The best programs for creating a boot flash drive

In the articles on how to install Windows 10, 8.1 or Windows 7 with a USB drive, I have already described many ways to create a loading flash drive, but not all. The list lists the individual instructions on this topic, but I recommend to get acquainted with the article under the list: in it you will find the best programs for creating a boot or multi-load flash drive or an external USB disk, some of which have their own unique useful features.

• Windows 10 boot flash drive
• Windows 8.1 boot flash drive
• Windows 7 boot flash drive
• Windows XP boot flash drive
• Creating a multi-load flash drive (to install various OS, Live CD records and other purposes)
• Boot flash drive Mac OS Mojave
• Creating a bootable flash drive for a computer with Windows, Linux and other ISO on the Android phone
• Loading flash drive DOS.

This review will consider free utilities that allow you to make a bootable USB media to install Windows or Linux, as well as programs in order to record a multi-load flash drive. Also presented options for creating a USB drive to start Windows 10, 8.1 and Windows 7 without installing and using Linux in Live mode.

• Boot flash drive Windows 10 and 8.1 without programs
• Microsoft Windows Installation Media Creation Tool (Official Utility)
• Rufus.
• Boot flash drive in Ultraiso
• Windows 7 USB / DVD DOWNLOAD TOOL
• Multi-load flash drive (Winsetupfromusb, Easy2Boot, Sardu and other programs)
• Additional programs and methods of creating

Boot flash drive Windows 10 and Windows 8.1 without programs

Those who have a modern computer equipped with a UEFI motherboard (a novice user can define the UEFI on the graphical interface when entering the BIOS), and which you need to make a bootable flash drive to install Windows 10 or Windows 8.1 exactly on this computer may not use No third-party programs for creating a loading flash drive.

All you need to use this method: Support EFI download, USB drive formatted in FAT32 and preferably the original ISO image or disk with the specified versions of Windows OS (for non-original more reliable to use the UEFI flash drive using the command line, which is described later in this material).

The essence of the method is reduced to the simple removal of the contents of the ISO image to the USB drive with the FAT32 file system. Yes, from such a drive, the system installation will be regularly run in UEFI mode.

This method is described in detail in the instructions of the boot flash drive without programs.

Microsoft Windows Installation Media Creation Tool - Official utility to create a Windows bootable flash drive

If you need to create a Windows 10 or 8.1 boot flash drive, for this there is an official Microsoft utility - Media Creation Tool (MCT), which will automatically download the latest version of the system, home or professional, x64 or 32-bit and help immediately burn it on USB . Moreover, the developed drive will work both in UEFI and in Legacy (CSM) systems.

Detailed instructions for using this method and how to download the program from the official Microsoft website for Windows 10 - here, for Windows 8 and 8.1 here: https://remontka.pro/installation-media-creation-tool/

RUFUS - the most popular program for creating installation USB flash drives

RUFUS is a free utility that allows you to create a Windows or Linux boot flash drive. The program operates at all currently current versions of Windows and, besides other functions, can check the drive for errors. It is also possible to place various utilities on the flash drive, LiveCD, antivirus boot images. Another important advantage of this program in the last versions is simple to create a UEFI GPT or MBR flash drive for LEGACY systems, as well as the ability to download the Windows 10 image from the official site directly in the program interface.

The program itself is very easy to use, and, in the latest versions, among other things, can make Windows to Go to run Windows from a flash drive without installation. Read more: Creating a bootable flash drive in RUFUS

Creating a bootable flash drive using Ultraiso

Ultraiso is a multifunctional program in Russian to work with ISO images, which makes it easy to make a bootable flash drive to install the operating system to a computer or other purposes. Despite the fact that the program is not free, even the free version regularly writes ready-made images to USB drives for the subsequent launch of the computer with them.

Detailed instructions on how to create such a drive using Ultraiso in a separate instruction: loading flash drive using Ultraiso

Microsoft Windows 7 USB / DVD DOWNLOAD TOOL

The Windows 7 USB / DVD DOWNLOAD TOOL utility is the official free Microsoft program designed to record the bootable flash drive with Windows 7 or Windows 8. Despite the fact that the program was released for the previous version of the operating system, with Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 it also works fine . You can download on the official site Microsoft here

Use does not constitute any difficulties - after installation, you will need to specify the path to the disk image file with Windows (.iso), specify which USB drive to record (all data will be deleted) and wait for the operation. That's all, the loading flash drive from Windows 10, 8.1 or Windows 7 is ready.

