Is rufus software safe? (Solved) - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Picuino
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 20, 2025, 05:46:06 pm
content: Is the rufus software safe to create a bootable usb from the Windows 11 image downloaded from Microsoft?I want to install Win 11 on an old computer and I know that rufus allows to skip TPM and memory checks, but is this safe?Does rufus have any built-in malware?https://rufus.ie/en/https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows11

author: RoGeorge
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 20, 2025, 08:20:32 pm
content: Rufus should be OK (unless you download it from shoddy websites). Back when I was still using it, never have had any problems with Rufus.However, there is no such thing as "safe software".No matter the company, no matter the website, and no matter which software product you use (free, payed or even military grade), it is always wise to think about software as being NOT safe. Saying this about any software, in general (not only about Rufus), and saying this because of the countless software vulnerabilities and bugs discovered every day. Software nowadays is so complex that nobody can fully audit and guaranty for it to have zero vulnerabilities.Safety, in general, is just an illusion, never a guarantee, and not only in software.

author: Picuino
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 20, 2025, 10:29:18 pm
content: I agree. The problem is to look for the “less unsafe”.Windows 10 is going to stop receiving security updates from October and continuing with that system is going to be a real risk.https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/end-of-supporthttps://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-11-specifications

author: richnormand
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 20, 2025, 10:38:58 pm
content: Downloaded from website to create a USB stick that install Win11 on machines that do not qualify.No issues at all, works great.

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 20, 2025, 11:51:39 pm
content: Download from theofficial site, and if you are worried you can test here:https://www.virustotal.com/gui/

author: David Hess
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 21, 2025, 12:40:06 am
content: I have never had a problem with Rufus. Download it from the official site.Quote from: RoGeorge on June 20, 2025, 08:20:32 pmAlways practice safe hex.

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 21, 2025, 12:34:34 pm
content: As others have pointed out, use Rufus from official sources. I've used it for many years and consider it to be trustworthy to-date.

author: Haenk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2025, 03:19:13 pm
content: I too used it for many years, and had no issues (downloaded from official site, of course...).

author: Picuino
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2025, 08:19:33 pm
content: Thank you all. I will use it to create a bootable USB to install Windows 11.

author: Zucca
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 26, 2025, 01:26:23 am
content: I would be more worried about Windows than Rufus.Anyway I also never had a problem in many years, I consider it the number one choice for image to usb.Even better than Ventoy for reliability.

author: coromonadalix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2025, 02:23:58 pm
content: Quote from: Zucca on June 26, 2025, 01:26:23 amsame here from official source, never had any problems with itsurely microsoft may or will flag it as bad, 24h2 became an huge nuisance to block known program(s) and drivers fro simply working, even if they where good on earlier builds. you'll only get an exclamation mark, nothing else will work if M$oft still hate it, until you check core isolation and other things

author: bitwelder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 30, 2025, 12:00:28 pm
content: Besides, Rufus is open sourced so potentially you can download its source from github, verify that the code that doesn't do anything nefarious or connect to unwanted locations, and compile it yourself.

author: kmoonwalker
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 02, 2025, 03:53:49 am
content: Quote from: coromonadalix on June 27, 2025, 02:23:58 pmtrick is to install 23h2 then upgrade so no crappy ai thingsalso 24h2 is not that bad given you remove copilot, disable some things etc but still 23h2 upgraded to 24h2 works smoother than 24h2 tuned (at least for me)MS removed a lot of drivers from their archive and they will do more of this so it is good to download for some older, problematic hardware before it is gone

author: paulca
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2025, 10:35:43 am
content: When I had to do the same I spend a few hours with Linux land ISO tools.Don't.What Microsoft call "Windows10.ISO" is not an ISO, not a normal one anyway. It's more like a wrapped virtual FS.ISO tools will unwrap it and write it to the disk as an iso.xxxx filesystem. The "ISO" M$ give you does something quite different. It has a bootloader which then unpacks the contents of the "ISO".So... I ended up back with rufus, just to get it done.There may be ways to make it work with normal dd, loopback mount, etc. Knowing it's not an ISO, but rufus does mean dealing with Windows random .exe's off the internet, it does at least work.EDIT: Given the Windows 10 Architecture, the "ISO" is likely a "Supervisor" bootloader and a Windows10 Installer ISO disk image or similar. Default linux FS tools only seem to see the disk image.