A program for creating a bootable USB drive. The program for creating a bootable USB flash drive Rufus. Utilities for burning a bootable ISO disc to a USB flash drive
Hello, friends! Today, let's talk again about creating bootable flash drive.
How do I create a bootable USB device? For what purposes to use it and what program to write?
A brief overview of the five most popular and free programs for creating a bootable USB drive.
Modern developments do not stand still, and yesterday's technologies are slowly but surely losing their relevance. So the once popular CD and DVD discs no longer seem to be such an unambiguous solution for storing, transferring information and working with it. High speed of data reading, versatility and reusability are just a small part of all the advantages of a flash drive as a bootable medium over disks. Almost everyone today personal computers and laptops, if they are less than ten years old, support the ability to boot from USB devices. And in some cases (for example, a netbook), a USB flash drive may be the only boot device from an external drive.
By the way, the new Windows 10 operating system will be the first axis, the distribution of which will be officially distributed on a USB drive. And if you suddenly need to recover files from a USB flash drive, read about it. I also recommend that you pay attention to, which will help you escape from workdays and cheer you up.
With the help of additional software, the USB flash drive can be used not only as a boot device for installing, reinstalling and restoring the operating system, but also to create an emergency device (Multiboot). This is a kind of reanimator, a tool from which you can boot at any time and cure your computer from viruses, restore system files or save important data. I described how to create such a reanimator flash drive in the article "Creating a bootable Live CD / DVD / USB device and using it". You can read this article.
Despite all the obvious advantages and the growing popularity of a USB flash drive as a boot device, there are not so many programs for creating it. Nevertheless, they are, and today I will acquaint you with them in more detail, but first a few words about the preparatory stage.
Preparing a flash drive
We need the flash drive itself, plus knowledge of some important aspects. First you need to make sure your computer supports booting from USB devices. There is a misconception that if there is no option to boot from usb in bios (boot partition) (only floppi, hdd and dvd-rom options are present), then booting from usb is not supported. This is not true!
More precisely, this is not always the case. The only correct solution is to refer to the manual (user manual) of your motherboard or using specialized software (as an option - AIDA64) get a detailed report on the used hardware.
The second point is the size of the flash drive. Everything here will depend on what we write to it. For example, to create a Live-USB, Linux or Windows 7 installation disk, a 4 GB flash drive is enough. To create a boot device with the latest windows versions it is advisable to have at hand a flash drive with at least 8 GB.
The third point is transferring files from a flash drive. As a rule, the process of creating a boot device implies it full formatting... If the flash drive has important files, transfer them to another device in advance. To create a bootable USB flash drive and then work with it as a bootable device, use the USB-2.0 port (Windows 7 does not support USB 3.0).
How to create a bootable USB drive
Let's look at five different ways using five free Windows programs.
A small, but quite functional utility with the self-explanatory name WinSetupFromUSB. Equally well suited for recording bootable and / or multiboot flash drives (up to 10 operating systems) and creating Live devices. Official site .
Among the shortcomings is the lack of support for the Russian language. Among the advantages, as I said, is its versatility. The utility can work not only with the Windows distribution, but is also suitable for burning an installation disc with Linux.
The usual option for creating a bootable USB flash drive, for example, with a Windows distribution kit, provides for the selection in the appropriate columns of the flash drive itself, the option to automatically format the media and the ISO image of the operating system. The recording process starts after pressing the "Go" button. You can read more about the work of this program.
To create a multiboot flash drive (multiple OS), you need to specify the path to the ISO images of the operating systems. Paragraph windows selection 10 is absent by default at the time of this writing, but in reality everything is written and works, you just need to select the appropriate column with the available versions - Vista, 7, 8.
2. Rufus
Probably the easiest solution to create bootable USB drives. Everything is simple and intuitive. Suitable for work on systems without an installed OS. Official site rufus.akeo.ie.
The main advantages are speed of work, simple interface, Russian language. An excellent solution if there is a need to create a bootable USB flash drive Windows 10 with uEFI support... By the way, I wrote in detail on how to do this in.