Multi-load flash drives

Further on the tools that allow you to create a multi-load flash drive or other USB drive. How can I understand from the name, the multizrode flash drive allows you to load in different modes and for different purposes, for example, on one flash drive can be:

• Installing Windows 10, 8.1 and Windows 10
• Antivirus loading images
• Live CD images with utilities
• Installation of various Linux distributions - Ubuntu, Mint, Android x86 options

This is just an example, in reality a set can be completely different, depending on the objectives and preferences of the owner of such a flash drive. Below are several programs that allow you to relatively easily create such USB drives.

WinsetupFromusb.

My personal look, one of the most convenient utilities for creating a loading flash drive. The functions of the program are wide - in the program you can prepare a USB media for the subsequent transformation to the boot, format in a wide variety of options and create the necessary boot record, check the loading flash drive in QEMU.

The main function, which is also implemented simply and is understandable - recording the loading flash drive from Linux installation images, disks with utilities, as well as installing Windows 10, 8.1, Windows 7 and XP (Server version are also supported). The use is not so simple, as in some other programs in this review, but, however, if you are more or less understanding how this kind of carriers are made, you will not be difficult to deal.

Learn a detailed step-by-step instruction for creating a bootable flash drive (and multi-load) for novice users and not only, as well as download the latest version of the program here: WinsetUpFromUSB.

Aio Boot.

Aio Boot Creator is a powerful utility in Russian for a simple recording of boot and multi-load flash drives and external hard drives with operating systems, LiveCD and utilities suitable for download in UEFI and BIOS (Legacy), as well as includes a set of useful additional tools.

In detail about the program and its capabilities in the instructions how to use Aio Boot to create a boot and multi-load flash drive.

Ventoy

Ventoy - perhaps one of the simplest programs for creating a multi-load flash drive with various ISO images. The principle of operation is the same as in the previous case: after special preparation of the USB drive, it is sufficient to simply copy it the necessary files.

Configuring the appearance of the menu, signatures and other items, in contrast to the previous program, you will have to be performed manually. Details: Creating a multi-load flash drive in Ventoy.

WinUSB.

WinUSB is a relatively simple free program that makes it easy to make a bootable USB flash drive with Windows 10, 8.1 or Windows 7, Linux, LiveCD and utilities. Among features - support for UEFI and Legacy Downloads for NTFS and FAT32 file systems, as well as the ability to record a multi-load flash drive without its preliminary formatting.

Details about the program and instructions for use in the article Multi-loading flash drive without formatting in WinUSB.

FREE SARDU MULTIBOOT CREATOR program for creating a multi-load flash drive

Sardu is one of the most functional and simple programs with the support of the Russian language, which makes it easy to write a multi-load flash drive from:

• Images of Windows 10, 8.1, Windows 7 and XP
• Win PE images
• Distributions Linux
• Anti-virus boot discs and bootable drives with utilities for resuscitation system, settings of partitions on disks, etc.

At the same time, for many images, the program has a built-in loader from the Internet. If all the methods of creating a multi-load flash drive have not yet come to the present way, I strongly recommend trying: Multi-load flash drive in Sardu.

Easy2Boot.

The program for creating a boot and multi-load flash drive Easy2Boot works for about the following principle:

1. You specially prepare a USB drive.
2. Copy ISO boot images to the created folder structure on the flash drive - any number of almost any images.

As a result, you get a bootable drive with Windows distributions (10, 8.1, 8, 7 or xp), UBUNTU and other Linux distributions, utilities for restoring a computer or treatment of viruses. In fact, the number of ISOs you can use, limited only by the size of the drive, which is very convenient, especially for specialists who really need it.

From the disadvantages of both programs for novice users, you can note the need to understand what you are doing and able to manually make changes to the disk if necessary (everything is not always working in the default way). Detailed instructions and video: Multi-load flash drive using Easy2Boot.

Xboot.

XBoot is a free utility for creating a multi-load flash drive or an ISO disk image with multiple Linux versions, utilities, anti-virus kits (for example, Kaspersky Rescue), Live CD (Hiren's Boot CD). Windows is not supported. However, if we need a very functional multi-load flash drive, you can first create an ISO in XBoot, and then use the resulting image in the WinsetupFromusB utility. Thus, combining two these programs, we can get a multi-load flash drive for Windows 10, 8.1 (or 7), Windows XP, and all that we recorded in XBoot. You can download XBoot on the official website https://sites.google.com/site/shamurxboot/

Creating a bootable media in this program is made by simply dragging the necessary ISO files to the main window. After that, it remains to click "CREATE ISO" or "CREATE USB". Another feature provided in the program is to load the necessary disk images by selecting them from a rather extensive list.

