The installation or resuscitation disk of the operating system, with the help of certain programs, can be transferred to a flash-card and used in case of computer malfunctions or recovery of the operating system with BIOS, as a result of complete damage to Windows or other OS. For this purpose, you can use programs for to create a bootable USB flash drive Windows 7:

UltraISO

An application for creating a bootable USB flash drive or converting ISO CD / DVD formula files, which provides the ability to analyze and modify directly sound or image files contained on optical CD / DVD discs and extract the necessary information from them.

You can manipulate the downloadable ISO information by creating installation flash media and CD / DVDs. It is a utility for revising and editing ISO documents, able to work with all modern image codes.

Rufus

NS It is a small tool for formatting and compiling bootable USB sticks, memory sticks and keys. In comparison with analogs, the Rufus program is faster and more useful when there is a need to create an installation and resuscitation flash drive with an ISO image, a variety of operating systems.

The utility can also flash BIOS or DOS or run low-level applications.You can download the program for creating a bootable USB flash drive from torrent sources or on our website.

Win32 Disk Imager

The program opens the ability to clone USB information and memory card for portable devices SD (Secure Digital) and store them in the form of IMG files. In addition, the utility is capable of transferring ISO-images to removable media. Win32 Disk Imager has a 128-bit hashing algorithm and does not require a separate installation.

UNetBootting

Allows the user to compose LiveUSB installation disks for Ubuntu, Fedora and other Linux distributions without putting on CDs. The tool works with Mac OS X, Windows or Linux operating systems. A collection of installation files can be downloaded directly in the application window or through a native Linux ISO image file.

PeToUsb

Software that saves computer resources, written for formatting flash drives and removable HDDs with the subsequent formation of recovery distributions of Windows operating systems on them and creating their reserves on usb drives. For this, the utility uses Master Boot Record. One of the undeniable advantages of PeToUSB is that the software works with pre-installed versions of BartPE and WinPE.

WinToFlash

Multilingual program for creating a bootable USB flash drive for Windows 7. It enables the user to precisely move the installation files of almost all operating systems of the Windows family to removable drives in a few clicks.

The utility supports 32 and 64 bit processors and also works with CAB, ARJ, ISO, DMG, ZIP, RAR and 7z formats. The application can format drives in FAT-32, NTFS and FAT-16 file systems.

Windows Bootable Image (WBI) Creator

The application was created in order to assemble a bootable ISO image file in a few steps that fully simulates the operating system of any generation Windows 7, 8. The utility is so unassuming to use that basic computer knowledge is enough to create a resuscitation flash backup. If the speed of the program is a plus, then the disadvantage will be the lack of a burning function.

DownloadWindows Bootable Image (WBI) Creator

Universal USB Installer

A utility from a series of free distribution programs that provides the perspective of creating a bootable flash drive from groups of Linux recovery files, based on builds of Debian, Puppy Linux, Ubuntu, OpenSUSE, Mint, Linux and Fedora.

To complete the entire operation, you need to select the assembly that you are going to write to removable media and specify the path to the image on the computer's HDD. The program includes the ability to format a USB flash drive into the FAT32 system.

Windows 7 USB / DVD Download Tool

Microsoft developers have provided an official version of a small program for creating a clone of a working version of the operating system Windows 7, with subsequent deployment to optical or flash media. The tool is designed for owners of netbooks and other computer devices that are not equipped with drive cables. The program is as simple as possible - after installation, all that remains is to select the system distribution kit in the ISO image and specify the installation path.

WiNToBootic

An application that allows you to create an installation USB NTFS disk for the Windows and Linux family. Software focused on ease of use and performance. You can record an ISO dummy using drag and drop information.

The program, unlike competing applications, has such features as USB creation with NTFS support, Windows 7 bootloader, ISO 13346 (UDF), ISO 9660 (Joilet), ISO: Windows 7/8/2008 / Vista / PE2 and PE3.

