Why convert IMG to USB?
An .img is a raw disk image - a byte-for-byte copy of a storage medium. The only way to use it as a bootable or functional drive is to write it back to physical media. Mounting it as a virtual disk lets you read files; only flashing produces a real, bootable USB stick.
How to convert IMG to USB
Rufus FREE
Download Rufus from rufus.ie, select the .img under Boot selection, choose the target USB drive, and click START; Rufus warns that all data on the drive will be destroyed before writing.
balenaEtcher FREE
Click 'Flash from file', select the .img, choose the target USB drive, and click Flash; balenaEtcher writes and then verifies the image automatically.
dd FREE
Run sudo dd if=file.img of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress, replacing /dev/sdX with your device path; run sudo sync afterward and eject the drive.
About these formats
.IMG
Raw Disk/Disc Image
An IMG file is most often a raw, sector-by-sector copy of a CD/DVD, floppy, USB stick, or partition -- frequently identical to an ISO file. On Windows 8 and later, right-click and choose…
Open .IMG details →
.USB
SiSoftware Sandra
A .USB file is associated with SiSoftware Sandra, a misc file.
Open .USB details →Quality & what to watch
- The USB drive is completely erased during flashing - back up any files before starting.
- Double-check the target device in Rufus or balenaEtcher before clicking Flash; selecting the wrong drive destroys its data.
- Your USB drive must be at least as large as the
.imgfile to receive the full image.
Frequently asked questions
Will my USB drive be bootable after flashing?
.img was originally a bootable image (OS installer, Raspberry Pi OS, recovery tool) - the boot sector is copied exactly.Can I flash an .img to an SD card?
dd both work with SD cards; Rufus also supports SD cards visible as removable drives.
