Rufus 4.15 Download for Windows

Last Updated on 17 Jul, 2026 by Montel Anthony

Rufus 4.15 is a free, open-source Windows utility for formatting USB flash drives and creating bootable media from ISO files. You can use it to install Windows or Linux, run a live operating system, flash firmware from DOS, or prepare recovery and diagnostic tools.

Key Takeaways

• Rufus 4.15 is the latest stable release.
• The official release was published on June 30, 2026.
• Rufus supports Windows 8 and later.
• No installation is required. Download the executable and run it.
• Windows x64 is the correct version for most modern PCs.
• ARM64, x86, and portable editions are also available.
• Creating bootable media erases the selected USB drive.
• Download Rufus only from the official Rufus website or its official GitHub repository.

What Is Rufus?

Rufus is a lightweight utility that formats USB drives and makes them bootable. It works with many Windows, Linux, UEFI, firmware, and system-recovery ISO images.

Rufus is especially useful when you need to:

• Create Windows installation media
• Create a bootable Linux USB drive
• Run a live operating system
• Install an operating system on a computer without one
• Flash BIOS or other firmware from DOS
• Prepare a low-level system utility
• Create recovery or diagnostic media

Rufus runs directly from a Windows executable and does not require a traditional installation.

Rufus 4.15 Download Links

The official Rufus website currently lists these Windows builds:

Use the official Rufus download page to access the current files and alternate download sources.

Which Rufus Version Should You Download?

• Windows x64: Best choice for most Intel and AMD Windows PCs.
• Portable x64: Useful when you want to run Rufus without treating it like a permanently installed application.
• Windows x86: Intended for older 32-bit Windows systems.
• Windows ARM64: Designed for compatible ARM-based Windows devices.

If you are unsure, Windows x64 is usually the right choice for a modern computer.

System Requirements

According to the official Rufus website, Rufus requires:

• Operating system: Windows 8 or later
• Installation: Not required
• Internet connection: Only needed to download Rufus, an ISO, or related files
• USB storage: Depends on the ISO; 8 GB is commonly recommended for Windows installation media

Rufus itself is very small, but the ISO file and destination USB drive may need considerably more storage.

What’s New in Rufus 4.15?

Rufus 4.15 focuses on boot reliability, Windows deployment, compressed image extraction, and ARM64 compatibility.

The official changelog includes:

• Added RISC-V 64 support to UEFI:NTFS
• Improved safeguards for the silent Windows installation option
• Improved cancellation during write retries
• Improved progress reporting for compressed image extraction
• Fixed unrestricted XML entity expansion and an integer overflow in the ezxml parser
• Fixed silent Windows installation failing at approximately 75 percent
• Fixed a boot crash involving UEFI:NTFS on Snapdragon X ARM64 platforms
• Fixed the first Windows User Experience option being selected by default
• Fixed an infinite loop when processing Windows ISOs containing multiple WIM files
• Fixed an issue where runtime UEFI media validation was not enabled correctly
• Added other Windows User Experience improvements, including fixes related to OneDrive removal and username validation

You can review the complete release history on the official Rufus GitHub releases page.

How to Download Rufus

1. Open the official Rufus website.
2. Scroll to the Download section.
3. Select the file that matches your Windows architecture.
4. Save the .exe file to your computer.
5. Double-click the executable to launch Rufus.
6. Approve the Windows security prompt if Windows displays one.

Rufus does not need a setup wizard. Once downloaded, the executable is ready to use.

The official Rufus executable is digitally signed. For versions 1.3.0 and later, the signature should identify Akeo Consulting.

How to Create a Bootable USB Drive with Rufus

Creating bootable media normally erases the selected USB drive. Back up any important files before starting.

1. Insert the USB flash drive.
2. Open Rufus.
3. Select the correct drive under Device.
4. Click SELECT.
5. Choose the ISO file you want to use.
6. Review the partition scheme and target system settings.
7. Choose a file system if Rufus does not select one automatically.
8. Click START.
9. Read the warning that the USB drive will be erased.
10. Confirm the operation.
11. Wait until Rufus reports that the process is complete.

When the process finishes, restart the target computer and select the USB drive from the boot menu.

GPT or MBR: Which Partition Scheme Should You Use?

The correct partition scheme depends on the target computer’s firmware.

GPT

Choose GPT for:

• Modern computers
• UEFI-based systems
• Most current Windows 10 and Windows 11 installations

MBR

Choose MBR for:

• Older computers
• Legacy BIOS systems
• Hardware that does not support UEFI booting

If you are creating installation media for a recent computer, GPT with UEFI is usually the correct choice. For older hardware, MBR may provide better compatibility.