WinSetupFromUSB

The program can format removable media in the FAT32 and NTFS file systems, as well as create an ISO copy-image of the operating systems BartPE, WinBulder, Windows 7, XP, WinFLPC, Vista and others on it. One caveat - some antivirus programs can detect the WinSetapFromUSB extensions setup_dbg.ex and setup.ex as malware. Therefore, the response of antivirus software should be taken as false.

XBoot

Strong program for creating bootable DVD / CD or USB media of one or more ISO image files. Management is very simple - after dragging and dropping information into the program window, just run the executive command "Create USB" or "Create ISO".

The application has a universal boot option Grub4dos or ISO Emulation, in the case of working with operating systems that do not support this utility. You can download this program for creating a bootable USB flash drive for Windows 7, 8 for free on our website, using a direct link.

With many programs offering their own solution to the problem of archiving and storing a working copy of an operating system used by a user, it is difficult to make an unmistakable choice. Nevertheless, the listed applications are capable of effectively performing the declared functions. You just have to choose the option with the most suitable set of options.

Sadly for many, the era of CD / DVD discs is slowly but surely coming to an end ... Today, users are increasingly thinking about having an emergency bootable USB flash drive if they suddenly have to reinstall the system.

And the point here is not only to pay tribute to fashion. OS from a flash drive is installed faster than from a disk; such a USB flash drive can be used on a computer that does not have a CD / DVD drive (and USB is available on all modern computers), and you should not forget about the ease of transfer: the flash drive will easily fit into any pocket, unlike a disc.

1. What is needed to create a bootable USB drive?

1) The most important thing is a USB flash drive. For Windows 7, 8 - a flash drive will need at least 4 GB in size, better than 8 (some images may not fit into 4 GB).

2) An image of a bootable Windows disk, which is most often an ISO file. If you have an installation disc, then you can create such a file yourself. It is enough to use the program Clone CD, Alcohol 120%, UltraISO and others (see how to do this in).

3) One of the programs for writing an image to a USB flash drive (they will be discussed below).

An important point! If your PC (netbook, laptop) has, in addition to USB 2.0, also USB 3.0, connect the USB flash drive to the USB 2.0 port during installation. This applies primarily to Windows 7 (and below), because these OS do not support USB 3.0! An attempt to install will end with an OS error about the impossibility of reading data from such a medium. By the way, they are quite easy to recognize, USB 3.0 is shown in blue, the connectors for it are the same color.

usb 3.0 y on laptop

And More ... Make sure your Bios supports booting from USB drives. If the PC is modern, then it should definitely have this function. For example, my old home computer, bought back in 2003. can boot from USB. How configure Bios to boot from a USB flash drive -.

2. Utilities for burning a bootable ISO disk to a USB flash drive

2.1 WinToFlash

Website: http://wintoflash.com/download/ru/

I would like to stop at this utility mainly due to the fact that it allows you to write bootable flash drives with Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8. Probably the most versatile! You can read about other functions and capabilities on the official website. Here I would like to consider how you can create a USB flash drive in it for installing the OS.

After starting the utility, by default, the wizard starts (see the screenshot below). To proceed to creating a bootable USB drive, click on the green checkmark in the center.

The process of transferring Windows system files usually takes 5-10 minutes. At this time, it is better not to load the PC with unnecessary resource-intensive processes.

If the recording was successful, the wizard will notify you about it. To start the installation, you need to insert the USB stick and restart your computer.

One of the best programs for working with ISO images. It is possible to compress these images, create, unpack, etc. There are also functions for writing bootable disks and flash drives (hard drives).

This program was often mentioned on the pages of the site, so here I will give only a couple of links:

2.3 USB / DVD Download Tool

A lightweight utility that allows you to burn USB flash drives with Windows 7 and 8. The only drawback, perhaps, is that it can give a 4 GB error when recording. the flash drive, supposedly, has little space. Although other utilities, on the same flash drive, with the same image - there is enough space ...

By the way, the question of writing a bootable USB drive in this utility for Windows 8 was considered.

