How to Create Windows 10 UEFI Bootable USB with Rufus & Alternative

If you are searching for how to create Windows 11 UEFI bootable USB with Rufus, you can refer to this post with details. Meanwhile it recommends an easier method.

Miya

By Miya Updated on December 11, 2024

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Can Rufus create Windows 10 UEFI bootable media?

Rufus is a powerful, free and open-source utility that enables users to create bootable USB drives for a range of purposes, including booting and installing operating systems like Windows and Linux. You can use Rufus to create a UEFI Windows 10 bootable USB drive or create Windows 11 UEFI bootable USB, making it a versatile tool for a variety of tasks.

In the following guides, we will show you how to create a bootable USB drive for Windows 10 using Rufus and there is an easier way to create boot UEFI USB on Windows 10.

Why to create Windows 10 UEFI boot media with Rufus?

Creating a Windows 10 UEFI bootable USB with Rufus can be useful for several reasons:

★ Installing Windows 10 on a new computer: If you are building a new computer or replacing the hard drive on an existing computer, you will need a bootable Windows 10 installation media. Rufus can create a bootable USB drive that can be used to install Windows 10 on a UEFI-based system.

 Repairing a UEFI-based Windows 10 system: If your UEFI-based Windows 10 system is experiencing problems, you may need to boot from a recovery media to repair the system. Rufus can create a bootable USB drive that can be used to boot into the Windows 10 recovery environment and perform repairs.

 Upgrading a UEFI-based Windows 10 system: If you are upgrading a UEFI-based Windows 10 system to a newer version of Windows 10, you may need to create a bootable installation media. Rufus can create a bootable USB drive that can be used to upgrade the system to the latest version of Windows 10.

 Creating a Windows 10 UEFI bootable drive for multiple systems: If you need to create UEFI Windows 10 boot with Rufus for multiple UEFI-based systems, Rufus can create a single bootable USB drive that can be used to install or repair Windows 10 on multiple systems.

How to use Rufus to create UEFI bootable USB on Windows 10

Rufus is a compact and portable tool that allows users to create UEFI boot Windows 10 USB without the need for installation. If you want to create a portable USB drive for Windows 10 using Rufus, simply follow the steps outlined below.

❣ Preparation:
Before creating a UEFI Windows 10 bootable USB drive with Rufus, there are a few preparations that you need to make. These include downloading Rufus and a Windows 10 ISO file onto your computer, as well as inserting a USB drive.

Windows 10 Set up

Step 1. Launch Rufus and adjust the following main settings:

Device: Choose your USB flash drive.

Boot selection: Choose DISK or ISO image. Click the SELECT button to browse to the location where your Windows 10 ISO file is saved.

Partition scheme: Choose GPT for UEFI.

Target system: Choose UEFI (non CSM).

File system: Choose NTFS.

Rufus Drive Properties

Step 2. Click on the START button located at the bottom of the program window. Once you've started the process, all that's left to do is wait for the progress of creating UEFI Windows 10 USB with Rufus to complete.

How to create Windows 10 bootable media in an easier way

In addition to using Rufus, there are another third-party tools you can use to create a bootable USB. I highly recommend AOMEI Backupper Standard as the best free boot media creator.

With this software, you can create a Windows 10 bootable USB not only for the current computer but also for another PC. It's also a quick solution to fix startup problems if you encounter the Windows 10 recovery screen loop error and it fails to boot.

This freeware offers several advantages:

✿ It supports creating a bootable USB, CD/DVD, or a simple ISO file.
✿ It works on all Windows PCs, including Windows 11/10/8/7 (both 32 bit and 64 bit).
✿ It's compatible with both BIOS and UEFI modes without any file system limitations.
✿ As a comprehensive data protection solution, it allows you to create system backup, disk backup, file backup, and partition backup at scheduled intervals such as daily, weekly, and monthly, Event triggers and USB plug in to various locations like the local disk, external hard drive, network share, cloud, etc.

Now, let's get started and create a Windows 10 UEFI bootable USB with AOMEI Backupper Standard.

Step 1. Download the freeware, install it, and launch the program. Next, navigate to the Tools tab and select the option to Create Bootable Media.

Download FreewareWin11/10/8.1/8/7/XP
Secure Download

Create Bootable Media

Step 2. Choose the Bootable Disc Type. It is suggested to choose Windows PE as it is suitable for everyone and provides more options than Linux.

Choose Bootable Disc Type

Step 3. Select the USB Boot Device option and click Next to proceed. Allow the process to complete and then click on Finish.

USB Boot Device

A quick tip: If you don't have a USB or CD/DVD, you can enable the AOMEI recovery environment boot option after you upgrade to AOMEI Backupper Professional. This option works similarly to bootable media, but is only available on the current computer.

Now that you have successfully created a UEFI bootable USB, you can use it to boot your computer. However, how do you boot Windows 10 from a USB in UEFI mode? The next section provides the answer.

How to boot Windows 10 from UEFI bootable USB drive

You can create a UEFI bootable USB drive on Windows 10 by using any of the methods mentioned above. Once you have successfully created the bootable USB drive, you will need to know how to boot your computer from it. Here are the steps to follow:

Step 1. Connect the UEFI bootable USB disk to your Windows computer that needs to be booted.

Step 2. Restart your computer and press the F2, F11, or Delete key to enter the BIOS setup.

Step 3. In the BIOS setup, navigate to the Boot Drive section and set the UEFI bootable USB as the primary boot drive.

Step 4. Save the changes and exit the BIOS setup. Wait for your computer to boot up from the UEFI bootable USB disk.

Boot Windows 10

By following these steps, you can easily boot your Windows 10 computer from a UEFI bootable USB drive. Try it out now !

FAQs about creating Windows 10 UEFI bootable USB

Q: How do I download Rufus?

A: You can download Rufus from the official website at https://rufus.ie/en/. 

Q: Can Rufus be used on other operating systems besides Windows 10?

A: Yes, Rufus is compatible with Windows 8, Windows 7, and other operating systems.

Q: What if I encounter errors or issues while creating a UEFI bootable USB with Rufus?

A: If you encounter any issues while using Rufus, you can refer to the official documentation or seek help from the support forums.

Summary

In this article, we focus on creating Windows 10 UEFI boot media with Rufus. And I recommend trying AOMEI Backupper, which provides the same feature to create a bootable USB for Windows Server securely, if you want a more flexible tool without any restrictions.

As a comprehensive data protection solution, AOMEI Backupper offers additional features such as the ability to clone Windows 11 to new SSD and securely boot from the cloned drive. There are other useful tools such as sync and restore waiting for you to explore.

Miya
Miya · Editor
Miya has an excellent insight and receives professional and systematic technical training since joining AOMEI. She has a comprehensive understanding of computer issues, aiming at helping users troubleshoot all kinds of problems. A lot of computer users around the world have found her articles very helpful!