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Install Windows from a pendrive using an ISO with these programs

In general, installations from a USB flash drive have become the easiest way to update our computer with a new operating system. Installations performed from a USB stick are fast, portable, and have the advantage of reverting to the storage device after installation. There are different ISO to USB tools, with features aimed at both beginners and advanced users.

What is it and what do we need to create a bootable USB

Booteable is the Spanish translation of boot, which in English means boot. Therefore when we refer to a bootable USB we are not referring to a bootable USB that we are going to use for our PC to install a new operating system. For this we will only need an ISO image of the operating system that we are going to install. We are also going to need a USB drive (memory card, Pendrive, etc.) with at least 8 GB of capacity and the highest possible speed, so that the installation does not take forever (preferably USB 3.0). Finally, we will need a program that will help us mount the image on the USB device.

Programs to create a bootable USB

Next, we are going to see a list of programs that will allow us to create a bootable USB completely free of charge, which will allow us to have a backup of Windows or obtain an installation device.

Rufus, the most popular app

It is a popular application that will allow us to format USB flash drives in order to create bootable drives quickly and easily. For this, it has two options, one standard and one more advanced, so that it adapts to the preferences of all types of users. From its interface we select the device, a partition scheme and type of target system. We also select the file system type (FAT32, NTFS, UDF, or exFAT), the cluster size, and a new volume label.

Rufus main interface

With its basic format options, it will allow us to check the device for bad blocks and select the type of algorithm. In addition, we can configure a quick format mode, create an extended label and icon files, as well as create a bootable disk using an ISO or other types of disk images.

Rufus has both an installable and portable version, which does not require any type of installation. To do this, we just have to download it for free by accessing this link. The application is compatible with all versions of Windows from XP to Windows 10.

FlashBoot, create bootable Windows USB drives

It is a program that will allow us to create bootable USB drives with the configuration of Windows 7, 8 and 10. In this configuration we can include all the applications and data on an external storage device such as a pendrive, memory card or disk Lasted. This will help us transfer all the added content from one computer to another, even if they have completely different hardware.

FlashBoot Main Menu

This software supports driver integration as it incorporates a large number of pre-installed drivers. This enables this program to also be used to make a backup copy of our operating system, in order to keep safe in case of a virus problem, hardware failure, etc. and to keep our most precious data safe.

We can download FlashBoot for free from its website. The program is compatible with Windows 7, 8x and 10 in its 32-bit and 64-bit versions. It also has a Pro version that is priced at $ 29.95 and includes additional functions that allows us to create an installable clone of Windows and supports the installation of a mini version of Windows XP (BartPE).

WinToUSB, create a portable Windows 10 drive

It is one of the best programs with which to create a portable Windows 10 drive. And it is that this software will allow us to prepare an installation of the Microsoft operating system on an external USB device, be it a pendrive or a hard disk. This installation will allow us to have a fully functional and configured Windows that we can always carry with us. For this, it will only be necessary to have an ISO image of the operating system. It will also allow us to clone our local Windows 10 installation to the pendrive so that it can work in a portable way.

WinToUSB - Main window

This application has a free version that will allow us to create a portable Windows from an ISO, virtual hard disk or DVD, clone our Windows installation to a USB so that we can use it in a potable way, as well as create a Windows installation USB . It also has a Professional version that is priced at € 29.95 and offers additional features such as compatibility with Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise and faster cloning speed.

We can download WinToUSB from its website.

YUMI, one of the most used boot systems programs

It is one of the most popular programs for creating different boot systems from ISO to USB. It is a free and open source software that will allow us to create a complete multiboot USB flash drive from several ISO files, being compatible with Linux, Windows and system utilities. The ISO files can be loaded manually from the hard drive of our computer or, in the case of Linux, download from the program itself.

YUMI - Create USB multiboot 4

Its interface is based on a normal window with a simple structure where we can start by selecting a unit such as our USB device. When using this program we will hardly notice its presence as it consumes a very low amount of both CPU and RAM.

We can download YUMI for free from here.

RMPrepUSB, one of the most complete programs

This is one of the most complete ISO to USB packages on the list. It is a Windows utility with which you can partition and format a drive, being especially aimed at USB drives. With this application we can install a boot code, it has a sector editor, it allows to test drives of false size, it is capable of solving USB boot problems. It also allows you to run a 32-bit MBR emulator to boot from a USB drive with full write access. In addition, it includes a command line utility.

RMPreupUSB

This application is in charge of formatting, partitioning and cleaning USB disks, being able to install up to five different boot systems. However, it has a clunky and unfriendly interface that may make the experience difficult for more inexperienced users.

We can download RMPrepUSB for free from this link.

WinToFlash, create multiboot bootable USB drives

This application will allow us to create a Multiboot bootable USB drive with the Windows installation program, Linux live, data recovery, hardware tests or even to run Windows in a fully functional way. It is compatible with any edition of Microsoft’s operating system, from Windows XP to Windows 10 32-bit or 64-bit.

WinToFlash

The application is responsible for downloading the software to create bootable USB from the Internet and from the cache on the hard drive. It is responsible for installing a boot manager and creating a selection menu, checking the file system for errors fully automatically.

WinToFlash has a somewhat limited free version since it does not include support for files larger than 4 Gb and it does not have support for NTFS, exFAT, USB-FDD and GRUB4DOS, which we can download from this link. If we want to take advantage of its features, we must buy the Professional version that has a price of $ 29.95.

Ventoy, create a multi-boot USB flash drive

It is a free, lightweight and portable program that offers the ability to turn any USB flash drive into a multi-start system. Thanks to this we can store different operating systems, depending on the storage of our pendrive, being able to carry out the installation from any computer. The program offers us compatibility with 475 operating systems, including Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and 10, as well as the most popular Linux distributions.

Ventoy Interface

The application has support for formats ISO, WIM, IMG and EFI, as well as with support for Legacy + UEFI and it is compatible with disk images with size greater than 4 GB. This tool is responsible for creating bootable USB drives from ISO files in a simple way, and can be used by all types of users.

Ventoy is a free and open source application that we can download from GitHub.

Windows USB Download Tool

Microsoft has its own Windows 10 installation program officially in ISO format. With it, what you will do is create a Windows 10 USB that is bootable on a pendrive that has at least 8 Gb of capacity. In this way we guarantee to obtain an ISO image in an official, updated and virus-free way. It is an application as simple as it lacks functionality, but it can be the most comfortable way to have a Windows 10 bootable USB.

Windows USB Download Tool

We can download Windows USB Wownload Tool for free from this link.

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