Forum Discussion
TexasOasis
Oct 29, 2025Iron Contributor
How to create a bootable usb using rufus
I have tried multiple times with the official Windows 11 media creation tool but the USB created by it does not boot. The USB is not showing up in boot menu. The USB flash drive is a brand new sandis...
DavidWilson
Oct 29, 2025Iron Contributor
How to Create a Bootable USB Using Rufus for Windows PC? Here is a detailed, step-by-step guide.
- Run Rufus: Plug in your USB drive. Run the Rufus executable file you downloaded. It doesn't require installation.
- Device Selection: Under "Device," Rufus should automatically detect your SanDisk USB drive. If you have multiple USB devices plugged in, double-check that the correct one is selected.
- Boot Selection: Click the SELECT button to the right of "Boot selection" and choose the Windows 11 ISO file you downloaded.
- Partition Scheme & Target System: This is a critical step for modern computers.
- Partition scheme: GPT
- Target system: UEFI (non-CSM)
- This is the correct setting for virtually all computers made in the last decade and is essential for Windows 11. - Volume Label: This will auto-populate, but you can name it something like "Win11_Install".
- Format Options: The file system should be NTFS. Leave "Cluster size" at Default.
- Start the Process: Click the START button for creating a bootable USB using Rufus.
- Windows User Experience Dialog: Rufus is clever. It will detect that you're using a Windows 11 ISO and present you with a window of options.
- "Use the recommended options for this image": This is also fine to leave as is.
- Click OK to continue. - Final Warning: Rufus will warn you that all data on the device will be destroyed. This is normal. Ensure you have no important files on the USB drive and click OK.
Rufus will now format the drive and copy all the files. A green bar will show the progress. When it says READY at the bottom, the process is complete. Safely eject the USB drive.