2.4 WinToBootic

Website: http://www.wintobootic.com/

A very simple utility that will help you create a bootable USB drive with Windows Vista / 7/8/2008/2012 quickly and without worries. The program takes up very little space - less than 1 MB.

At the first start, it required the installed Net Framework 3.5, not everyone has such a package, and downloading and installing it is not a quick job ...

But the process of creating bootable media is very fast and enjoyable. First, insert the USB flash drive, then run the utility. Now click on the green arrow and specify the location of the image with the Windows installation disk. The program can directly record from ISO image.

2.5 WinSetupFromUSB

A simple and essential free program. With it, you can quickly create bootable media. By the way, what is interesting is that not only Windows, but also Gparted, SisLinux, a built-in virtual machine, etc. can be placed on a USB flash drive.

To start creating a bootable USB drive, run the utility. By the way, note that there is a special add-on for the x64 version!

Once launched, you only need to specify 2 things:

1. First - indicate the USB flash drive to which the recording will be made. Usually, it is detected automatically. By the way, under the line with the flash drive there is an item with a check mark: "Auto Format" - it is recommended to check the box and not touch anything else.
2. In the "Add USB dick" section, select the line with the OS you need and check the box. Next, specify the location on your hard disk where the image with this ISO OS is located.
3. The last thing you do is click on the "GO" button.

By the way! During recording, the program may behave as if it were frozen. In fact, most of the time it works, just do not touch the PC for about 10 minutes. You can also pay attention to the lower part of the program window: messages about the recording process appear on the left and a green bar is visible ...

3. Conclusion

In this article, we have covered several ways to create bootable USB sticks. A few tips when recording such flash drives:

1. First of all, copy all the files from the media, suddenly something will be useful to you later. During recording - all information from the flash drive will be deleted!
2. Do not load the computer with other processes during the recording process.
3. Wait for a successful informational message from the utilities with which you work with the flash drive.
4. Disable antivirus software before creating bootable media.
5. Do not edit the installation files on the USB flash drive after burning it.

That's all, everyone has a successful OS installation!

Reinstalling the operating system is a fairly simple process, especially if the main tool for carrying out this operation has been prepared in advance - a bootable USB flash drive.

Today, users are offered a wide variety of utilities for creating flash drives to install the operating system. At the same time, some utilities are clearly designed for novice users, while there are much more functional tools that are clearly intended for professionals.

Let's start with the most popular program for creating a bootable drive for Windows 7 and other versions of this OS - Rufus. This utility has a simple interface, where you just need to select a USB drive and specify the ISO image of the operating system distribution kit, as well as support for the Russian language, the ability to check the disk for BAD blocks and much more.

WinSetupFromUSB

This tool is an effective way to create a USB flash drive with any version of Windows, however, the program clearly did not count on beginners, as evidenced by its high functionality. At the same time, it is one of the best tools for creating bootable and multiboot media, which is distributed absolutely free.

WinToFlash

Returning to the simple utilities for creating USB drives with Windows OS, we cannot fail to mention the simple and completely free WinToFlash program. Despite the fairly high functionality, the application interface is built in such a way that the user can get down to work and create a bootable USB flash drive without any questions.

WiNToBootic

Extremely simple program for creating a drive with an image of Windows XP and higher. The application is distinguished by a minimum of settings, allowing only to specify the removable media and the image file with the operating system distribution kit, after which the process of creating bootable media itself will immediately begin, which will take only a few minutes.

UNetbootin

More and more users are beginning to take an interest in the Linux operating system: it is completely different from the Windows operating system, has much more features, and is also distributed absolutely free of charge. If you want to install Linux on your computer, the UNetbootin utility is an excellent choice. This tool has basic functionality, but at the same time it allows you to download Linux distributions directly in the main window, and therefore it can be safely recommended to novice users.

Universal USB Installer

Another utility aimed at creating bootable media with Linux OS distribution.

As with UNetbootin, this tool allows you to boot any Linux distribution directly from the main window (or use a previously downloaded image). Basically, this is where the program's capabilities end, making it an excellent tool for those users who first decided to try Linux OS.

