Introduction

Want to install Linux or Windows using a USB drive? The easiest and fastest way is to make your USB bootable. In this guide, we’ll walk you through creating a bootable USB stick using Rufus and SD Memory Card Formatter — two simple tools that work great together on Windows.

Whether you’re upgrading an old PC or trying Linux for the first time, this tutorial is all you need.

What You’ll Need

  • A USB Flash Drive (at least 8GB recommended)

  • A Windows PC

  • Rufus (Free USB boot utility)

  • SD Memory Card Formatter (Free formatting tool from SD Association)

  • A Linux or Windows ISO file (you can download these from the official OS websites)

Why Use SD Memory Card Formatter?

Sometimes USB drives get corrupted, show wrong capacity, or fail to boot. SD Memory Card Formatter resets the drive properly and fixes low-level formatting issues that Windows’ built-in formatter can’t. It’s perfect for preparing your USB before using Rufus.

🧰 Step-by-Step Guide

✅ Step 1: Download Required Tools

✅ Step 2: Format USB Drive with SD Memory Card Formatter

  1. Insert your USB flash drive into your PC.

  2. Open SD Memory Card Formatter.

  3. Make sure your USB is selected in the “Drive” dropdown.

  4. Keep formatting options as default:

    • Format Type: Quick

    • Format Size Adjustment: On

  5. Click Format, confirm the warning, and wait.

✔️ This step ensures your USB is clean and ready.

✅ Step 3: Create Bootable USB with Rufus

  1. Open Rufus (no install needed if using portable).

  2. Select your USB drive under Device.

  3. Under Boot selection, click SELECT and choose your ISO file.

  4. Partition scheme:

    • Use MBR for BIOS or older PCs.

    • Use GPT for UEFI systems (newer computers).

  5. File system:

    • FAT32 (works for Linux and most use cases)

    • NTFS (only if the ISO is larger than 4GB or for Windows)

  6. Volume Label: You can name it something like “UbuntuUSB” or “Win10Boot”.

  7. Click START.

  8. If prompted to download additional files or choose writing method, go with defaults (e.g., ISO mode for Windows).

🕒 Wait for it to finish (usually 2-10 minutes depending on USB speed).

✅ Step 4: Boot from the USB Drive

Once the bootable USB is ready:

  1. Insert it into the target PC.

  2. Reboot the system.

  3. Press the BIOS/boot key (usually F12, F2, Del, or Esc) when starting the PC.

  4. Select the USB from the boot menu.

  5. Start your installation process.

⚠️ Tips and Troubleshooting

  • USB Not Detected?
    Try formatting it again using SD Formatter and redoing the Rufus steps.

  • ISO Corrupt?
    Make sure your ISO is downloaded completely and verified with checksum if possible.

  • “No bootable device found”?
    Double-check the partition scheme and try switching between MBR/GPT.

🔚 Conclusion

Creating a bootable USB drive is essential for reinstalling or testing operating systems. With SD Memory Card Formatter and Rufus, the process becomes reliable and beginner-friendly.

Now you can install Linux, Windows, or any OS from your USB — fast, free, and clean.