It is distributed in the format of a regular installer and a portable version. To create a bootable flash drive in the utility window, you must specify the path to the burned ISO image and click the "Start" button.
On newer systems that use UEFI instead of BIOS, set the Partition Scheme and System Interface Type menu to GPT for UEFI Computers.
Otherwise, the default settings will suffice. The option to format the flash drive is assigned by default.
3. Windows 7 USB / DVD Download Tool
This utility is official app from Microsoft. The interface is minimalistic, simple and straightforward, easy to work with. Download from the official site wudt.codeplex.com.
Perhaps the name of the utility (Windows 7 USB) will mislead many that with its help only the distribution kit of Windows 7 can be written to removable media. However, this is not so. In addition to the seventh version, you can write distributions of Windows 8.1 and 10 to a USB flash drive.
Of the minuses - the utility is not Russified, but a simple and intuitive interface is designed to neutralize this drawback.
All that is required of the user is to insert the USB drive in advance, select the ISO image with the operating system and specify the path to the media (flash drive) to which this image should be deployed.
The principle of operation of this program is based on the standard tools of the Windows operating system - these are "diskpart", "bootsect / nt60", unpacking ISO to a USB flash drive. The program acts only as a graphical interface.
UltraISO is one of the best and most functional disk imaging software. A universal "combine" that supports work with almost any known format. It is able to work in tandem with Nero Burning Rom and integrates with virtual emulators. Will help if the image boot disk not in ISO format.
The program can convert other image formats to ISO files - NRG, MDF, MDS, IMG, CCD, etc. With UltraISO you can edit ISO files without unpacking them. UltraISO interface is translated into many languages, including Russian. For download, you can choose from several editions of UltraISO, adapted for individual versions of Windows, as well as a portable version of the program. Download link www.ezbsystems.com.
By and large, the program does not care what boot devices will be created with its help, with what operating system, what software and from what manufacturer. The burned ISO image must be opened in the program window either by using the Open command in the File menu, or by using the browse button on the toolbar. It can also be done with the combination ctrl keys + O.
Then, in the window that appears, if the program automatically selects the desired USB flash drive, you should press the "Write" button.
Daemon tools Ultra is a professional imaging tool. The program itself is familiar to many users by free version Lite, which allows you to mount virtual drives to read disk images. Its more functional version - Daemon Tools Ultra - among other features, offers the creation of boot devices.
Of the shortcomings, it is worth noting that it is paid, but to create a bootable USB drive on the official website of the program, you can download a free 20-day trial version. The official website of the program.
Go to the official website and download the program. During installation (installation), you need to select a trial license type.
The program works with a huge number of disk image formats and can be used both to create a bootable device with the subsequent installation of the operating system, and to restore it (Live-disk).
To create a bootable USB flash drive in the main window of Daemon Tools Ultra, select the "Tools" menu item, and among its commands - "Write bootable image to USB". Or the hotkey combination Ctrl + B.
In the recording parameters window, specify the path to the image, make the MBR overwrite option active and click "Start".
When the flash drive is ready, all that remains is to boot from it. The easiest way is to use the boot menu keys. The table below shows an illustrative example of such keys.
Of course, this is not the whole list of programs designed to create bootable devices, but the vast majority of users will find the capabilities and functionality of the listed software sufficient.
For example, Rufus can be used as the simplest and fastest tool for creating a bootable USB disk with one Windows distribution or for bIOS firmware from under DOS.
Sadly for many, the era of CD / DVD discs is slowly but surely coming to an end ... Today, users are increasingly thinking about having an emergency bootable USB flash drive if they suddenly have to reinstall the system.
And the point here is not only to pay tribute to fashion. OS from a flash drive is installed faster than from a disk; such a USB flash drive can be used on a computer that does not have a CD / DVD drive (and USB is available on all modern computers), and you shouldn't forget about the ease of transfer: the flash drive will easily fit into any pocket, unlike a disc.
