Aug 15, 2015 - I'm planning on upgrading to windows 10. In case it screws up, I'll have the other drive bootable without having to reinstall everything.
Creating a bootable USB from an ISO file is easy if you have the right tools.
Why You Need a Bootable USB Drive
Installations from a USB flash drive have become one of the easiest ways to update your computer with a new operating system. A USB installation is quick, extremely portable, and has the bonus of reverting to a storage device following the install.
You’ll find a fair few ISO to USB tools out there, and they feature a range of tools for beginners and advanced users. Let’s take a look at the burn time, and the resources available to each software. For science!
Note: To keep this test fair, I’m going to burn a copy of Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17713 x64 to an 8GB Integral USB flash drive, formatting the drive between each burn.
A Mini-Glossary of ISO-to-USB Tool Terminology
Before we plow into the testing phase, there are a handful of acronyms I’d like to spell out, and a few other bits of ISO to USB jargon we’ll clear up.
- Bootloader Options: The bootloader loads the operating systemHow to Solve Most Windows Boot ProblemsHow to Solve Most Windows Boot ProblemsIs your Windows computer not booting up? It could be because of a hardware, software, or firmware error. Here's how to diagnose and fix these problems.Read More. Some ISO burners allow you to choose the bootloader you’ll need for your desired operating system installation.
- Grub4dos: A bootloader package designed to allow users to select between multiple operating systems installed on a single systemHow to Create a Bootable Multiboot USB for Windows and LinuxHow to Create a Bootable Multiboot USB for Windows and LinuxA single USB flash drive is all you need to boot, install, and troubleshoot multiple operating systems. We'll show you how to create a multiboot USB, including Windows and Linux installers and recovery tools.Read More.
- Syslinux: A lightweight bootloader package designed to allow users to select between multiple Linux or Unix installations.
- QEMU: Short for Quick Emulator, is a hardware virtualization tool. In this context, it allows users to test their USB before proceeding with the burn process.
- Cluster Size: Defines the smallest available space for storing dataHow to Format a USB Drive and Why You Would Need ToHow to Format a USB Drive and Why You Would Need ToFormatting a USB drive is easy. Our guide explains the easiest and fastest ways to format a USB drive on a Windows computer.Read More. Instead of assigning individual disk sectors, the file system assigns contiguous groups of sectors, called clusters.
- File System: Controls how data is accessed and stored. Without it, your data would lump together with no beginning or end. A file system defines easy access. There are different file systems available, though your burning tool should discern your requirements via the ISO you use.
- Bad Sector: Some ISO to USB tools allow you to perform a bad sector check. Before the burn commences, your USB will be scanned, fixing any irregularities to ensure your installation is smooth. Somewhat like defragmenting your desktop, but on a much smaller scale.
Now, in no particular order, here are the ISO to USB burning tools with their respective times.
Want the TL;DR? Check out the best ISO to USB comparison video below!
1. Rufus
Features: Partition schemes, file systems, automatic ISO detection, target system type, mode of bootable, bad sector checks, ISO write mode
First up, Rufus. Rufus is a very small executable that has consistently improved its offerings over the years. Along with standard ISO to USB options such as cluster size and file system, Rufus now automatically detects settings for the ISO you select and fills in the optimal settings. Furthermore, Rufus has a hidden Advanced Mode with a bunch of extra options.
Rufus clocked in at 21m12s which is definitely not the fastest. Regardless, Rufus is an excellent ISO to USB tool.
2. Windows USB/DVD Download Tool
Features: None
Such an eloquent name. You select your ISO. You select your media type; USB or DVD. You click Begin Copying, and off it goes. In what is the most basic of basic UIs, and with only two options, the Windows USB/DVD Download Tool is almost sublimely simple, comparable only to ISO to USB. This makes it a fine tool when installing Windows 10 from a USB driveHow to Install Windows 10 From a Bootable USB DriveHow to Install Windows 10 From a Bootable USB DriveNeed to install a fresh copy of Windows? Learn how to make a bootable USB stick with UEFI support.Read More.
Windows USB/DVD Download Tool came home in 17m51s which puts it toward the top of the ISO to USB timings board.
3. RMPrepUSB
Features: Bootloader options, file systems and overrides, grub4dos, syslinux, QEMU
RMPrepUSB is one of the most complete ISO to USB packages on this list. Aside from the features above, it comes packed with a host of other bootloaders, DiskDoctor, Speed Tests, and individual user configurations for frequently prepared drives.
RMPrepUSB clocks in with a 21m38 putting it firmly toward the top of the timings board but, like Rufus, the features more than make up for the slightly slower time.
4. YUMI
Features: Multiboot, ISO auto-download
YUMI (Your Universal Multiboot Installer) is another multiboot ISO to USB installer with settings for a vast range of Linux, Windows, and system utilityBoot Multiple Live CDs From One USB Disk With YUMI [Windows]Boot Multiple Live CDs From One USB Disk With YUMI [Windows]Put multiple bootable tools onto one USB drive, then pick which one you want to boot when your computer starts up. Whether you want to try out various Linux environments at once or put together...Read More ISOs. YUMI is easy to use. You scroll down the distribution list and check for the ISO you want, then select the corresponding ISO on your system from the box below. Don’t have the ISO? YUMI will take care of that for you.