Linux Live USB Creator

Unlike Unetbootin and Universal USB Installer, this application is already a much more interesting tool for creating media for installing Linux OS. In addition to the ability to download the OS distribution directly in the program window, it is worth highlighting the ability to run Linux from under Windows. To do this, not only the image of the operating system will be written to the USB flash drive, but the files of the VirtualBox virtual machine will also be loaded, allowing you to run Linux in Windows directly from the drive.

DAEMON Tools Ultra

DAEMON Tools Ultra is a popular software solution for extensive imaging. One of the features of the application is, of course, the ability to create bootable flash drives, and both Windows and Linux distributions are supported. The only caveat is that the program is paid, but with a free trial period.

PeToUSB

Returning to the topic of utilities for working with distributions of Windows OS, it is worth noting the simple and completely free utility PeToUSB, which has proven itself perfectly in working with old versions of this operating system. It is worth noting that if you are creating a bootable USB flash drive already with modern versions of Windows (starting with the 7th), then you should pay attention to alternative options, for example, WinToFlash.

Win32 Disk Imager

This tool, unlike, for example, WiNToBootic, is not only a tool for forming a drive, but also an excellent choice for creating backup copies of data and then restoring them. The only nuance of the program is that it only works with images of the IMG format, and as you know, most distributions of operating systems are distributed in the popular ISO format.

Butler

Butler is a free solution for creating a multiboot drive with Windows OS. Among the features of the program, it is worth highlighting an understandable interface (which the WinSetupFromUSB utility cannot boast), command management (for example, to immediately set a USB flash drive as the main boot device), as well as the ability to customize the menu design.

UltraISO

And finally, one cannot fail to mention the most popular program not only for creating bootable media, but also for working with burning discs, creating and converting images, and more - this is UltraISO. This tool has excellent functionality, but at the same time, it will allow you to easily and quickly create a USB flash drive for installing both Windows and Linux.

In conclusion. Today we have covered the basic utilities for creating bootable USB drives. Each program has its own advantages and disadvantages, in connection with which it is rather difficult to advise something specific. We hope that with the help of this article you were able to make your choice.

Rufus is a program for the Windows operating system designed to format and create bootable USB drives. Compared to other similar programs, Rufus is multifunctional, has a simple and intuitive interface, translated into 30 languages ​​and does not require installation.

You can use the program if you have an operating system Windows XP or later, the bit depth - 32 or 64 bits - does not matter.

Download the executable file to your computer. You can do this by following the link below. Once the download is complete, the app is ready to use.

The program is designed to create a bootable USB disk from a bootable ISO image for Windows, Linux, UEFI and other formats. It is also useful if you need to flash BIOS or other firmware from under DOS.

If the files for installing the operating system are saved on a CD or DVD, then you can easily create an ISO image from them, for example, using the program for burning CDs - IntraRecorder. You can also use the UltraISO program to work with disk images.

Now let's start to figure out how the program works.

We connect the USB flash drive to which we will record the boot disk image to the computer. Be careful not to make the USB stick smaller than the ISO file. Run the program as administrator. To do this, click on it with the right mouse button and select the item from the context menu "Run as administrator".

The Rufus window opens. In the first field "Device", from the drop-down menu, you need to select the USB flash drive that we plan to make bootable.

In the next field, if you have selected "MBR for computers with BIOS or UEFI", nothing needs to be changed. UEFI is the interface that is installed between the operating system installed on the computer and the software that enables the functioning of the various hardware components of the computer. Its essence is the same as in BIOS, but there are still some differences. In addition, it is an Intel development, and the BIOS is software supported by various brands.

Next, you need to select the file system. If the image weighs more than 4 gigabytes or you plan to write to a flash drive, after formatting, movies, it is better to choose NTFS, since in FAT format you will not be able to write files larger than 4 gigabytes to the flash drive in the future.

Now let's start with the cluster size. A cluster is the minimum amount of disk space that can be allocated for a file. If you plan to use a USB flash drive to store small files, choose a smaller cluster size. If you will record movies or music on it, choose a higher value.