Rufus Advanced Options

Depending on the ISO you select, Rufus may display additional options.

These can include:

• Partition scheme selection
• File system selection
• Cluster size configuration
• Windows installation customization
• Windows User Experience options
• Windows To Go support
• Persistent storage options for compatible Linux images
• Secure Boot and TPM-related installation choices

Do not change advanced settings unless you understand how they affect the target computer. The default settings are usually appropriate for standard installations.

Important Safety Tips

• Confirm the correct USB drive before clicking START.
• Back up the drive because Rufus will erase its contents.
• Download ISO files from the operating system developer or another trusted source.
• Do not disconnect the USB drive while Rufus is writing.
• Use a reliable USB drive for operating system installations.
• Re-download the ISO if Rufus reports an extraction or write error.
• Avoid unofficial Rufus installers that bundle advertising software or other programs.

If you are preparing a Windows installation USB because your computer has become slow, Cloudorian’s guide to Faster Startup on Windows 11 covers additional boot and firmware troubleshooting.

Common Rufus Problems and Fixes

Rufus Does Not Detect the USB Drive

Try these steps:

• Disconnect and reconnect the USB drive.
• Try another USB port.
• Test the drive on another computer.
• Try a different USB flash drive.
• Check Windows Disk Management.
• Confirm that the device is not physically write-protected.
• Restart Rufus with administrator privileges.

Some USB devices may be hidden by default. Rufus also provides advanced options for displaying removable drives, but use them carefully.

ISO Image Extraction Failure

An extraction error often means that the ISO is incomplete or corrupted.

Try the following:

1. Download the ISO again from the official source.
2. Check the file size against the publisher’s listed size.
3. Verify the checksum if one is provided.
4. Try another USB drive.
5. Confirm that the source ISO is not stored on the same USB drive you are formatting.

USB Write-Protection Error

Check whether the USB drive or SD card adapter has a physical lock switch. If it does, move the switch to the unlocked position.

If the problem continues, test another USB drive. Hardware-level failure cannot always be fixed with software.

The Computer Will Not Boot from the USB Drive

Check the following:

• The USB was created successfully.
• The computer’s boot menu is configured to start from USB.
• The partition scheme matches the computer’s firmware.
• Secure Boot settings are compatible with the ISO.
• Fast Boot is not blocking USB detection.
• The USB drive is connected directly instead of through an unreliable hub.

For broader Windows boot problems after installation, see Cloudorian’s guide on How to Fix Error Code 0xc0000185 on Windows.

Windows To Go or bcdboot Errors

Windows To Go and portable Windows installations can fail because of incompatible images, firmware settings, or boot configuration problems.

Update to the latest Rufus release first. If the problem involves Windows boot configuration after installation, use the troubleshooting steps in the Windows error code 0xc0000185 guide.

Fast Boot Prevents USB Booting

Fast Boot can prevent a computer from detecting USB devices during startup.

Try this:

1. Open Windows Settings.
2. Go to System.
3. Select Recovery.
4. Open Advanced startup.
5. Choose UEFI Firmware Settings.
6. Restart the computer.
7. Temporarily disable Fast Boot in the firmware settings.

You can also read How to Disable Fast Startup on Windows 10 for related Windows startup settings.

Rufus and Supported ISO Images

Rufus supports many types of bootable images, including:

• Windows installation images
• Debian
• Fedora
• Arch Linux
• AlmaLinux
• CentOS
• Rocky Linux
• Clonezilla
• Tails
• ReactOS
• Slackware
• Red Hat
• GParted and other recovery tools
• UEFI and firmware utilities
• DOS-based boot images

The official Rufus website provides a non-exhaustive list of ISO images known to work with the application.

Can Rufus Create an ISO File?

Rufus supports creating bootable USB media from ISO files. Creating an ISO from a physical disc or a collection of files generally requires a separate disc-image application, such as InfraRecorder or CDBurnerXP.

Is Rufus Free?

Yes. Rufus is free and open-source software released under the GNU General Public License version 3 or later.

The license allows you to:

• Use Rufus without paying
• Modify the source code
• Redistribute the software
• Sell copies, provided that you comply with the GPLv3 license

Rufus is developed transparently from publicly available source code.

Rufus Source Code

The Rufus source code is available on GitHub:

• Rufus source code
• Rufus GitHub releases
• Rufus FAQ

Developers can clone the repository with:

git clone https://github.com/pbatard/rufus