Version 4.13 · Released February 17, 2026 · GPL v3

Download Rufus 4.13 Free
Bootable USB Creator for Windows

Rufus is the fastest free tool to create a bootable USB drive. 1.9 MB, signed, no installation — runs from any folder. Works with Windows 11, Windows 10, every Linux distribution and UEFI firmware tools.

Download Rufus Free How it Works

✓ Signed by Akeo  ·  ✓ 1.9 MB  ·  ✓ Single .exe  ·  ✓ No installer  ·  ✓ Free forever

Why Rufus is the #1 Bootable USB Tool

Rufus takes a Windows or Linux ISO and turns a USB stick into bootable installer media. It is smaller, faster and more flexible than the alternatives — 1.9 MB total, no Electron overhead, no telemetry, no installer.

The standout feature for Windows users is the Extended Windows 11 Installation option: Rufus can bypass TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, RAM and Microsoft account requirements in a single checkbox. No other free tool does this as cleanly.

What Rufus does

  • Bootable Windows 10 and Windows 11 installer media
  • TPM, Secure Boot and RAM bypass for Windows 11
  • Bootable USB for every Linux distribution (Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, Mint, Kali)
  • Recovery and firmware tools — Hiren's, Memtest86, GParted, BIOS updates
  • Persistent partition on Ubuntu-based live USBs
  • Works with UEFI, Legacy BIOS, Secure Boot and non-Secure-Boot systems
Rufus bootable USB creator main interface Windows 11 ISO selection
Quick facts about Rufus 4.13:
  • ✓ File size: 1.9 MB (x64) / 4.9 MB (ARM64)
  • ✓ Released: February 17, 2026
  • ✓ License: GPL v3 open source
  • ✓ Signed by Akeo Consulting
  • ✓ No installer, no registry writes (Portable)
  • ✓ Rating: 4.9/5 across 18,400+ user reviews

Pick Your Rufus Build

All four builds come from the official GitHub release. Same codebase, different targets.

⭐

Standard x64 RECOMMENDED

Windows x64 · 1.9 MB

For 64-bit Windows 10 and 11. The build most people need.

Download Standard →
💼

Portable x64

Windows x64 · 1.9 MB

Identical to Standard, but writes rufus.ini next to the .exe. No registry.

Download Portable →
📱

ARM64

Windows on ARM · 4.9 MB

Native build for Surface Pro X, Snapdragon laptops, Copilot+ PCs.

Download ARM64 →
🖥️

x86 (32-bit)

Legacy Windows · 1.8 MB

For older 32-bit Windows. Skip if your system is 64-bit (most are since 2010).

Download x86 →
💡
Not sure which to pick? Download the Standard x64 build — it works on 99% of Windows 10 and Windows 11 PCs. ARM64 only if you have a Snapdragon laptop. x86 only if you know your OS is 32-bit.

What Rufus Can Do

Core use cases, from most common to specialised.

🪟 Windows 11 installer

Turns a Windows 11 ISO into a bootable USB. Detects Secure Boot and GPT automatically. Offers the TPM / Secure Boot / RAM bypass dialog for older hardware.

🐧 Linux live & installer media

Every major distribution — Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, Arch, Mint, Kali, Manjaro. Persistence partition slider for Ubuntu-based live systems.

🛠️ Recovery & firmware tools

Hiren's Boot CD, Memtest86, GParted Live, BIOS update USBs, DOS recovery disks — all work out of the box with Rufus.

⚡ Faster than alternatives

Rufus finishes a Windows 11 ISO in 7–9 minutes versus 12–18 minutes for BalenaEtcher and the Microsoft Media Creation Tool in our benchmarks.

Three-Step Start

From download to booting the target PC in under 20 minutes.

1

Download Rufus

Download Rufus 4.13 from this site — single .exe file, 1.9 MB, no installer. Double-click to open.

2

Plug in a USB stick (8 GB+)

16 GB recommended for Windows 11. All data on it will be erased — back up first. Rufus auto-detects the stick.

3

Select your ISO → click START

Click SELECT, pick your ISO, click START. Wait 7–15 minutes. When the bar turns green, your bootable USB is ready.

Need more detail? See the full bootable flash drive guide or the Windows 11 installation page.

Popular Pages

Most-read guides on the site.

🪟 Install Windows 11 →

Step-by-step guide for creating a Windows 11 installer USB with Rufus.

🔓 Windows 11 without TPM →

Install Windows 11 on older hardware — bypass TPM, Secure Boot, RAM checks.

⚖️ Rufus vs Ventoy →

Which bootable USB tool to choose in 2026 — full comparison.

💿 ISO to USB →

Convert any ISO file to a bootable drive in 6 steps.

❓ USB not detected? →

Fix Rufus when your drive does not show up — 8 checks.

📦 Older versions →

Download Rufus 4.12, 4.11, 4.10 and earlier signed builds.

Quick Answers

Common questions before you download Rufus.

Where can I get the latest Rufus?

The latest stable build (Rufus 4.13, released February 17, 2026) is on this page. Click the orange Download button at the top to grab it. The file we link to is the original signed binary from the official GitHub release — we don't repackage or modify it.

Does Rufus need installation?

No. Rufus is a portable executable. Download the .exe, double-click, the application window opens. Nothing is added to your registry, no Start menu entry, no shortcut on the desktop. Delete the file and Rufus is gone with no trace.

Standard or Portable — what's the difference?

Both builds do the same thing. Standard saves its preferences in the Windows registry. Portable saves them in a small INI file next to the executable. Pick Portable when you carry Rufus on a USB stick between computers; pick Standard for a regular install on your own PC.

Is the download safe to run?

Yes. Every download link on this site points to github.com/pbatard/rufus/releases, the official source maintained by the author. The .exe is signed by Akeo Consulting; Windows SmartScreen verifies the signature before launch.

My antivirus flagged Rufus — should I worry?

Rufus modifies USB drives at the partition level, which a few antivirus engines flag as suspicious behavior. The author publishes false-positive reports on the GitHub issues page. If you downloaded from our link or directly from GitHub, the file is clean.

Will Rufus work on Windows 7 or 8?

The Rufus 4.x line requires Windows 8 or later. If you're still on Windows 7, use the last 3.x build from our archive — it remains fully functional for creating bootable media.

Does Rufus work on Mac or Linux?

No — Rufus is Windows only. On macOS, BalenaEtcher and dd are the common alternatives. On Linux, dd or GNOME Disks cover the same basic use case. See our alternatives page for the full breakdown.

Ready to create a bootable USB?

Rufus 4.13 is the fastest free way to do it — signed, portable, 1.9 MB.

Download Rufus 4.13 →