Is Rufus Safe to Use for Creating A Bootable USB?

Is Rufus safe to create a bootasble USB?

If your system is having major issues and you need to restore Windows 10, you can use a Windows 10 ISO file to burn the OS to a USB flash drive. It's possible to get Rufus from its official website, and it can help you finish the job. You may be concerned about safety, though, when you download a new app.

Is Rufus safe to use? The answer is "yes." Rufus is a real app that doesn't come with any ads, icons, or other software that you don't need. It's free to use for both personal and business purposes. When you download this app from its official website, you don't have to worry about getting a bug or other bad software. 

Tip: If you need another version of Windows, just replace the Windows 10 ISO file with the right one in the following steps.

Step 1: Prepare a USB flash drive that is larger than 8 GB and connect it to a normal PC.

Warning: During the process, all the data in your USB flash drive will be deleted. Therefore, you should make sure there is no important data in your USB flash drive.

Step 2: Run Rufus and it will detect your USB flash drive.

Step 3: Under the Device section, Rufus will choose your USB flash drive by default. If you have connected more than one USB flash drive to the PC, you need to select the target one from the drop-down menu.

Step 4: Under the Boot selection section, click the SELECT button to browse your PC and choose the Windows ISO file. Configure the partition scheme and volume label according to your needs. Then select NTFS or FAT32 for the File system section.

Tip: If you don’t have an ISO file, you can download one with the help of Rufus. You just need to click the down arrow next to the SELECT button and choose DOWNLOAD. Then click the DOWNLOAD button and follow the onscreen instructions to download an ISO image according to your demands.

Step 5: Then click START to create the bootable USB from your Windows 10 ISO file.

Step 6: A warning will pop up. Read it carefully. If you are sure about the operation, click OK to continue.

The process would take some time and you need to wait patiently. When it is finished, read the pop-up notice and click CLOSE. Then connect the bootable USB flash drive to the PC where you want to reinstall Windows 10 and start to install Windows 10.

The Best Alternative of Rufus: AOMEI Partition Assistant

But when you use Rufus, you might find that Rufus Windows To Go is missing. Most of the time, this problem is caused by a wrong Windows system, especially if you are using Windows 11. If you only have a computer that runs Windows 11 and want to build one that runs Windows 11, you should look for an option to Rufus Windows To Go.

AOMEI Partition Assistant is a great free and easy-to-use software to keep PC users running the Windows To Go tool. It has more options compared to Rufus Windows to Go. Regardless of whether you want to build Windows to go in Windows 7/8/8.1/10/11. It will help you and not be complicated. What is important is that this great Rufus Windows to Go replacement software also reduces the need for USB drives.

AOMEI Partition Assistant

The Best Windows Disk Partition Manager and PC Optimizer

Free Download
Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7

• Prepare a Windows 10 ISO or ESD file. Remember where it is located.
• Prepare a USB drive with 3.0 port. USB 2.0 port is also OK but it won’t perform as well as USB 3.0 port. AOMEI Partition Assistant requires the USB drive is only larger than 13 GB.

When you prepared all the things, you can start to create Windows To Go USB drive. Take an example of creating a Windows 10 to Go USB drive.

You just need to Plug in the USB 3.0 you prepared before and make sure it can be detected by the computer. Download, install and launch AOMEI Partition Assistant. Then run the Windows To Go Creator and follow the instructions.

Apart from the powerful  features, it also has these practical functions allows you effectively manage your Windows system:

• Partition size adjustment: This tool allows users to adjust partition size without losing data, whether partition size expansion or decrease will meet user storage needs to optimize disk usage.

• Copying and Cloning Drive: AOMEI Partition Assistant enables smooth data transfer and backup by creating a complete copy of your disk or partition to ensure your data is secure. For example, you can transfer HDD OS to SSD without any data loss and reinstalling on Windows 11,10,8,7.

• Partition Recovery: In case of an emergency deletion or loss of partition, this tool allows users to scan partitions to maximize data integrity protection and minimize the risk of data loss.

• Drive Conversion: Users can easily convert disks between different file systems such as converting from MBR to GPT or converting back without damaging data.

Conclusion

Is Rufus safe? Yes, it is. Using Rufus to create a bootable USB is safe and reliable, as long as it is downloaded from the official website. It is an effective tool for burning Windows ISO files to a USB drive without any risk of malware. However, for users who need additional features or are facing compatibility issues with Rufus, AOMEI Partition Assistant offers a powerful alternative with a range of options including partition size adjustment, drive cloning, partition recovery, and drive conversion, making it a versatile choice for managing Windows installations and creating bootable USB drives.

FAQs

1. Is Rufus safe to download and use?

   • Yes, Rufus is safe to download and use, provided you download it from the official website. It is free from ads and unwanted software.

2. What do I need to create a bootable USB with Rufus?

   • You need a USB flash drive larger than 8 GB, a Windows ISO file, and the Rufus application. Ensure that the USB drive does not contain any important data, as it will be erased during the process.

3. What should I do if Rufus is missing the Windows To Go option?

   • If Rufus is missing the Windows To Go option, especially on Windows 11, consider using an alternative like AOMEI Partition Assistant, which supports creating Windows To Go on various Windows versions.

4. How do I use Rufus to create a bootable USB?

   • Connect the USB drive to your PC, run Rufus, select the USB drive, choose the Windows ISO file, configure the partition scheme and file system, and click START. Follow the prompts and wait for the process to complete.

5. What additional features does AOMEI Partition Assistant offer compared to Rufus?

   • AOMEI Partition Assistant offers features such as partition size adjustment, drive cloning, partition recovery, and drive conversion, making it a more comprehensive tool for managing disk partitions and creating bootable USB drives.