1. What is needed to create a bootable USB drive?
1) The most important thing is a USB stick. For Windows 7, 8 - a flash drive will need at least 4 GB in size, better than 8 (some images may not fit into 4 GB).
2) An image of a Windows boot disk, which is usually an ISO file. If you have an installation disc, you can create such a file yourself. It is enough to use the program Clone CD, Alcohol 120%, UltraISO and others (how to do it - see in).
3) One of the programs for writing an image to a USB flash drive (they will be discussed below).
An important point! If your PC (netbook, laptop) has, in addition to USB 2.0, also USB 3.0 - connect the USB flash drive during installation to uSB port 2.0. This applies primarily to Windows 7 (and below). these OS do not support USB 3.0! An attempt to install will end with an OS error about the impossibility of reading data from such a medium. By the way, it is quite easy to recognize them, USB 3.0 is shown in blue, the connectors for it are the same color.
usb 3.0 y on laptop
And More ... Make sure your Bios supports booting from USB drives. If the PC is modern, then it should definitely have this function. For example, my old home computer, bought back in 2003. can boot from USB. How configure Bios to boot from a USB flash drive -.
2. Utilities for burning a bootable ISO disk to a USB flash drive
2.1 WinToFlash
Website: http://wintoflash.com/download/ru/
I would like to stop at this utility mainly due to the fact that it allows you to write bootable USB sticks with Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8. Probably the most versatile! You can read about other functions and capabilities on the official website. Here I would like to consider how you can create a USB flash drive in it for installing the OS.
After starting the utility, by default, the wizard starts (see the screenshot below). To proceed to creating a bootable USB drive, click on the green checkmark in the center.
System migration process windows files usually takes 5-10 minutes. At this time, it is better not to load the PC with unnecessary resource-intensive processes.
If the recording was successful, the wizard will notify you about it. To start installation, you need to insert the USB flash drive and restart your computer.
One of the best programs for working with ISO images. It is possible to compress these images, create, unpack, etc. There are also functions for writing bootable disks and flash drives ( hard drives).
This program was often mentioned on the pages of the site, so here I will give only a couple of links:
2.3 USB / DVD Download Tool
A lightweight utility that allows you to burn USB flash drives with Windows 7 and 8. The only drawback, perhaps, is that when recording, it can give an error of 4 GB. flash drive, ostensibly, little space. Although other utilities, on the same flash drive, with the same image - there is enough space ...
By the way, the question of writing a bootable USB drive in this utility for Windows 8 was considered.
2.4 WinToBootic
Website: http://www.wintobootic.com/
A very simple utility to help you create a bootable USB drive with Windows Vista / 7/8/2008/2012 quickly and without worries. The program takes up very little space - less than 1 MB.
At the first start, it required the installed Net Framework 3.5, not everyone has such a package, and downloading and installing it is not a quick job ...
But the process of creating bootable media is very fast and enjoyable. First, insert the USB flash drive, then run the utility. Now click on the green arrow and specify the location of the image with the installation windows disk... The program can directly record from ISO image.
2.5 WinSetupFromUSB
A simple and essential free program. With it, you can quickly create bootable media. By the way, interestingly enough, you can place not only Windows OS on a flash drive, but also Gparted, SisLinux, an embedded virtual machine, etc.
To start creating a bootable USB drive, run the utility. By the way, note that there is a special add-on for the x64 version!
Once launched, you only need to specify 2 things:
- First - indicate the USB flash drive to which the recording will be made. Usually, it is detected automatically. By the way, under the line with the flash drive there is a fad with a checkmark: "Auto Format" - it is recommended to check the box and not touch anything else.
- In the "Add USB dick" section, select the line with the OS you need and check the box. Next, specify the location on your hard disk where the image with this ISO OS is located.
- The last thing you do is click on the "GO" button.