YUMI clocked in at 17m46—slower than the first time I ran these tests some five years ago (it was 14m50s back then!), but still ahead of the rest.
5. Novicorp WinToFlash
Features: Multiboot, grub4dos, bootloader options, burning wizard, file systems, burning profiles, ISO auto-download
Novicorp WinToFlash is a popular ISO to USB utility that features a handy burning wizard. The wizard guides you through the burning process, although it isn’t unique to the utility (Rufus fills in all the information you need, for example). WinToFlash also allows you to create multiboot USBs as well as an auto-downloader for any ISO files you’re missing.
WinToFlash clocks in at 22m01, decent speed for a tool that guides you through the ISO to USB process.
6. UNetbootin
Features: grub4dos, ISO auto-download (Linux only), syslinux
UNetbootin is primarily a Linux LiveUSB burning tool, but it works sufficiently well with Windows that it deserves inclusion in this list. The UNetbootin utility isn’t flashy, but it does come with a few nifty features. For instance, it has an auto-download feature for Linux distributions, letting you select from a range of popular distros and system utility tools.
UNetbootin came home in 22m01, exactly the same as WinToFlash and again, a decent time for a useful tool.
The ISO-to-USB Winner Is…
The winner regarding speed is YUMI. The winner regarding features and ease of use is Rufus, which was only 3 minutes slower than YUMI. Furthermore, both burning tools cater to slightly different markets; Rufus is for one-off ISO to USB creation whereas YUMI is excellent for multiboot tools.
Let’s not discount the other USB to ISO tools. The range of burn times didn’t vary much, so it really boils down to the features you need and find in a specific utility.
Other ISO-to-USB Tools We Tested…
I tested many more ISO to USB tools for the sake of competition—and to bring you the best overall picture possible. There were a few tools that didn’t make the grade, for one reason or another. Here are the fallen few:
- XBoot is another multiboot tool featuring an inbuilt download, but other options were faster and somewhat easier to use. However, XBOOT’s QEMU function is excellent.
- WinToBootic fits comfortably into the basic features category and clocked a decent time, too.
- Passcape ISO Burner is a multifunction burning tool, but it wouldn’t work for me. I have read other positive reviews, so it could be worth a look for other individuals.
- ISO to USB is another very basic tool. However, it didn’t make the cut through a slow time and lack of features.
- FlashBoot has a decent UI and a burning wizard to guide you through, but I gave up on the test as it had not even hit 50% after nearly 40 minutes.
- UltraISO burned the ISO to USB at a reasonable speed and has the bonus of being able to mount ISOs before burning to check their files.
What’s Your ISO-to-USB Tool of Choice?
Hopefully, you now have a better overview of the best ISO to USB tools available to you. Furthermore, you can pick your tool based upon its raw speed, its functionality, or a combination of both. If you need a guide to creating a bootable USB to install Windows from an ISO fileHow to Make a Bootable USB/CD/DVD to Install Windows Using an ISO FileHow to Make a Bootable USB/CD/DVD to Install Windows Using an ISO FileNeed installation media to reinstall Windows? Our tips show you how to create a bootable USB, CD, or DVD from scratch.Read More, look no further:
For macOS users, we’ve also looked at how to boot your Mac from USB.
Got a load of USB flash drives and that you don’t know what to do with? Here are five use you might not have considered5 Uses for a USB Stick You Didn't Know About5 Uses for a USB Stick You Didn't Know AboutWe’ve all used USB sticks to transport files between computers and back up our files, but there are other cool things you can do with a USB stick.Read More, such as installing multiple operating systems on your USB stickHow to Install Multiple Bootable Operating Systems on a USB StickHow to Install Multiple Bootable Operating Systems on a USB StickWant to install and/or run multiple operating systems from a single bootable USB stick? You can with these tools.Read More.
Explore more about: File System, ISO, USB Drive.
- Try Etcher
- In reply Col. Panek. I use Firefox with Duckgo as my search engine. Type Mint Stick into the search field. You should a list of options. Select mint stick download. Select the second one: Mintstick Download (Deb) - pkgs.org
From there you can download the deb. package you need. - I am a diehard Linux user. My favorite USB burning tool is mkusb. It is availible from both Ubuntu and Debian. Next Unetbootin, Mint stick and USB Image Writer.
- I'm running Mint now, and I wondered where MintStick went to. When I type it in the menu search, USB Image Writer comes up, so maybe that's its new name.I'm newly enthused about Yumi so I can carry many distros in my pocket.
- thanks for this.
- We've downloaded Microsoft Windows 10 directly from official sources, the ISO named as 'Win10_1809_English_x64'.
Now, We've to face with problem occurs when we try to creating bootable media such as USB.
We tried on many tools like Rufus, WUDPT, ISO2USB etc.
