Rufus
Free 1.9 MB Windows tool that writes ISOs to bootable USB drives
Download Windows and operating system tools
Searching for a way to download Windows usually leads to one of two places: Microsoft's own download pages, or a tool that turns an image into something you can boot. This category covers that second group, plus the Linux side of things. The eight apps include USB writers such as Rufus and Ventoy, WSL with its Ubuntu and Debian distributions, VirtualBox, and imagers for SD cards.
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All eight are free. The most useful dividing line is the job each one does. A USB writer prepares an install drive, a virtual machine runs a second system inside a window, and WSL runs Linux next to Windows without a separate VM. Size and licensing help sort them further: Rufus weighs 1.9 MB, while balenaEtcher is 261.5 MB. Windows images should come from Microsoft, and Linux images from the distribution's own site.
Apps in this category
balenaEtcher
Free Windows flasher that verifies every byte written to USB and SD media
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
Free Ubuntu 24.04 LTS terminal for Windows 10+, run through WSL
Ventoy
Free open source tool that boots many ISO and WIM files from one USB drive
Debian
Free Debian 1.12.2.0 command line for Windows 10 through WSL, 166.9 MB
Oracle VirtualBox
Free GPL-3.0 virtual machine software for x86_64, version 7.2.22 on Windows
Windows Subsystem for Linux
Free Microsoft tool that runs Linux on Windows 10 without dual booting
Raspberry Pi Imager
Free Windows tool that writes Raspberry Pi OS to a microSD card
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Top 5 picks
Rufus
Rufus formats USB drives and builds bootable ones from ISO files, covering BIOS and UEFI layouts as well as FreeDOS or MS-DOS drives. Version 4.15 was updated on June 30, 2026. At 1.9 MB and under the GPL-3.0-or-later license, it is the lightest way to prepare Windows install media.
Ventoy
Ventoy takes a different route to the bootable drive. You set up the USB stick once, then copy ISO, WIM, IMG, VHD(x) or EFI files onto it, and a boot menu lets you choose between them. Version 1.1.18 arrived on October 9, 2026, and it supports several UEFI and legacy BIOS setups.
Windows Subsystem for Linux
WSL comes from Microsoft and runs a Linux environment on a Windows machine without a separate virtual machine or dual booting. Version 2.7.14 was updated on September 11, 2026, and the MIT-licensed download is 247 MB. It suits developers who need Windows and Linux tools at the same time.
Oracle VirtualBox
VirtualBox is full virtualization software for x86_64 hardware, with version 7.1 adding macOS on Arm. Version 7.2.22 was updated on October 20, 2026. It runs on Linux, Windows, macOS and Solaris, and is known for flexible networking setup. Choose it when you want a complete second system in a window.
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS from Canonical installs a full terminal environment through WSL. It includes bash, ssh, git, apt, npm and pip, handles Docker containers, and supports NVIDIA CUDA for AI and machine learning work. The download is 667.4 MB and free. It needs WSL, so set that up first.
Questions and answers
Does this category include Windows installation files?
No. The apps here prepare, run or flash operating systems rather than supply Windows itself. For a Windows ISO or installer, use Microsoft's official download pages, and take Linux images from each distribution's own site.
What is the difference between Rufus and Ventoy?
Rufus formats a drive and writes a single image to it, with options for BIOS, UEFI and DOS drives. Ventoy prepares the drive once, then lets you copy several image files onto it and pick one from a boot menu at startup.
Do I need a virtual machine to run Linux on Windows?
Not always. Windows Subsystem for Linux runs a Linux environment on Windows without a separate virtual machine or dual booting. Ubuntu 24.04 LTS and Debian are distributions that run on top of it. VirtualBox is the option when you want a full virtual machine.
Related categories
Best-of lists
Before you download anything, decide what you need to end up with: a bootable install drive, a Linux command line, or a full virtual machine. That choice narrows the list to two or three apps right away. Check the version and update date on each page too. Ubuntu 24.04 LTS dates from April 25, 2024, and Debian from October 16, 2024, while Rufus, Ventoy and VirtualBox were updated in 2026. If WSL is new to you, enable it first, since the Debian app needs it and your device administrator may have to switch it on.