"Volume label" is the name of the flash drive after formatting.

In the parameters, put a checkmark in front of the item "Quick Format"- after formatting, you will have the opportunity, using special programs, to restore the files you need from the flash drive; and "Create bootable disk"- select "ISO-image" from the drop-down list, click on the optical drive icon and select the IOS image file on the computer.

After completing the creation of a bootable USB flash drive with an ISO image, you need to click on the "Close" button. That's all - program for creating a bootable USB flash drive Rufus perfectly coped with her task, and most importantly, it does not take much time.

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In the articles on how to install Windows from a USB flash drive, I have already described some of the ways to create a bootable USB flash drive, but not all. Below in the list are individual instructions on this topic, but I recommend that you first read the article itself under the list - in it you will find new, simple and interesting ways to make a bootable USB flash drive, sometimes even unique.

This review will consider free utilities that allow you to create a bootable USB drive for installing Windows or Linux, as well as programs for writing a multiboot flash drive. There are also options for creating a USB drive to run Windows 10 and 8 without installing and using Linux in Live mode without restarting your computer. All download links in the article lead to the official sites of the programs.

Update 2016. Since writing this review of programs for creating a bootable USB drive, there have been several new options for preparing a USB drive for installing Windows, which I consider it necessary to add here. The next two sections are these new methods, and then the "old" methods that have not lost their relevance are described (first about multiboot drives, then - specifically about creating bootable Windows flash drives of various versions, as well as a description of several auxiliary useful programs).

Bootable USB flash drive Windows 10 and Windows 8.1 without programs

Those who have a modern computer equipped with a motherboard with UEFI software (a beginner can identify UEFI by the graphical interface when entering BIOS), and who need to make a bootable USB flash drive to install Windows 10 or Windows 8.1 on this particular computer, can generally do not use any third-party programs to create a bootable USB drive.

All you need to use this method: support for EFI booting, a USB drive formatted in FAT32 and preferably an original ISO image or disk with the specified versions of Windows material).

Microsoft Windows Installation Media Creation Tool

For a long time, Windows 7 USB / DVD Download Tool was the only official Microsoft utility for creating a bootable USB flash drive (originally intended for Windows 7, described later in this article).

More than a year after the release of Windows 8, the following official program was released - Windows Installation Media Creation Tool for recording an installation USB drive with the Windows 8.1 distribution kit of the version you need. And now a similar Microsoft utility has been released for recording a bootable USB flash drive for Windows 10.

With this free program, you can easily make a bootable USB or ISO image by choosing a professional, for one language or basic version of Windows 8.1, as well as the installation language, including Russian. At the same time, the official distribution kit is downloaded from the Microsoft website, which can be important for those who need the original Windows.

Multiboot flash drives

First of all, I'll tell you about two tools designed to create a multiboot flash drive - an indispensable tool for any computer repair technician and, if you have the skills, a great thing for the average computer user. As the name implies, a multiboot flash drive allows you to boot in different modes and for different purposes, for example, on one flash drive there can be:

• Installing Windows 8
• Kaspersky Rescue Disk
• Hiren's Boot CD
• Installing Ubuntu Linux

This is just an example, in fact, the set can be completely different, depending on the goals and preferences of the owner of such a flash drive.

WinSetupFromUSB

WinsetupFromUSB 1.6 main window

In my personal opinion, one of the most convenient utilities for creating a bootable USB flash drive. The functions of the program are wide - in the program you can prepare a USB drive for its subsequent transformation into a bootable one, format it in a variety of options and create the necessary boot record, check the bootable USB flash drive in QEMU.

The main function, which is also implemented quite simply and clearly, is recording a bootable USB flash drive from Linux installation images, disks with utilities, as well as installations of Windows 10, 8, Windows 7 and XP (Server versions are also supported). The use is not as easy as with some of the other programs in this review, but, nevertheless, if you more or less understand how this kind of media is made, it will not be difficult for you to figure it out.

