Overview: In this article, we will show you five commonly used free tools to create bootable USB from ISO file along with their features. Lastly, we will introduce you to the professional solution to convert and manage ISO files quickly.

A bootable USB drive is used to start the system and helps in carrying out installation or repair work without the help of CDs. It contains all the necessary files to install the OS systems.

In case you have an ISO file to use for OS installation, the first step is to make your USB drive bootable. There are a couple of free tools available to write an ISO image onto USB. But the right tool depends on the OS you use for the process, the type of ISO file, and whether you want single-boot or multi-boot USB.

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Why Do Users Need to Make a Bootable USB Drive from ISO?

Read these reasons below to create bootable USB from ISO file. It helps users to work with ISO files better.

  • To install your Windows or Linux OS on your current or new system
  • Establish a fresh OS whenever you experience issues on your PC
  • Use bootable recovery to figure out the reasons for boot problems
  • Make use of the recovery tool whenever you have troubles with booting
  • You can take the help of USB instead of using ordinary installation discs.
  • Go with the same bootable device for starting an OS in compatible systems

If you want to add, delete, or change files and folders from an existing ISO file, then the right solution is SysTools ISO Editor. Just make any changes you want and save your modified ISO file on your computer.

5 Best Free Tools to Create Bootable USB from ISO File

You can choose these applications to burn an ISO to a USB device. Some applications are designed for Windows installation media, whereas others are applicable for Linux distros and multiple ISO files.

#1. Rufus

It is a widely-used Windows based application to create bootable USB drives from ISO images. It can be used to install either Windows or Linux and has the option to change partitioning schemes and file systems.

  1. Firstly, download and open the tool on your Windows environment
  2. Next, connect your USB flash drive
  3. Look for Device section, under which you will see USB drive option
  4. Click on Select button and give location to your ISO file
  5. Based on your OS, select an appropriate partition like GPT or MBR
  6. Now, hit Start to create bootable USB drive
  7. Just wait for few minutes to complete the operation

Best for: Windows users who want better control over bootable USB configurations.

2. Ventoy

It is an application used to create bootable USBs with multiple operating systems. Unlike the normal USB writing software, you can install the application on the USB just once and copy as many ISO files to it as you want. The USB drive then allows the user to select the required ISO file at the startup of the computer.

  1. At first, download and extract the Ventoy package
  2. Connect the USB drive into the computer
  3. Now, launch Ventoy app
  4. Choose the appropriate USB drive from the list
  5. Click Install to create the bootable USB
  6. After the installation is complete, you need to open the USB drive
  7. Then, transfer the required ISO file
  8. Reboot the OS and boot using your USB drive for installing the ISO file

Ideal for: Those who want to store multiple ISO files on one USB drive.

3. BalenaEtcher

It is a simple graphical tool that enables users to flash operating system images on USB drives and SD cards. It has a three-step interface: select an image, choose a target drive, and flash the image. Additionally, it provides checking after you create bootable USB from ISO file.

  1. Download and install the software in your PC
  2. Next, connect the target USB drive
  3. In the app click Flash from file option
  4. Choose the downloaded ISO file from your system
  5. Select your USB drive which you want to use
  6. Click on the Flash button to start the process
  7. Now, just wait until the process finishes

Best for: This tool is best suitable for beginners who are looking for easy process steps.

#4. Fedora Media Writer

This is an official application from the Fedora Project which assists users to download images and make bootable USB drives. Users can also use it for their own image files. Thereby, it supports other Linux distributions.

  • Download and install the tool first
  • Next, attach a USB drive to your desired computer
  • Then, open the app
  • Choose the option for a custom image
  • Select the ISO file which you have just downloaded
  • Now, opt USB drive as a destination source
  • Confirm that and write the image onto your USB drive
  • At the end, wait until the process is done

Ideal for: Users of Fedora community and users who are looking to create installation media for Linux.

#5. YUMI

It is a software used to prepare multi-booting USB flash drives. It permits users to install all sorts of operating systems on one USB device. It is very helpful when you require several boot options.

  1. Download and install the desired application
  2. Insert USB flash drive into computer USB port
  3. Select USB from the list of available devices
  4. Choose the operating system which you would like to install
  5. Locate and select the required ISO file
  6. Tap on Create to start the process
  7. Follow the prompts to create bootable USB from ISO file
  8. You can also include any other ISO files that you wish to have in a multi-boot USB.

Ideal for: Users who want to create and maintain several operating systems as well as recovery utilities on the USB drive.

Limitations of Using Free Tools:

There are problems which users face in order to create bootable USB from ISO file.

  • You might lose all data on the USB drive while creating a bootable USB stick
  • There are some applications that are supported only on specific OS
  • Most of the tools process only one ISO file at a time
  • Certain ISO files do not support these few tools
  • It provides a few possibility of changing the settings of disks and partitions
  • Sometimes, your USB stick does not boot due to some configuration settings or hardware problems
  • Most of these tools cannot convert ISO files into other disk images

Free Bootable USB Creation Tools – Difference Table

The table below shows comparisons of tools based on their operating systems, main uses, and limitations.

Tool (Host OS) Best Used For Key Limitations
Rufus Windows Creating Windows and Linux bootable USB drives Windows only
Ventoy Windows, Linux For making multi-boot USB drives Requires initial USB installation & boot configuration
balenaEtcher All operating system Flashing ISO and other supported image files Limited advanced configuration
Fedora Media Writer All OS To create Fedora and supported Linux installation media Primarily focused on Fedora
YUMI Only Windows, depends on version Only multi-boot USB drives Compatibility depends on the selected ISO and YUMI version

Convert ISO Files Into Other Formats Using Expert Solution

Users can create bootable USB from ISO file to install any operating system. However, there might be a requirement to convert an ISO file into formats such as BIN, CUE, IMG, or DMG. You might also desire to compress it into 7Z-ISO or ZIP-ISO. In that case, you can take the help of SysTools ISO Converter, to smoothly complete the conversion.

 
Key Features:

  • Convert ISO files into multiple disk image formats
  • You can upload ISO files in bulk for conversion
  • Keep the original directory structure intact
  • View the data stored inside ISO files before converting
  • Generates the report at the end of the process
  • Available for both Windows and macOS

If you would like to access files and folders that are inside an ISO file, and do not wish to burn the file to a DVD or USB. You can use SysTools ISO Extractor to extract the necessary information and save it on your PC.

Conclusion

We have discussed various free tools to create bootable USB from ISO file. It helps you to install an operating system. After that, we have come up with a differentiation table in order to pick the best software depending on what you need. If you want to convert an ISO file into a different format, then make use of our dedicated software to do it easily.