By the way! During recording, the program may behave as if it were frozen. In fact, most of the time it works, just don't touch the PC for about 10 minutes. You can also pay attention to the lower part of the program window: messages about the recording process appear on the left and a green bar is visible ...
3. Conclusion
In this article, we looked at several ways to create bootable USB sticks. A few tips when recording such flash drives:
- First of all, copy all the files from the media, what if you need something later. During recording - all information from the flash drive will be deleted!
- Do not load the computer with other processes during the burning process.
- Wait for a successful information message from the utilities with which you work with the flash drive.
- Disable antivirus software before creating bootable media.
- Do not edit the installation files on the USB flash drive after burning it.
That's all, everyone has a successful OS installation!
Reinstalling the operating system is a fairly simple process, especially if the main tool for carrying out this operation has been prepared in advance - a bootable USB flash drive.
Today, users are offered a wide variety of utilities for creating flash drives to install the operating system. At the same time, some utilities are clearly designed for novice users, while there are much more functional tools that are clearly intended for professionals.
Let's start with the most popular program for creating a bootable drive for Windows 7 and other versions of this OS - Rufus. This utility has a simple interface, where you just need to select a USB drive and specify the ISO image of the operating system distribution kit, as well as support for the Russian language, the ability to check the disc for BAD blocks and much more.
WinSetupFromUSB
This tool - effective method create a USB flash drive with any version of Windows, however, the program clearly did not count on beginners, as evidenced by its high functionality. At the same time, it is one of the best tools for creating bootable and multiboot media, which is distributed absolutely free.
WinToFlash
Returning to simple utilities for creating USB drives with Windows OS, one cannot fail to mention the simple and completely free program WinToFlash. Despite the sufficiently high functionality, the application interface is built in such a way that the user can get to work and create a bootable USB flash drive without any questions.
WiNToBootic
An extremely simple program for creating a drive with windows image XP and higher. The application is distinguished by a minimum of settings, allowing only to specify the removable media and the image file with the operating system distribution kit, after which the process of creating bootable media itself will immediately begin, which will take only a few minutes.
UNetbootin
Operating linux system more and more users are becoming interested: it is completely different from the Windows OS, it has much more possibilitiesand is also distributed absolutely free. If you want to install Linux on your computer, the UNetbootin utility is an excellent choice. This tool has basic functionality, but at the same time it allows you to download Linux distributions directly in the main window, and therefore it can be safely recommended to novice users.
Universal USB Installer
Another utility aimed at creating bootable media with Linux distributions.
As with UNetbootin, this tool allows you to boot any linux distribution right in the main window (or use a previously downloaded image). In principle, this is where the program's capabilities end, making it an excellent tool for those users who first decided to try Linux OS.
Linux Live USB Creator
Unlike Unetbootin and Universal USB Installer, this application Is already a much more interesting tool for creating media for installing Linux OS. In addition to the ability to download the OS distribution directly in the program window, it is worth highlighting the ability to run Linux from under Windows. To do this, not only an image of the operating system will be written to the USB flash drive, but the files of the VirtualBox virtual machine will also be loaded, allowing you to run Linux in Windows directly from the drive.
DAEMON Tools Ultra
DAEMON Tools Ultra - popular software solution for extensive imaging. One of the features of the application is, of course, the ability to create bootable flash drives, and both Windows and Linux distributions are supported. The only caveat is that the program is paid, but with a free trial period.
PeToUSB
Returning to the topic of utilities for working with distributions of Windows OS, it is worth noting the simple and completely free utility PeToUSB, which has proven itself perfectly in working with old versions of this operating system. It is worth noting that if you are creating a bootable USB flash drive already with modern versions of Windows (starting with the 7th), then you should pay attention to alternative options, for example, WinToFlash.
Win32 Disk Imager
This tool, unlike, for example, WiNToBootic, is not only a tool for forming a drive, but also an excellent choice for creating backup copies of data and then restoring them. The only nuance of the program is that it only works with images of the IMG format, and as you know, most distributions of operating systems are distributed in the popular ISO format.
