Rufus 4 is out with improvements, default 64-bit executable and no Windows 7 support

Pete Buttard has released an important update to his popular tool Rufus, an app used to create bootable USB drives and bypass Windows 11’s hardware requirements and software problems. Version 4.0 is now available for download from the official website and GitHub with fixes, improvements and other notable under-the-hood changes.

Rufus 4 is the first update to drop Windows 7 (previously Rufus 3.22 dropped ISO downloads on Windows 7). From now on, creating bootable USB drives with Rufus requires Windows 8, 8.1, 10, or 11. Also, the app is now a default 64-bit executable, but x86 and ARM versions are still available for download. Finally, the developer says that older versions of Rufus are unable to update properly, so the jump from version 3 to 4 has been made.

Here is the full changelog for Rufus 4.0:

• Fix permanent distribution not working with Ubuntu 23.04.

• Fix range pointer error with Ubuntu 23.04 when booting in BIOS mode.

• Fix boot freezes with Ubuntu Studio when Secure Boot is enabled.

• Fix incorrect architecture detection when checking for updates.

• Fix Windows Store application crash when processing GRUB bootloaders.

• Fix Windows Store application crash when counting processes that contain a % sign.

• Fix Windows Store application crash when using German localization.

You can download Rufus 4.0 for free from Navon, or From the official website or GitHub. The app is open source, so any skilled developer can clone the project to improve it and offer patches, fixes and new features.

It’s worth noting that Rufus isn’t the only app you can use for bootable USB drives. Ventoy offers similar capabilities with frequent updates that provide new features and improvements. You can also consider WinToUSB.