Other programs and ways to create a boot USB flash drive for various scenarios

At the end, several more ways to create a Windows, Linux boot drive, Linux or another operating system, including on the Linux computer, if it turned out to be necessary.

Booting flash drive on the Windows command prompt

If you need a flash drive to install Windows 10, 8.1 or Windows 7, then it is not necessary to use any third-party programs to create it. Moreover, some of these programs simply are a graphical interface, performing all the same as you can do yourself using the command line.

The process of creating a boot flash drive on the Windows command prompt (including support for UEFI) looks like this:

1. You are preparing a USB flash drive using diskpart on the command prompt.
2. Copy all the operating system installation files on the drive.
3. If necessary, make some changes (for example, if UEFI support is required when installing Windows 7).

There is nothing difficult in such a procedure and even a novice user will cope with the instruction. Instruction: UEFI boot flash drive on the Windows command prompt

USB flash drive with Windows 10 and 8.1 in WinTousb Free

WinTousB Free Program allows you to make a bootable flash drive not to install Windows 10 and 8.1, and to directly start with a USB drive without installation. At the same time, in my experience, it copes with this task better than analogues.

As a source for a system recorded on USB, an ISO image, a Windows CD or even already installed on the OS computer (though, the last possibility, if I'm not mistaken, is not available in the free version). Read more about WinTousb and other similar utilities: Running Windows 10 from flash drive without installation.

WINTOBOOTIC

Another free and well-working utility to create a boot flash drive with Windows 8 or Windows 7. Few known, but, in my opinion, the program is worthwhile.

The advantages of WinTBootic compared to Windows 7 USB / DVD Download Tool:

• Support ISO images with Windows, unpacked folder with OS or DVD
• There is no need to install on a computer
• High speed

Using the program is just as simple as the previous utility - indicate the finding of files to install Windows and what flash drive to write them, after which they are waiting for the end of the program.

WINTOFLASH utility

This free portable program (there is a paid version with advanced features) allows you to create a bootable USB flash drive from installing all topical versions of Windows and Linux. And not only this: if you needed a loading flash drive MS DOS or WIN PE, you can also make it using WinToflash.

Woeusb.

If you need to create a Windows 10, 8 or Windows 7 boot flash drive in Linux, for this you can use the WoeUSB free program.

In detail about the installation of the program and its use in the article of the Windows 10 boot flash drive in Linux.

Linux Live USB Creator

Distinctive features of the program for creating loading flash drives Linux Live USB Creator are:

• The ability to load the necessary Linux image using the program itself from a pretty good list of distributions, including all popular Ubuntu and Linux MINT options.
• The ability to run Linux from a USB drive created in Live mode in Windows Wednesday using VirtualBox Portable, which is also automatically installed by Linux Live USB Creator for the drive.

Of course, the ability to simply download a computer or laptop from the Linux Live USB Creator flash drive and system installation is also present. For details on the use of the program: Creating a bootable flash drive in Linux Live USB Creator.

Windows Bootable Image Creator - Creating a bootable ISO

WBBI Creator - somewhat knocked out of the total range of programs. It creates a non-bootable flash drive, and the boot image of the .iso disk from the file folder to install Windows 10, 8, Windows 7 or Windows XP. All you need to do is select the folder in which the installation files are located, select the version of the operating system (for Windows 8, specify Windows 7), specify the desired DVD label (the disk label is present in the ISO file) and click the "Go" button. After that, you can create a bootable flash drive with other utilities from this list.

Universal USB Installer.

This program allows you to choose one of several available Linux distributions (as well as download it) and create a flash drive with it. The process is very simple: select the version of the distribution, specify the path to the location of the file with this distribution, specify the path to the flash drive, pre-formatted in FAT or NTFS and click Create. That's all, it remains only to wait.

This is not all programs designed for these purposes, there are many others for various platforms and goals. For most ordinary and not really tasks of the listed utilities should be enough. I remind you that the bootable flash drive from Windows 10, 8.1 or Windows 7 is enough just to create without using any additional utilities - just using the command line, which I wrote in detail in the relevant articles. Also, in the context of the instructions may be useful material how to make a bootable USB flash drive.