Butler
Butler is a free solution for creating a multiboot drive with Windows OS. Among the features of the program, it is worth highlighting an understandable interface (which the WinSetupFromUSB utility cannot boast), command management (for example, to immediately set a USB flash drive as the main boot device), as well as the ability to customize the menu design.
UltraISO
And finally, one cannot fail to mention the most popular program not only for creating bootable media, but also for working with burning discs, creating and converting images, and more - this is UltraISO. This tool has excellent functionality, but at the same time, it will allow you to easily and quickly create a USB flash drive for installing both Windows and Linux.
In conclusion. Today we have covered the basic utilities for creating bootable USB drives. Each program has its own advantages and disadvantages, and therefore it is rather difficult to advise something specific. We hope that with the help of this article you were able to make your choice.
If you have been looking for high-quality and simple program, with which you can create bootable and multiboot usb-flash, and even in Russian, now you can breathe a sigh of relief, since this year an updated version of the program was released Butler , which is just such a tool. With its help, you can create multi-boot flash drives with the Grub4DOS bootloader, with which you can easily install operating systems from Windows 2000 and higher!
The Butler program is very easy to use thanks to the Russian-language interface! Indeed, in the past, in order to understand programs of this type, you had to translate the names of the tools manually or follow not always clear instructions in order to create a bootable USB flash drive. And in Butler everything is clear and clear. In addition to creating a bootable USB drive with various operating systems Windows and updates for them, you can also create and load images of programs for system recovery or maintenance to usb-flash, for example ERDC Commander, Acronis, Kaspersky Resque Disk Partition Magic, Paragon and others.
Download Butler in Russian via torrent
You can download Butler program for creating a multiboot flash drive in our project by clicking on the link below. If you are trying to create such a usb-flash for the first time, then do not be afraid that something may not work out for you, because, as mentioned above, the Butler program is really very easy to use, you just need to perform three simple steps: specify type of image, the path to it, select the type of media and also - specify the path to it. And voila! - bootable USB stick is ready to use!
INSTALLING THE BOOTLER SOFTWARE
- Run the installation file of the Butler 2.5 program setup.msi.
- Install the program following the prompts of the installation wizard.
- Go to the folder C: \\ Program Files \\ nikmam \\ Butler 2.5
- Highlight right click mouse the file "start.exe" and select the menu "properties"
- In the "Properties start.exe" window, on the compatibility tab, enable the "Run this program as administrator" checkbox.
- Click "Apply" and "OK". The program is ready to use.
WORKING WITH THE PROGRAM
- Format the USB stick by running the program
Start -\u003e nikmam -\u003e tools -\u003e HPUSBFW
- Run the Butler 2.5 program
Make sure that the program started as administrator and did not give any errors (check the properties of the start.exe file in the program folder).
- Create a list of addable programs and OS on USB-Flash by filling in the list of download points as follows:
a) Select the folder with the Windows distribution by clicking the "browse folders" button on the "Folder" tab, or select the boot image by clicking the "browse files" button on the "Disk image" tab
b) The program will automatically detect the contents of the folder or boot image.
The name of the distribution will appear in the "name" field. Edit the title or leave it as it is
c) Click the add button to add to the list of download points
d) On the "Commands" tab, you can select the desired command, also edit the name and add to the list of download points
- Check all added distributions for errors. In which case, select the distro you do not need and click the delete button.
Attention! For windows installations be sure to add the "Start HDD" command to the flash drive menu to start hDD from a USB flash drive after the first stage of installing Windows.
- Select the media on which we will install the added utilities.
- Click the Next button and select a theme for the bootloader menu from the list. Double-click the element to preview the theme.
- Press the start button to create a bootable USB drive.
- Wait until the end of the creation of the bootable flash.
- Make sure to defragment boot files... Boot images with algorithm type "Linux", "KRD", and "ESET" will not work without defragmenting the files of these images on the USB drive.
