Rufus

Overview

Rufus is a free, open-source Windows application designed for formatting and creating bootable USB flash drives, such as USB keys, USB thumb drives, and memory cards. Developed by Pete Batard and hosted at rufus.ie and GitHub, it supports Windows 8 and above (32-bit and 64-bit) and offers both portable and installer versions. Known for its speed, lightweight (approximately 1 MB), and versatility, Rufus is widely used for creating operating system installation media (such as Windows and Linux), running Live USB drives, and performing BIOS/firmware updates. The latest version is Rufus 4.9 (released in July 2025), which supports UEFI, Secure Boot, and multiple file systems.

History and Development

• Origin:
  • 2011: Rufus was created by Pete Batard as a modern, open-source alternative to the HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool, initially supporting MS-DOS bootable USB drives.
  • The goal was to provide a lightweight, fast tool that addressed the complexity and compatibility issues of traditional tools like the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool.
• Development History:
  • December 2011: Rufus 1.0.3 was released, supporting MS-DOS only.
  • 2012: Rufus 1.1.0 introduced ISO image support, and 1.3.2 added UEFI booting.
  • 2015: Rufus 2.0 added support for Windows To Go and FreeDOS.
  • 2020: Rufus 3.0 was released with an optimized interface and support for Windows 8.1/10 ISO downloads.
  • July 2025: Rufus 4.9 released, fixing GitHub server download issues and optimizing UEFI boot and Windows 11 compatibility.
• Community and Support:
  • Maintained by Pete Batard and the community, hosted on rufus.ie and GitHub, with multi-language support (including Chinese).
  • Documentation and FAQs are available on the GitHub Wiki.
  • A Reddit user called Rufus "the fastest USB burning tool."
• Open Source License:
  • GPL v3, open source code, allowing modification and distribution.

Key Features

Rufus is fast, lightweight, and versatile, making it ideal for creating bootable USBs. Here are its key features:

1. Support for Multiple ISO Formats
   • Supports Windows (XP, 7, 8, 10, 11), Linux (Ubuntu, Debian, FunOS, WattOS, Qubes OS), FreeDOS, and firmware update ISOs.
   • Supports Virtual Hard Disks (VHD) and disk images (IMG).
2. UEFI and BIOS Compatibility
   • Supports UEFI and BIOS, allowing you to choose between MBR (BIOS or UEFI-CSM) or GPT (UEFI) partitioning schemes.
   • Example setup:
     • Open Rufus -> Select ISO -> Partition scheme: MBR, Target system: BIOS or UEFI.
3. File System Support
   • Supports FAT32, NTFS, exFAT, UDF, and ReFS, automatically adjusting to match the ISO.
   • Example formatting:
     • Select USB -> File system: NTFS (Windows) or FAT32 (Linux).
4. Fast and Portable
   • About 1 MB in size, it burns twice as fast as the Windows 7 USB tool.
   • No installation required, just run the .exe file.
5. Advanced Options
   • Supports Windows To Go, bad block detection, and quick formatting.
   • Can directly download Windows 8.1/10/11 ISOs.
6. Security and Authentication
   • Supports calculating MD5, SHA-1, and SHA-256 hashes to verify ISO integrity.

Advantages and Limitations

Advantages

• Fast and Efficient:
  • Twice as fast as UNetbootin and the Windows USB/DVD Download Tool.
  • X post claims, "Rufus burns Ubuntu in less than 5 minutes."
• Versatile:
  • Supports Windows, Linux, FreeDOS, and firmware updates, surpassing the single-function functionality of balenaEtcher.
• User-Friendly:
  • Intuitive interface and automatic USB detection, suitable for beginners.
• Portability:
  • No installation required, suitable for mobile use.
• Open Source Security:
  • Digital signature verification, no bundled malware.

Limitations

• Windows Only:
  • No support for Linux or macOS; requires WINE emulation.
  • Workaround: Use Ventoy or balenaEtcher on Linux.
• Compatibility Issues:
  • May fail with certain non-standard ISOs or USB drives.
• No Persistent Storage:
  • No support for Linux persistent storage; requires UNetbootin.

Summary

Rufus is a free, open-source Windows tool. The latest version 4.9 (July 2025) supports UEFI, BIOS, and various file systems, making it suitable for creating bootable USB drives, installing Windows or Linux, or performing firmware updates. It is designed to be fast, lightweight, and user-friendly. Compared to UNetbootin (persistent storage), balenaEtcher (cross-platform), Raspberry Pi Imager (Pi optimization) and Ventoy (multiple ISOs), Rufus's speed and Windows optimization stand out, but it is limited to the Windows platform and has no persistent storage support.