Not long ago, to install the operating system or to create a rescue disc, there was no other choice than to burn the operating system into a CD/DVD. Though it is nothing hard but CD/DVD method is clunky, not-so user-friendly and majorly laptops are on their way to bury the CD/DVD writer. Thankfully, now we can use USB flash drives but to make it bootable you would need a Bootable Software.
USB Bootable Software 1. Windows USB/DVD Tool. Universal USB Installer. YUMI – Multiboot USB Creator. When it comes to creating a bootable USB drive in Windows, Rufus is one of the best, free, open-source, and easy-to-use software. The best thing about Rufus is that it not only lets you create bootable USB for different kinds of operating systems but you can also use it to flash BIOS, firmware, and run low-level utilities.
Read: How to Encrypt USB Drive Using VeraCrypt
How to create a Bootable USB from iso?
To install an OS on a PC, all you need is burn the ISO to a USB pen drive using any of the following USB bootable software. Once done, restart your computer and change to boot order to USB. After that, just follow the onscreen instruction and you are good to go. When you no longer need, you can simply format the drive and use it to store other data. To help you create bootable USB drives, here are TechWiser’s top 7 free USB bootable software for Windows.
Read: How to Use USB Flash Drive on Android and iOS
Best Software To Create Multiboot Usb Drive
USB Bootable Software
1. Rufus
When it comes to creating a bootable USB drive in Windows, Rufus is one of the best, free, open-source, and easy-to-use software. The best thing about Rufus is that it not only lets you create bootable USB for different kinds of operating systems but you can also use it to flash BIOS, firmware, and run low-level utilities. Add to that, Rufus is much faster than the other apps when it comes to creating bootable Windows USB drives.
Moreover, you get various different options like the ability to change the partition scheme, cluster size, and file system. These options are very useful when you are creating BIOS, firmware, or other low-level drives. Rufus also checks the USB drive for any bad blocks. For that, all you have to do is, select the checkbox “check device for bad blocks” under format options and you are good to go. Do mind that depending on the drive size, number of passes, and USB drive speed, it takes quite a bit of time to complete the verification process.
If you are looking for a free, open-source, and fast bootable USB creator then give Rufus a try. Good thing, Rufus doesn’t require an install, you can run it directly from the portable exe file.
Features: Free and open-source, Multiple OS & BIOS Support, customizable bootloader options, Bad-block detection, etc.
Download Rufus
2. Windows USB/DVD Tool
If you are a Windows user and the only requirement is a tool to create bootable USB drive for Windows. Then the official Windows USB/DVD tool is for you. As you can tell from the name itself, the Windows USB/DVD tool can be used to create both bootable USB and DVD drives.
What makes the Windows USB/DVD tool special is its ease of use. All you have to do is insert the USB drive, select the ISO, and click Next. That is it, after the initial format, the Windows USB/DVD tool will create the bootable USB drive within a few minutes.
As easy and good as the official tool is, it lacks any options whatsoever to customize the bootable USB drive. For instance, you cannot change the file system or partition scheme. You cannot create extended labels or check of bad blocks, etc. That being said, if you don’t mind the lack of advanced options and looking for a simple and straightforward tool then you should try the Windows USB/DVD tool.
Features: Windows-only.
Download Windows USB/DVD Tool
3. Universal USB Installer
The name says it all, Universal USB Installer is a Windows bootable USB creation tool that lets you create almost any type of bootable USB media. Be it Linux or Windows drives, special antivirus rescue drives, security and penetration testing drives, and other low-level bootable drives.
The best thing about Universal USB Installer is that unlike other software, you can select the operating system form the drop-down menu so that it can create the bootable media with appropriate settings. For instance, if you want to create a bootable Ubuntu USB drive then you have to first select Ubuntu from the drop-down menu. Further, the software will handle all the complex details of making directories, boot partition, etc.
Moreover, one of the most useful features of Universal USB Installer is its ability to create bootable USB drives with Persistence storage. In case you are wondering, the Persistence storage allows you to backup or store and access persistence data like system settings, application backups, bookmarks, etc., directly on your bootable USB media. Of course, you can select the amount of persistence store you’d like to have while creating the bootable USB drive. Do mind that this feature is only available for select few Linux distributions.
Features: Multiple OS support, customizable bootloader options, multi-boot support, bad-blocks check, persistent storage to view system settings, backup, etc.
Download Universal USB Installer
4. RMPrepUSB
If you are looking for a highly customizable and feature rich bootable USB creator then RMPrepUSB is the way to go. Just like with Universal USB Installer, you can create almost any type of bootable USB media. What makes RMPrepUSB special is its ability to create multi-boot drives, support for multiple image formats, customizable the bootloader options, file system options, and QEMU Emulator.
In case you don’t know, you can quickly boot into a bootable USB drive using QEMU Emulator right on your Windows machine. No need to reboot your system. This feature is very useful when you want to verify if the bootable USB has been created properly. Other than that, you can also install various bootloaders like grub4dos, syslinux, grub2 to mbr, bootmbr, WEE, etc. There are loads of other settings if you are willing to explore and experiment.
As good and feature rich as it is, the software is not so easy to use. Considering the steep learning curve, the software is mainly intended for advanced users who know what they are doing. The good thing is, the official website offers a ton of detailed and handy guides on how to use different features of RMPrepUSB. So do check them out if you get stuck.
