Win64 Disk Imager

After writing a Linux image (like a Raspberry Pi OS), your 16GB USB drive might show up as only 60MB in Windows. This is normal. The image creates specific partitions that Windows cannot read. To restore the drive to full capacity, use the built-in Windows Disk Management tool to delete all partitions on the USB drive and create a new, simple volume.

Are you looking to across multiple drives?

Flashing a drive overwrites all existing data permanently. Follow these steps carefully to ensure a successful write operation. Step 1: Prepare the Media win64 disk imager

Writes standard .img files directly to USB drives, SD cards, and CF cards.

Select the target drive letter from the dropdown menu. After writing a Linux image (like a Raspberry

While tools like Rufus are excellent for creating Windows installation media, Win32 Disk Imager remains the go-to choice for specific tasks:

If your SD card contains a Linux file system (like an existing Raspberry Pi OS installation), Windows may fail to assign it a standard drive letter. To restore the drive to full capacity, use

Verdict: Win64 Disk Imager is by Etcher for writing and by USBImager for backup+write.

(Optional) Check the box for your preferred hash algorithm (e.g., SHA-256) to verify file integrity. Click the button at the bottom of the window.

Don't let its size fool you. The tool is packed with essential features. The entire program, often available as a portable executable, is incredibly lightweight, typically around 12 MB or less, and has a negligible memory footprint.

💡 Always use the Verify feature after writing an image. It takes a few extra minutes but prevents "mystery bugs" caused by corrupted data.