Run the program Start -\u003e nikmam -\u003e tools -\u003e WinContig and select the files on the USB flash drive and defragment them.
The flash drive is ready !!! Good luck !!!
P.S. It is recommended to choose a theme for the bootloader menu called "Text", since the graphic theme of the bootloader menu may not work on some motherboards and will be displayed instead text menu with "Krakozyabrami".
Now most modern computers and laptops are already without optical drive CD / DVD. In this regard, the question of creating bootable flash drives for installing the Windows 10 operating system is acute. The Internet is full of various programs to create a bootable USB-drive, it can be difficult for a novice user to choose the one that suits him best.
I will tell you about the best and most convenient applications that will help you burn Windows to a USB flash drive without any problems for installation on a PC. Go!
1. Microsoft Media Creation Tool
In my opinion, Microsoft's proprietary Media Creation Tool application is best program to create bootable USB uSB flash drives 10 for beginners. Firstly, it is universal and allows you not to get overwhelmed by searching the Internet for a normal Windows image! Microsoft Media Creation Tool will download it from the official server and write it to bootable media.
Secondly, the utility can easily create not only USB installation media, but also a DVD, if necessary. Thirdly, the program interface is very simple and built in the form of a dialogue. Even a schoolboy can figure it out!
2. UltraISO
This program not only allows you to make a USB flash drive with Windows 10 - it is a whole multifunctional harvester. Creation of bootable USB drives is just one of its functions, among which there is also creation of images different formats, converting, editing and recording them.
To create a bootable USB flash drive in UltraISO, open the operating system image with it and select the following menu item "Boot" -\u003e "Write Hard Disk Image".
In the window that appears, you need to select the logical drive of your drive, format it and start recording to the removable drive.
3. UNetBootting
This is a great free utility that allows you to quickly and easily create a bootable USB flash drive not only with Windows 10. The user can choose from a bunch of distributions with Linux, MacOS and recovery LiveUSB. To access them, you just need to connect to the Internet. The program is small in size and cross-platform.
UNetbootin does not use allocation rules to create your Live USB, so most ISO files should boot correctly using this option. However, it is worth considering the fact that not all distributions support booting from USB, and some others require additional boot options or other modifications before they can boot from USB drives, so these ISO files will not work as-is.
4. Etcher
An excellent option for those who do not like to mess with the settings, but want to quickly make a bootable USB flash drive with Windows - a free cross-platform Etcher application.
In order to make an installation USB disk, you just need to press 3 buttons in turn: select an image (supported formats: ISO, IMG, DSK, GZ, BZZ, XZ), select logical drive and recording. All! What I liked very much - Etcher works great not only with USB flash drives, but also with SD and MicroSD cards.
5. Rufus
Rufus is a fairly well-known utility that has already proven itself quite well. She is excellent at formatting and creating bootable USB drives with Windows 10, Linux, LiveUSB and other operating systems.
The main feature of the Rufus program is its speed. Rufus is really fast! On the test, the program managed to write a USB flash drive with a "Ten" almost 2 times faster than UNetbootin and Universal USB Installer.
6. WinToUSB (aka Windows To USB)
Many computer publications consider windows program To USB or WinToUSB for short is the best free tool to create installation USB disks. It will help you quickly install and run the Windows 10 operating system on your PC using a flash drive or external hard disk.
The utility works seamlessly with ISO, WIM, ESD, SWM, VHD, VHDX image formats. WinToUSB works fine with Windows 10 / 8.1 / 8/7 / Vista / Server 2008/2012/2016 ISO files. Also, with its help you can create a bootable USB-disk with Windows PE.
The application interface is logical and does not cause any difficulties when working.
7. RMPrepUSB
The RMPrepUSB application is not just a great program for creating bootable USBs, but a whole multifunctional combine that supports a bunch of different formats, file systems and types virtual images... In general, this is a console utility, but there are many different shells for it. The best, in my opinion, is the proprietary version from its developers.
