Unetbootin: The 3 best alternatives

The popular tool Unetbootin creates bootable USB sticks with any operating system at the push of a button. However, there are alternative programs that are sometimes even easier to use. We present three free applications.

Rufus: Tidy design and portable version

• The freeware Rufus turns out to be a serious competitor of Unetbootin. The tool is clearly structured and works quickly and reliably.
• If you use the program under Windows 8 or higher, you can also use it to create a "WindowsToGo" stick. We have put together the most important information for you in this overview.
• Rufus is also available as a portable version without installation.

Win32 Disk Imager: The simple open source application

• The Win32 Disk Imager has a very minimalist design: Here you select the corresponding image file (ISO or IMG) and determine the target directory. The tool then creates the bootable stick independently.
• However, you should not forget that this will overwrite all data on the USB stick. After writing, the stick can no longer be read in normal Windows Explorer. You can undo this by removing the boot files with quick formatting.

Alternative for Windows users: Media Creation Tool

• If you want to create a bootable stick with a current version of Windows, Microsoft itself offers the optimal tool for it.
• You can download the Media Creation Tool for different versions of Windows.
• After installation, select the specific Windows version (32 bit or 64 bit) and the language again. You also determine whether the new Windows version should be installed directly on the running computer or whether you want to use it to create a bootable stick.
• The Creation Tool then automatically downloads the required files and writes them to the USB stick. The program is particularly easy to use.

To boot from a stick, you usually have to change the boot order in the BIOS. We explain how this works on the next page.