How to download Windows 10 ISO onto USB drive with Rufus

Rufus lets you download the ISO file and create a bootable USB flash drive to install any version of Windows 10, including Windows 8.1. Here's how to use the feature.

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@Pureinfotech
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Rufus Windows 10 ISO download
Rufus Windows 10 ISO download

Rufus is a free and lightweight tool designed to create a bootable USB flash drive to install Windows 10 on your computer. In previous versions, you had to provide the Windows 10 ISO to make a bootable media. However, you can now download the ISO file and prepare the bootable media within the experience, similar to the Microsoft Media Creation Tool.

However, unlike the Microsoft solution, Rufus creates a USB installation media and does it faster. You can even prepare a USB drive with an older version of Windows 10 (including Windows 8.1). 

In this guide, you will learn the steps to use Rufus to download the ISO file and create a bootable media to install Windows 10 from scratch.

How to use Rufus to download ISO and create bootable Windows 10 USB

To use Rufus to download the Windows 10 ISO file and create a bootable media, connect a USB flash drive with 8GB of space, and then use these steps:

  1. Open Rufus website.

  2. Under the “Download” section, click the link to download the latest version.

  3. Double-click the executable to launch the tool.

  4. Click the Settings button (third button from the left) a the bottom of the page.

    Rufus settings

  5. Under the “Settings” section, use the “Check for updates” drop-down menu and select the Daily option.

  6. Click the Close button.

  7. Click the Close button again.

  8. Open Rufus again.

  9. (Optional) Under the “Device” section, use the drop-down menu and select the USB drive to create the installation media.

  10. Under the “Boot selection” section, use the drop-down menu and select the Disk or ISO image option.

  11. Click the down-arrow button (on the right side) and select the Download option.

    Rufus ISO download option

  12. Click the Download button.

  13. Select the Windows 10 option.

  14. Click the Continue button.

  15. Under the “Release” section, select the Windows 10 ISO you want to download. For example, 22H2 (Build 19045.xxx – 2022.xx) downloads the version 21H2 ISO file.

    Rufus Windows 11 ISO download

  16. Click the Continue button.

  17. Select the Windows 10 Home/Pro option.

  18. Click the Continue button.

  19. Select the language of Windows 10.

  20. Click the Continue button.

  21. Select the operating system architecture. (Usually, you want to select x64.)

  22. Click the Download button.

  23. Select the location to save the Windows 10 ISO file automatically.

  24. (Optional) If you connected a USB flash drive to create a bootable media, continue with the default settings after downloading.

  25. Click the Start button.

  26. Click the OK button to skip the customization options.

Once you complete the steps, you can use the bootable USB flash drive to install Windows 10 using a clean or in-place upgrade installation.

About the author
Avatar for Mauro Huculak

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].