AfterFormat

Rufus

Open source

Pete Batard

Category
System tools
Version
4.15
Size
~2 MB
Licence terms
Open source (GPL v3) · free for personal and business use
Supported OS
Windows 11 · 10
Install method
Automatic install supported
Developer
Pete Batard
Download Add to install list

This links to Pete Batard’s own download source. AfterFormat neither stores nor modifies installer files.

What it is

An open-source tool by Pete Batard for creating bootable USB drives. It writes a Windows ISO to a USB stick to make installation media, faster and with more options than Microsoft’s own tool. It is a single executable with nothing to install.

When to pick this

When you need to build a Windows installation USB in order to reformat. This is a tool you need before the reformat, not after.

Details

Bypass Windows 11 requirements

It can build installation media that skips the TPM 2.0, Secure Boot and 4GB RAM requirements — used to install Windows 11 on older machines that do not qualify.

Skip the online account

It can configure the installer to skip the Microsoft account sign-in step and set up a local account instead.

No installation

Run the downloaded file as-is. Convenient because you build the USB on a different PC from the one you are about to wipe.

Distribution

winget ID
Rufus.Rufus
Redistribution policy
Open source licence
Last checked
2026-09-09

Contact us

Without it we cannot write back.