Free SARDU program for creating a multiboot flash drive

SARDU is one of the most functional and simple, despite the lack of a Russian-language interface, programs that allow you to easily record a multiboot USB flash drive with:

• Windows 10, 8, Windows 7 and XP images
• Win PE images
• Linux distributions
• Anti-virus boot disks and boot drives with utilities for reanimating the system, setting up partitions on disks, etc.

At the same time, for many images, the program has a built-in loader from the Internet. If all the methods of creating a USB flash drive with multiboot that have been tried so far have not worked for you, I highly recommend trying: Multiboot flash drive in SARDU.

Easy2Boot and Butler (Boutler)

The programs for creating bootable and multiboot flash drives Easy2Boot and Butler are very similar to each other in their principle of operation. In general terms, this principle is as follows:

1. You prepare the USB storage device in a special way
2. Copy the bootable ISO images to the created folder structure on the USB flash drive

As a result, you get a bootable drive with images of Windows distributions (8.1, 8, 7 or XP), Ubuntu and other Linux distributions, utilities for computer recovery or virus treatment. In fact, the amount of ISO you can use is limited only by the size of the drive, which is very convenient, especially for professionals who really need it.

Of the shortcomings of both programs for novice users, we can note the need to understand what you are doing and be able to manually make changes to the disk, if necessary (everything does not always work the way you want by default). At the same time, Easy2Boot, given the availability of help only in English and the lack of a graphical interface, is somewhat more complicated than Boutler.

XBoot

XBoot is a free utility for creating a multiboot flash drive or ISO image of a disc with several versions of Linux, utilities, antivirus kits (for example, Kaspersky Rescue), Live CD (Hiren's Boot CD). Windows is not supported. Nevertheless, if we need a very functional multiboot flash drive, then we can first create an ISO in XBoot, and then use the resulting image in the WinSetupFromUSB utility. Thus, combining these two programs, we can get a multi-boot USB flash drive for Windows 8 (or 7), Windows XP, and everything that we recorded in XBoot. You can download it on the official website https://sites.google.com/site/shamurxboot/

Creating bootable media in this program is done by simply dragging and dropping the necessary ISO files into the main window. Then it remains to click "Create ISO" or "Create USB".

Another option provided by the program is to download the necessary disk images by selecting them from a fairly extensive list.

Bootable Windows flash drives

In this part, programs are presented, the purpose of which is to transfer the installation files of the Windows operating system to a USB flash drive for easy installation on netbooks or other computers that are not equipped with optical CD drives (does anyone say that?).

Microsoft Windows 7 USB / DVD Download Tool

The Windows 7 USB / DVD Download Tool is an official free program from Microsoft designed to burn a bootable USB flash drive with Windows 7 or Windows 8. Despite the fact that the program was released for the previous version of the operating system, it also works fine with Windows 8 and Windows 10 ... You can download it on the official Microsoft website

Selecting Windows ISO image in a utility from Microsoft

Usage does not present any difficulties - after installation, you will need to specify the path to the Windows disk image file (.iso), indicate which USB drive to write to (all data will be deleted) and wait for the operation to complete. That's it, a bootable USB flash drive with Windows 10, 8 or Windows 7 is ready.

Bootable USB drive in Windows command line

If you need a USB flash drive to install Windows 8, 8.1 or Windows 7, then you do not need to use any third-party programs to create it. Moreover, some of these programs are simply a graphical interface, doing all the same that you can do yourself using the command line.

The process of creating a bootable USB flash drive in the Windows command line (including those with UEFI support) looks like this:

1. You prepare your USB stick using diskpart at the command line.
2. Copy all operating system installation files to the drive.
3. Make some changes as needed (for example, if you need UEFI support when installing Windows 7).

There is nothing complicated in such a procedure, and even a novice user can cope with following the instructions.

USB flash drive with Windows 10 and 8 in WinToUSB Free

The WinToUSB Free program allows you to make a bootable USB flash drive not for installing Windows 10 and 8, but for launching them directly from a USB drive without installation. At the same time, in my experience, it copes with this task better than analogs.

