We’ve all been there. You try to start your computer and it does nothing or starts spitting strange errors. You don’t know what happened. You press “gently” on your computer or laptop, but nothing seems to happen. You are worried, you do not know what to do, you do not know if your data is secure, you do not have time, your boss is waiting for this report which must be tabled today. What if I told you that to save yourself from such a situation, all you need is a simple USB stick
In this article, I have selected some of the best software to create your bootable USB drive.
Creating your boot disk
Well, you don’t have to be afraid of anything. It’s a fairly simple process. All you need is your computer and a flash drive. What we do is just copy the operating system to the USB drive and boot from it. You can also check out many articles on how to create a bootable USB drive on Google. And there are many ways to copy the operating system to the flash drive. So what I have listed below are the different software that you can use to copy the files. Most of this software works on Mac and Windows.
Top 5 best bootable USB software
1.Rufus
Rufus is personally one of my favorite pieces of software to use to create a bootable USB drive because it is more user-friendly than the other software I have used. This is the software I use to create my discs, and the icing on the cake is that it’s completely free.
All you need to do to use Rufus is to download the software and run it directly as it does not require additional installation. Then all you have to do is plug in your flash drive and select your operating system. Click Start and when done, you would have successfully created a USB boot drive. Rufus also has additional functions like creating a partition scheme file system and practical features like checking bad blocks.
Characteristics
Support: Windows, Linux
License: Freeware
File Size: 1.1 MB
2.Etcher
If you thought Rufus was also safe, then you’re going to find Etcher a walk in the park. This software is much easier to use compared to Rufus because it has an appropriate GUI (Graphical User Interface).
It comes with its set of drawbacks as it can only create one boot drive and nothing else as such, so if you want something simple and straightforward, Etcher is the program for you. And it also flashes on Mac OS, which Rufus unfortunately doesn’t have. But this beautiful graphical interface has a cost, the size of the file.
Characteristics
Support: Windows, Linux, Mac
License: Freeware
File Size: 131 MB
3.Windows USB / DVD Tool
This is the default application for a Windows user to create a flash drive. I am not a fan of the software as it is a bit slow compared to the others and offers no other functionality either. But it’s software that will do your job in a friendly and simple way. It is also a relatively small application compared to the others.
Characteristics
Support: Windows
License: Freeware
File Size: 2.1 MB
4.DiskMaker X
Since the one above is only for windows, I thought it wouldn’t be fair to leave Mac users out of the way. DiskMaker X is an application exclusively for Mac OS. It is also relatively easy to use software because it has a user friendly interface, and even an 11 year old child could operate it. It’s also a small size app, so if you have a mac, I recommend this one.
Characteristics
Support: Mac, OS X
License: free and paid versions available
File Size: 3 MB
5. EaseUS
EaseUS is another great open source software that is available in case all of the above does not suit your taste or does not work. It also seems to have a premium feel for the whole process and also supports Mac and Windows.
It is a little bigger compared to other software, but it is not much to pay for a configuration in 20 languages, which also helps to do the job pretty well, although I would also like to mention that it is a bit slower than the other programs i have tested. You might also have a little problem with locating hidden files.
Characteristics
Supports; Windows, Mac
License: Freeware
File Size: 5.4 MB
Conclusion
Well here it is, these are my picks for the best boot drive creation software. I would also urge you to find some by yourself as there may be something I may have missed. All of the above-mentioned applications are entirely competent, and each has its drawbacks and advantages.
Is there anything you think you missed on my list that you think everyone should know?
Has your computer ever fallen on you when you needed it most?
Other applications you would like me to write about?
Write about it in the comments. It’s free :).
