When it comes to writing ISO images to pendrives, memory cards, and removable disks, our favorite tool is Rufus. Its advanced profile lets us tweak various settings and even modify the latest versions of Windows. However, that same advanced profile is not entirely appropriate for most users, and that is where balenaEtcher comes in. With a pleasant interface and a total of three steps to follow, balenaEtcher aims to simplify the flashing process to its absolute minimum.

Writing operating system images to pendrives and memory cards is not something exclusive to advanced environments or maintenance sessions. Many devices require this process for basic operation, such as the Raspberry Pi and other similar mini computers. Beyond the official solutions available, it is always a good idea to have alternatives in case something fails, and that leads us to balenaEtcher, originally known as Etcher.

How to Flash Operating Systems to USB Drives and SD Cards with balenaEtcher

balenaEtcher: Another Way to Write Images to USB Drives and SD Cards
The balenaEtcher interface opts for simplicity.

balenaEtcher has versions compatible with Windows, Linux, and macOS. Personally, I recommend downloading the portable Windows build, which has no major dependencies. The first step is actually an action center: We can write an image from a file, do the same from a URL, or clone drives. Then, we must choose the drive that will receive the data. balenaEtcher hides hard drives and other system units, so the risk of accidentally erasing files is very low.

balenaEtcher: Another Way to Write Images to USB Drives and SD Cards
Disks are hidden by default.
balenaEtcher: Another Way to Write Images to USB Drives and SD Cards
balenaEtcher introduces a bit of advertising, but it's nothing severe.

Finally, we reach the flashing phase itself. It is possible that balenaEtcher asks for permission to run commands in the Windows console, but this clears previous partitions on the pendrive. The rest depends on how large the image to be burned is, and the natural speed of the device.

balenaEtcher: Another Way to Write Images to USB Drives and SD Cards
The flash finished, but Bodhi Linux didn't work...
balenaEtcher: Another Way to Write Images to USB Drives and SD Cards
Literal: balenaEtcher recommends Rufus for writing Windows images.

Now, balenaEtcher is very easy to use, but that doesn't make it 100 percent appropriate for every case. The program warns that Windows images require special treatment, and that can cause an incorrect flash, so it directly suggests using Rufus or something similar. Another possibility is that the image is not compatible. For example, flashing Bodhi Linux completes correctly, but when viewing the contents of the pendrive, all I found was free space. In any case, I recommend keeping a copy of balenaEtcher. Rufus isn't perfect either…

Official site and download: Click here