An ISO image, a CD with Windows, or even an OS already installed on the computer can be used as a source for a system written to USB (although the latter option, if I'm not mistaken, is not available in the free version).

WiNToBootic

Another free and perfectly working utility for creating a bootable USB flash drive with Windows 8 or Windows 7. A rather little-known program, but, in my opinion, worthy of attention.

Advantages of WiNTBootic over Windows 7 USB / DVD Download Tool:

• Supports Windows ISO images, unzipped OS folder or DVD
• No need to install on a computer
• High speed of work

Using the program is as simple as that of the previous utility - we indicate the location of the files for installing Windows and on which USB flash drive to write them, after which we wait until the program finishes.

WinToFlash utility

This free portable program allows you to create a bootable USB flash drive from the installation CD of Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows Vista, as well as Windows Server 2003 and 2008. And not only that: if you need a bootable MS DOS or Win PE flash drive, you can also make it using WinToFlash. Another feature of the program is to create a flash drive to remove a banner from the desktop.

Rufus

Rufus is a free utility that allows you to create a bootable USB flash drive for Windows or Linux. The program works on all current versions of Windows and, among its other functions, can check the USB flash drive for bad sectors, bad blocks. It is also possible to place various utilities on a USB flash drive, such as Hiren's Boot CD, Win PE and others. Another important advantage of this program in its latest versions is the easy creation of a bootable UEFI GPT or MBR flash drive.

The program itself is very easy to use and, in the latest versions, among other things, it can make a Windows To Go drive to run Windows from a USB flash drive without installation.

Considering the fact that many users in Russia do not pay very much for programs, the use of UltraISO to create bootable flash drives is quite common. Unlike all the other programs described here, UltraISO costs money, and allows, among other functions available in the program, to create a bootable Windows USB flash drive. The creation process is not entirely obvious, so I'll describe it here.

• With a USB flash drive connected to your computer, launch UltraISO.
• Select the menu item (above) Bootstrapping.
• Specify the path to the bootable distribution image that you want to write to the USB flash drive.
• If necessary, format the USB flash drive (done in the same window), then click "write".

That's all, a bootable Windows or Linux USB flash drive created with the UltraISO program is ready.

Other utilities related to bootable flash drives

Below are collected additional programs that can help in creating a bootable USB flash drive (including with Linux), and also offer some features that are not available in the utilities already mentioned.

Linux Live USB Creator

Distinctive features of the program for creating bootable flash drives Linux Live USB Creator are:

• The ability to download the required Linux image using the program itself from a fairly good list of distributions, including all the popular variants of Ubuntu and Linux Mint.
• The ability to run Linux from the created USB drive in Live mode in Windows using VirtualBox Portable, which is also automatically installed by Linux Live USB Creator on the drive.

Of course, the ability to simply boot a computer or laptop from a Linux Live USB Creator flash drive and install the system is also present.

Windows Bootable Image Creator - Create Bootable ISO

WBI Creator is somewhat out of the ordinary range of programs. It does not create a bootable USB flash drive, but a bootable ISO image from the folder with files for installing Windows 8, Windows 7 or Windows XP. All you need to do is select the folder where the installation files are located, select the version of the operating system (for Windows 8, specify Windows 7), specify the desired DVD label (the disc label is present in the ISO file) and click the "Go" button. After that, you can create a bootable USB flash drive with other utilities from this list.

Universal USB Installer window

This program allows you to choose one of several available Linux distributions (as well as download it) and create a USB flash drive with it on board. The process is very simple: select the version of the distribution kit, specify the path to the location of the file with this distribution kit, specify the path to the USB flash drive formatted in FAT or NTFS in advance and click Create. That's all, you just have to wait.

These are not all programs designed for these purposes, there are many others for various platforms and purposes. For most common and not quite tasks, the listed utilities should be sufficient. Let me remind you that a bootable USB flash drive with Windows 10, 8 or Windows 7 can be simply created without using any additional utilities - just using the command line, which I wrote about in detail in the relevant articles.