Features: Multiple OS support,multi-boot drives, customizable bootloader options, file system options, and QEMU Emulator.
Download RMPrepUSB
5. UNetBootin
Just like the Windows USB/DVD tool is specifically designed to create bootable Windows drives, UNetBootin is designed to create bootable Linux drives.
The good thing about UNetBootin is that you can create bootable media using an ISO file or you can download the Linux distribution directly within the software. When creating bootable media for Ubuntu distribution, you can set aside some space to preserve files across reboots. This feature is especially useful when you want to install software on live bootable drives.
To sum it up, if you are looking for software that can create bootable Linux USB drives and don’t mind lack of advanced options then you should try UNetBootin.
Features: Bootable media for Ubuntu, download ISO directly within the app.
Download UNetBootin
6. YUMI – Multiboot USB Creator
YUMI – Multiboot USB Creator is made by the same guys that created Universal USB Installer. While Universal USB Installer is designed to create regular bootable USB drives, YUMI or also known as Your Universal Multiboot Installer is designed to create multiboot USB drives.
When I say multiboot I’m talking about the ability to install multiple operating systems, firmware, antivirus tools, and other utilities in a single USB drive. You are only limited by the size of your USB drive. Of course, just like with Universal USB Installer, you can create Persistent storage to backup necessary files between reboots.
If you are like me and have multiple pen drives with multiple operating systems, rescue software, and antivirus tools then give YUMI a try and see if it fits your needs. I personally use YUMI to create a bootable USB drive with multiple Linux distributions.
Features: Multiple OS & Firmware support, multi-boot support, customizable bootloader options, multi-boot support, persistent storage to view system settings, backup, etc.
Download YUMI – Multiboot USB Creator
7. WinSetUpFromUSB
WinSetUpFromUSB is yet another popular and feature-rich bootable media creator for Windows. Though WinSetUpFromUSB is specifically designed to create bootable Windows drives, you can also create bootable Linux distributions using SysLinux or IsoLinux. Apart from creating boot drives for regular operating systems, WinSetUpFromUSB is also capable of creating bootable media for WinBuilder, WinPE, BartPE, UBCD4Win, etc.
Though the user interface of the app looks a bit simple, you can access various advanced options by selecting the checkbox “Advanced Options” checkbox. Moreover, the app also comes with the ability to test bootable media in QEMU emulator and various other useful tools like 7-Zip, RMPrepUSB, Bootice, FBinstTool, etc.
Features: Multiple OS & Firmware support, customizable bootloader options, multi-boot support, live-boot in QEMU emulator, etc.
Download WinSetUpFromUSB
Wrapping Up
If you deal only with Windows, Rufus or Windows USB/DVD tool is a good option. For everything else, you can go for YUMI or Universal USB Installer.
In case I missed any other useful bootable USB creator for Windows then comment below and we can upgrade the list.
Read: 10 Best USB Encryption Software to Lock Your Flash Drive (2017)
Best Multiboot USB Creator for 2017: As the advent of the technology, humans have invented various forms of devices which are helpful for them in the process of data storage and various other functions. USB which stands for Universal Serial Busis one such mighty device which is useful to create,store and erasedata. These days multiple OS could be installed on the same USB at the same time which is quite useful because of its small size and price efficiency. Given below is the list of top ten multiboot USB creator for the year 2017
The top ten Multiboot USB Creators are:
1. Rufus
Rufus is known for its ability to select the target drive and select the file system and after which you can even provide an essential name to the bootable drive. It’s is having a user-friendly interface along with locating ISO image of chosen OS.
2. WinToBootic
WinToBootic works on almost all operating system except Linux. It has a very much user-friendly interface with only necessary elements in it. This can automaticallydetect your USB media which is quite effective.
3. RMPrepUSB
This platform is specially designed for creating several partitions on the same USB drive. This tool is really handy and helpful for various tasks. But the interface is a bit complicated when compared to other tools.
4. Universal USB Installer
This application gives specific way to USB flash and ISO image. This tool is specially designed for the Linux operating system but recently it was updated to even support Windows. This is helpful to protect your drive from threats too.
5. YUMI
This tool comes with a user-friendly interface which is quite efficient in preparing the bootable drive in one USB drive without formatting. The tool works on Linux and other is too.
6. UNetbootin
This tool is specially designed for Linux but now is available even for iOS and Windows. This is quite efficient and also has a user-friendly interface.
7. Linux Live USB Creator (LiLi)
As the name indicates, this USB creator is especially for Linux. It has the presence of built-in vitalization which is helpful for the quick access without restarting the window.
8. WinSetUp From USB
This tool is specially made for Windows and also for Linux. It has a very simple and user-friendly interface which makes it really effective and can be used by anyone.
9. WinUSB Maker
This not just a bootable USB creator tool but also has much more functions than that. You can even clone hard disk partition on the portable memory devices. It is helpful for copying the exact partition from your USB drive.
Multiboot Usb Flash Drive
10. XBoot
Rescuing the compact disc or any other disks having multiple OS is one of the major functions performed by this tool. It’s is good at creating ISO image from the files and write those files too. It has a very friendly user interface.
Thus this is the list of top ten bootable USB creator, hope all the techies out there find it really helpful for the coming year 2017.