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Cody-Hutson's avatar
Cody-Hutson
Iron Contributor
Jan 09, 2025

Rufus cannot make usb bootable, how to fix?

Hi all, I was gifted an used PC from my friend and unfortunately, there is no OS on it. It is a pretty old device and does not meet the Windows 11 system requirements. So I decided to install Window...
Asainna's avatar
Asainna
Bronze Contributor
Jan 09, 2025

You use Rufus to create a USB installation disk, but find that the USB cannot be recognized as a bootable device. It is really frustrating. This situation is not necessarily a problem with Rufus, but many people may think that "Rufus cannot make USB bootable". Don't worry, I will list three ways to solve this problem and let you install Windows 10 smoothly!

Method 1: Check the BIOS settings

  1. Many times, the USB cannot boot because the BIOS settings are incorrect, not "Rufus cannot make USB bootable". Try the following steps:
  2. Press Del or F2 when booting to enter the BIOS setup interface.
  3. Find "Boot Options" or "Boot Priority" and make sure USB Device is set as the first boot item.
  4. If the device is older, make sure Legacy Boot mode is enabled, not UEFI mode.
  5. Save and exit, and try to boot from USB again.

This problem is particularly common on older devices, and it can usually be solved by adjusting the boot mode.

Method 2: Use Rufus to create a bootable disk again
Although you think "Rufus cannot make USB bootable", it may be that there is a problem with the settings during the creation process. Here are the correct steps:

  1. Open Rufus and insert your USB device.
  2. Select your Windows 10 ISO file in "Boot Type".
  3. Make sure "Partition Type" matches your hard drive:
  4. If it is an MBR hard drive, select "BIOS or UEFI".
  5. If it is a GPT hard drive, select "UEFI".
  6. Click "Start" and try to boot again after the creation is completed.

Note: In some cases, incomplete ISO file downloads can also cause problems. You can try to download the ISO again in a different network environment.

Method 3: Try other tools instead of Rufus
If you still feel that "Rufus cannot make USB bootable", you may want to try other tools:

  • Venoy can support multi-system installation. You can directly drag and drop the ISO without remaking it.
    Download and install Venoy to your USB, copy the Windows 10 ISO to the USB, and select ISO to boot after inserting it into the computer.
  • Windows Media Creation Tool

If the network environment is stable, you can try this official tool again. Sometimes the problem with Rufus may be the ISO format, and the official tool will automatically adapt.

Finally, if you are still struggling with "Rufus cannot make USB bootable", don't worry, the problem is mostly related to the device or settings, not Rufus itself. Follow the above steps and I believe you will be able to solve the problem and install Windows 10 smoothly! Come on! 😊

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