Flashing OS images to CD/DVD or USB flash drive could be rather annoying and overwhelming for those people who are not confident with their computer skills, so numerous people would head to a tool that would automatically do all the work for them. In this case, balenaEtcher is the clear winner in this category, striding out into first place from the get-go. In this article we will share a lot more details about balenaEtcher, answering frequently asked questions, illustrating the steps to use the software, and introducing a great alternative to the program.
Part 1. What Does Balena Etcher Do?
You may want to further learn more about balenaEtcher if it is the first time you hear or use balenaEtcher. Let’s put it simply, when you would like to install an operating system, let’s say Windows operating system, you will probably need to visit the Windows official website, search for the OS version you would like to install (including the version, languages, build, etc.), and download it, and burn the image into the installation media. The process can be long and bring, and you may make some mistakes during the process.
However, with balenaEtcher, forget all these steps because balenaEtcher will guide you to perform and do all the work for you. You can simple click some buttons and balenaEtcher will help you download the operating system, and burn the OS image into CD/DVD or USB flash drives.
Furthermore, balenaEtcher allows you to download and install in Windows, Mac, and Linux, which means that you can work across multiple platforms. Another huge advantages of saving your time to search the OS from various websites, isn’t it?!
Part 2. Is BalenaEtcher Safe?
Is balenaEtcher safe to use? This would be one of the most frequently-asked questions. As a matter of fact, balenaEtcher is definitely safe to use. We have downloaded and installed the application on our computer, and it runs smoothly without any malware or ads. In addition, no viruses are detected by the antivirus programs. Plus the software comes with an official website that is designed and maintained professionally. Therefore, you are rest assured to use balenaEtcher on your own. It is safe.
Part 3. Goods and Bads of BalenaEtcher
The advantages of balenaEtcher are quite obvious, and all these goods make balenaEtcher standing out among all the competitors. For all of its advantages, balenaEtcher is something of a double-edged sword. It has its own drawbacks.
- You are allowed to burn the installation OS into SD cards and USB flash drives, which is quite convenient.
- With a modern and intuitive user interface, balenaEtcher becomes simply to learn and use, even for beginners.
- balenaEtcher downloads and burns the OS image in a fast speed, and even faster than any other ISO burner tools. You won’t have to wait for a while to finish your work.
- It won’t allow you to configure as much as you want when download OS images and burning, so flexibility would be a dilemma.
- The software does not display the local drives when you choose the destination to burn.
- balenaEtcher only supports a few image file formats. So if you want more file formats to select, you will need to choose another program instead of balenaEtcher.
- balenaEtcher is only available in Windows, Mac, and Linux. It can't be used on iOS and Android devices.
Part 4. How Do I Download BalenaEtcher
To download balenaEtcher, simply go to the balenaEtcher website, click the download button. The website will automatically detect your operating system, but you are free to choose the installation file for different operating systems. After downloading, double click the downloaded file, and follow the prompts to install it. And that’s pretty much it.
Part 5. How to Use BalenaEtcher on Windows?
Now let’s cut to the chase and show you step by step how to use BalenaEtcher on Windows:
Step 1: Assuming that you have downloaded and installed the program in Windows. If you haven’t, you will download the software by visiting the website, and install it.
Step 2: Launch the program in your Windows computer.
Step 3: Insert the SD card or USB flash drive into your Windows computer, and make sure it is connected properly.
Step 4: Back to the main interface of balenaEtcher, and then click Select image, and then choose the image that you want to burn. BalenaEtcher supports image formats such as BIN, ISO, DMG, and IMG, and these are usually the most-used formats.
Step 5: Then click on Change, and you can choose the SD card or USB flash drive that you just inserted. And click Continue.
Step 6: Now simply click on the Flash button, and the program will start flashing. And you are good to go.
The program will show you how the flashing and validating goes. You can get it all done when you see Flash Complete. The whole process only takes you 2 minutes.
Part 6. BalenaEtcher Alternative – PassFab for ISO
Here comes the best BalenaEtcher alternative - PassFab for ISO. It is a fantastic tool to burn Windows ISO to bootable CD/DVD/USB, and there isn’t much in it between balenaEtcher and PassFab for ISO. PassFab for ISO deals with the burning process in a fast speed, and it won’t mess up resulting in corruption or something like that, and it also features with an easy-to-use interface, and it is a three-step program as well.
- Step 1: Download and install PassFab for ISO from the official website, and launch the program.
- Step 2: Choose the OS version that you would like to burn, and click Download. Or click Import Local ISO to import the OS image.
- Step 3: Now insert the CD/DVD or USB flash drive into your computer, and then select the desired device in PassFab for ISO, and click Burn.
- Step 4: You will receive a warning saying that this will erase the data in the selected device, confirm it and continue.
- Step 5: Then the program will start burning. All you need to do is wait for the process to complete.
Still confused about how to use PassFab for ISO? Here is a video tutorial that you can learn:
Bottom Line
That’s pretty much it. Hopefully this balenaEtcher review helps you know better about this program, and you will have you own answers when it comes to questions like “is balenaEtcher safe?” or “what are goods and bads of balenaEtcher?” or “How to use balenaEtcher in Windows?”. And we have introduced one of the best balenaEtcher alternatives - PassFab for ISO. It is an effective ISO editor to download and burn Windows ISO to bootable CD/DVD/USB. Go and give it a shot!
- Support Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7, etc.
- Support USB of various brands, such as SanDisk, Kingston, etc.
- Support burning ISO to USB flash drive, CD or DVD-ROM
- Support GPT and MBR partition types