We also tried by simply copying.
But, at all no any method will work. We also try different USB Flash drives.
But, all gets error-ed, and processing stucked.
Every time I run Rufus, I get the same error. 'Error: ISO image extraction failure'
We change many of PCs in which some are running on 32-bit and some are on 64-bit. Some have Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10.
But, all got failed.
Any body help me how to get rid, how can we solve our problem. - Hirens 2018 New Generation is Back All In One Boot Disk!
this is my open source project 2018 check this guys >>IT Tools Pack Solution 2018 Rescue Edition(Site in Indonesian language) - Include Acronis 2018 + Norton Ghost + Partition Wizard & Other ToolsTx - Using Etcher on Linux & Win and it ROCKS!
- Yes. How can you forget Etcher? It is only the fastest, easiest to use software for making bootable thumbdrives ever.
- You forgot Etcher!!!
Cloning your Windows 10 boot drive to a new hard drive is not as easy as it might seem. While it’s trivial to copy the majority of your files from one drive to another, copying every single file to a bootable disk will require a separate program. And because the source hard drive can’t be active while it’s being copied, you’ll need to use a cloning program that runs outside of Windows.
Clonezilla Live runs from a separate boot medium like a CD, DVD, or USB drive, allowing you to copy your boot disk. The process is not difficult, but Clonezilla’s lack of a GUI can make it challenging to navigate confidently.
Note: the following method will do a clone of the target hard drive, regardless of the OS it is running. Therefore, it will work for Windows (any version), Linux or even MacOS.
Create Clonezilla Live Disk
1. Download Clonezilla. Get the version called “stable” with a string of numbers after it.
2. In the next screen, change the file type from “.zip” to “.iso.” Unless you know you need a 32-bit version of the software, you can leave CPU architecture as “amd64.” Leave the repository set to “auto.” Then, click “Download.”
3. Insert a blank CD or DVD into your disk drive.
4. Navigate to the downloaded ISO file in Windows Explorer. Right-click on the file and choose “Burn disc image” from the context menu.
5. Confirm the correct disk drive is selected, and click “Burn” to burn a bootable version of the ISO to disk.
Boot into Clonezilla Live
1. Make sure both your source and destination hard disks are connected to your computer.
2. Reboot your computer.
3. After you hear the single beep to indicate that POST was completed successfully, you will see your BIOS splash screen. At this point, press either the F12 or DEL key (depending on your BIOS) to choose a boot disk. If you’re not sure what to press, look for an on-screen option that says something like “Boot Menu.”
4. Select your DVD drive from the resulting menu.
Initialize Clonezilla Live
1. Once Clonezilla Live starts, you’ll see a splash screen. Leave the default and press “Enter” on your keyboard.
2. You’ll see some white text go by indicating that Clonezilla is booting. When it’s done, choose the appropriate language.
3. Leave the default selection (“Don’t touch keymap”), and press Enter on your keyboard to select.
4. Some more white text will go by. When you again see a blue and grey screen, press Enter to choose “Start Clonezilla.”
Set Up Disk Cloning
Now that we’ve initialized everything, we’re ready to clone our disks.
1. On the next screen use the down arrow on your keyboard to select “device-device.” This allows you to clone from one physical hard disk to another physical hard disk.
2. Press the Enter key to choose “Beginner Mode” which is the default.
3. On the next screen leave the default selection of “disk_to_local_disk” and press Enter. This setting allows you to clone one physically-connected disk to another physically-connected disk. The other options allow you to clone to network-connected disks or work with partitions.
4. Select the source disk and press Enter. I’m using a virtual machine to capture screenshots, so you might see more disks. Your menu will also show different names and capacities. Since any names you’ve applied in Windows won’t typically be visible here, pay close attention to disk capacity and mount point.
5. Select the destination disk and press Enter. Again, you might see more hard drives here.
6. Leave the default option to skip checking or repairing the source file system and press Enter.
7. Press Enter again to actually begin the cloning process.
Run Cloning Process
1. Clonezilla will ask you to confirm that you want to clone the disks, erasing the destination disk in the process. Make sure everything looks correct before typing “y” and pressing Enter.
2. Clonezilla really wants you to be sure. Confirm your choices again, then type “y” and press Enter.
3. You’ll see Clonezilla create the partition table on the destination disk.
4. When prompted, type “y” and press Enter to confirm that you want to clone the bootloader to the destination drive. The bootloader is what allows the computer to start from a disk; without the bootloader, the drive will not be bootable.
5. Finally, the cloning process actually begins! Keep an eye on the progress bars to see how long it will take.
6. When done, Clonezilla will run some self-checks on the cloned drive. Press Enter to continue when prompted.
7. In the next menu press Enter to shut down the machine.
8. After a five-second countdown, Clonezilla will halt itself, and the machine should turn off. If your computer doesn’t shut itself down, you can manually switch it off after you see the line that says
[info] Will now halt
. You’re done!Conclusion
After the cloning process is complete, restart your computer and select your newly-cloned disk as your boot drive.
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