How to Create a Bootable Ubuntu USB Drive with Rufus

Can't boot your PC or need to recover files from a failing system? A bootable Ubuntu USB drive lets you access your data and troubleshoot problems without touching your hard drive.
 

This guide shows you exactly how to create one using Rufus, the fastest free USB creator tool.

What You Need:

• Working PC with internet connection.
• USB flash drive (8GB minimum, 16GB+ recommended).
• 10 minutes of your time.

Step 1: Download the Ubuntu ISO

Visit ubuntu.com/download/desktop and grab the latest LTS version. The file is around 5GB, so use a stable connection.

Step 2: Download Rufus

Get the portable version of Rufus from our downloads page. No installation required, just run the executable.

Step 3: Create the Bootable USB

Insert your USB drive and open Rufus. Configure these settings:

• Device: Select your USB drive.
• Boot selection: Click SELECT and choose your Ubuntu ISO.
• Partition scheme: GPT (use MBR for older systems).
• File system: Leave default (FAT32).

Click START and choose "Write in ISO Image mode" if prompted. Wait 5-10 minutes for completion.

Step 4: Boot from USB

Plug the USB into your target computer and power it on. Press Esc or F9 repeatedly to access the boot menu, select your USB drive, and choose "Try Ubuntu" to boot into the live environment.

From here you can browse files, recover data, or install Ubuntu.

Alternative Tools

If Rufus doesn't suit your needs, consider these alternatives available on our site:

• Ventoy – Create multi-boot USB drives by simply copying ISO files.
• balenaEtcher – Cross-platform tool with built-in verification.
• UNetbootin – Supports 50+ Linux distributions with direct downloads.