Why convert ISO to USB?
ISO files for operating systems are designed to be booted, not simply opened. Writing an ISO to USB creates a portable installer that a PC can start from at boot - the standard method today for installing or repairing an OS.
How to convert ISO to USB
Rufus FREE
Download and run Rufus, plug in a USB drive, click SELECT to choose the .iso, and click START. Rufus erases the drive and writes a bootable image.
Ventoy FREE
Install Ventoy to the USB drive once, then copy any number of .iso files onto the Ventoy partition; booting from the USB shows a menu to select which ISO to use.
balenaEtcher FREE
Click 'Flash from file', select the .iso, choose the USB target, and click Flash. Works on Windows, macOS, and Linux with the simplest interface.
About these formats
.ISO
ISO disc image (ISO 9660 / UDF)
An ISO file is a sector-by-sector copy of an optical disc (CD, DVD, or Blu-ray) stored as a single file. On Windows 8 and later, right-click it and choose Mount - no software needed. To…
Open .ISO 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 the write process; back up any files on it before starting.
- Rufus and Ventoy both support UEFI and legacy BIOS boot modes; if the PC refuses to boot from the USB, check that Secure Boot settings match what the ISO expects.
- This is a disc-image write operation, not a file-format conversion - the ISO structure is translated into a bootable sector layout on the USB rather than the file simply being copied onto it.