RMPartUSB can create a partition of any size and is primarily intended for USB Flash Drives (UFD), although it can be used to create a bootable partition on other removable storage or SD and MicroSD cards. The utility can easily place a bootloader for XP / WinPEv1 (ntldr), Windows 10 / Windows 7 / WinPEv2 (bootmgr), MS-DOS (io.sys) or FreeDos (kernel.sys) onto a USB device. The result can be tested immediately thanks to the built-in virtual machine Qemu.
This is a great option for those who like to delve into the settings and parameters to get the result they want.
8. Universal USB Installer
The name of this program is translated into Russian as "Universal USB Installer". It is also known as UUI. The interface is built like a wizard. To use the Universal USB Installer to make an installation USB with Windows 10, you need to select the "Windows 10 Installer" option from the list at the first step.
At the second step, you need to specify the path to the file with the "Tens" image. The last step is to specify the letter of the flash drive and press the "Create" button.
The only thing I want to warn about is that you must format it first. Otherwise, further problems may arise.
9. WinSetupFromUSB
In the review, I cannot fail to mention another cool utility-combiner for writing bootable USB flash drives - WinSetupFromUSB.
It is this program that is always present on my computer in case I need to make a multiboot USB drive to install operating windows systems or Linux. It also has a built-in QEMU emulator that allows you to test the result on the spot. WinSetupFromUSB program simple, free and undemanding to computer resources.
10. Novicorp WinToFlash Lite
The main difference between the program is that it does not use an image file. If you use this utility, you need to unpack this image into some folder. Next, the standard procedure takes place: a folder with installation files, the path to the flash drive is indicated.
11. ISO to USB
This simple program is designed to burn an ISO image to a bootable USB media: USB flash drive or hard drive.
The work algorithm is no different from the same UUI: select the file of the Windows 10 installation image, indicate the drive letter from which the flash drive is connected and press the "Burn" button.
12. ISO2Disc
Looking at the title, you might get the impression that ISO2Disc only works with optical CDs or DVDs. But no! With support for Windows To Go, it allows you to make a bootable USB or memory stick for windows installations 10. The interface is simple, similar to the previous application. The only limitation is that only ISO images are supported.
What I personally liked very much was the ability in ISO2Disc to select the type for the installation flash drive - MBR for old hard drives or GPT for modern SSDs. So definitely - Must Have!
13. Win32 Disk Imager
Perhaps the most minimalistic software of all presented. Small size and simple interface.
However, Win32 Disk Imager does its job perfectly. Besides, it is fast enough. With its help, you can easily burn a CD or DVD image to a USB or SD card. By the way, this is one of the few programs in the review that can not only record, but also capture an image from the desired media.
14. PeToUSB
PeToUSB is a small and resource-efficient application that is also very easy to use. But despite this, it has excellent functionality for formatting usb-flash drives and removable external hdd drives, as well as for further creating installation media with both the old faithful Windows XP and the new "Ten".
In addition, she knows how to perfectly create a backup. installed system with the subsequent transfer of it to the YUSB disk. Not bad, huh?
And PeToUSB can also be used to get detailed information about the external drive itself.
15. Passcape ISO Burner
As you might guess from the name of the utility, it is designed to work with ISO images - writing to various media and correctly unpacking. We are also interested in creating a bootable YUSB disk. To do this, in the main window there is an item "Create bootable USB disk":
16. WinToHDD Free
This program stands out among others in that it allows you to make a multiboot USB flash drive with different operating systems or several versions of Windows at once.
In fact, it is a kind of bootloader that allows you to run any of the ISO images that you put on removable media for installation.
If you often install OS on computers and laptops, then WinToHDD is your choice!
17. Windows Disc Image Burner
The last in the review of programs for creating bootable flash drives, I decided to include a proprietary windows utility Disc Image Burner for burning ISO from Microsoft, which it has built into its Windows OS since Seven.
ISO and IMG files are supported.
This application is unremarkable, but in the absence of alternatives at hand for recording an image, it can quite help out in a pinch.
