a powerful yet simple tool called Rufus—a free utility that makes the entire process quick and easy.
1. Download and Install Rufus
Before anything else, download the Rufus tool. There are two ways to do this depending on your system setup:
- Via Microsoft Store: If you have access to the Microsoft Store, just search for “Rufus”, then click Get to install it.
- Via Official Website: If you don’t have the store, open your browser and go to [rufus.ie](https://rufus.ie). Scroll down to the “Download” section and choose the latest version. Download and double-click to run—no installation needed in most cases.
2. Insert USB Drive and Load ISO Image
Once Rufus is open, insert your USB flash drive. It should automatically appear in the “Device” list. Next:
- Click Select and choose your Windows ISO file (Windows 10 or 11).
- Set the “Image option” to Standard Windows installation.
- Set “Partition scheme” to GPT for modern systems.
- Select UEFI as the target system type.
3. Configure File System and Advanced Options (Optional)
If you want more control over the setup, click Show advanced format options and Show advanced device options. Recommended settings include:
- File system: NTFS
- Quick format: Enabled (for speed)
- Volume label and cluster size: Leave default unless needed
Make sure the status says Ready before proceeding.
4. Customize the Installation Experience
Rufus offers a unique feature—pre-configuring Windows setup. After clicking Start, a dialog box will appear with the following customization options:
- Create a local user account with your name.
- Use regional settings based on your current location.
- Disable data collection and telemetry.
- Disable BitLocker automatic encryption.
- Skip privacy questions during installation
Check the boxes as needed and click OK.
5. Final Confirmation and USB Creation
You’ll receive a warning that all data on the USB drive will be erased. Confirm the warning and Rufus will begin writing the image. This process takes a few minutes.
Once you see the “Status: READY” message and can view the bootable files on your USB in File Explorer, your bootable USB is complete!
6: Making a Windows 11 Bootable USB (Same Process)
If your goal is to install Windows 11, the steps are the same. Just choose the Windows 11 ISO file in the beginning, and Rufus handles the rest. Once done, you can install or repair Windows on any UEFI-supported machine.
7. Final Thoughts: One Tool to Rule All Windows Installations
With Rufus, creating a Windows installation USB is no longer a daunting task. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced user, the process is streamlined and efficient. Bookmark this guide, and you’ll never be stuck during a system crash, upgrade, or new install again!
8. Demo Video
You can watch the following demo video by select the subtitle to your preferred subtitle language.