What is Rufus? Rufus is a free, open-source utility that helps format and create bootable USB flash drives. It’s lightweight (under 2 MB), extremely fast, and supports a wide range of operating systems — including Windows 7, 8, 10, 11, and various Linux distributions. Why Use Rufus for Windows 7 64-bit? Even though Windows 7 reached its end of support in January 2020, many users still rely on it for legacy hardware, specific software compatibility, or personal preference. Installing Windows 7 64-bit from a DVD is slow and often impractical (especially on modern PCs without optical drives). Rufus solves this by turning a standard USB stick into a bootable installation drive.