- BalenaEtcher (alias Etcher): Burn OS image to a USB drive - Fri, May 26 2023
Many other software products on the market perform the same function, but the real novelty of BalenaEtcher is the development of low-level software, such as writing to block devices, with a framework developed for web technologies. The programming language used is TypeScript in combination with the Electron framework, which was also used to create Teams, Visual Studio Code, and other well-known products.
Download and install Etcher
Before we begin, some general advice: always make sure that the software you download and install comes from a reliable source. BalenaEtcher is available on many unofficial websites, many of which offer only fake versions that could contain malware.
The download size is 151 MB, a significant size due to the integrated Electron framework. For comparison, the alternative tool, Rufus, has a size of 1.5 MB, 100 times smaller.
Etcher's installation process is straightforward: just one click to approve the license, and the application installs and starts automatically within a few seconds.
The BalenaEtcher user interface
The application does not install in the usual Programs directory, but in the user profile directory (C:\Users\<UserProfileName>\AppData\Local\Programs\balena-etcher) to avoid requesting administrative privileges during installation.
The graphical interface is clean and tidy. There are two icons in the top-right corner. A click on the question mark opens a nonexistent web page, but the program is so easy to use that it doesn't require any particular help.
The BalenaEtcher help page is unvaiable
The gear icon opens a setup page, which includes the buttons needed to control the shipment of anonymous usage statistics, automatic updates, and the trimming function to reduce unallocated space when copying EXT partition types.
The BalenaEtcher settings
Testing BalenaEtcher
To test the tool, I chose to write the ISO image of the latest stable distribution of the Linux Debian operating system onto a USB key. To start the writing process, insert a USB key, click the Flash from file button, and select the ISO to be written.
Selecting the ISO image
Then, click Select target to choose the destination (you can also select more than one). If there is only one external device connected (in our case, the USB drive), it will be preselected; otherwise, we will have to choose which one to use.
Selecting the destination
Now the software is ready. To start the writing process, just click the Flash button. You will receive a UAC popup from Windows asking you to authorize the Windows command processor to run a batch file.
BalenaEtcher requires a UAC prompt
If you deny permission, the writing process will fail. The request for elevated administrative privileges is quite debatable, as is the use of batch files. You will have to trust that the execution will not damage your computer.
BalenaEtcher starts flashing the drive
After a few minutes of waiting and a verification step of the transferred image, the writing process is completed. Now, you can release the USB drive and test the burned OS image.
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BalenaEtcher completed flashing the drive
Conclusion
The main advantage of Etcher is that it is an easy-to-use tool for burning OS images. The fact that you can select multiple destinations is a plus. However, the required disk space is significantly higher compared to similar tools. In forums, you will find many discussions about unresolved bugs, and the requirement for administrative privileges is problematic. Overall, BalenaEtcher does its job. However, more feature-rich OS flashing tools exist that allow you to burn less common OS image formats.
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I always recommend rufus instead of etcher because it has a portable version and you can adjust a lot of parameters in case it won’t boot with the default.
http://rufus.ie/en/
I’m not sure how Mr. Maggioni got this application to work, but when I ran it on my Windows 11 computer (specs below) it ran, but left me with a USB stick without formatting. If I tried to examine the contents of the stick Windows would tell me “You need to format the disk in drive E before you can use it.” I tried it twice – once with a Windows 11 ISO downloaded from Microsoft, and once using the download link from Microsoft. Same results.
I use Etcher on Ubuntu frequently and it works well. You may have downloaded the app from the wrong website. The correct website is etcher.balena.io. The other site could be a bad actor. There, you download from a GitHub site that is not Balena.
Lately, clone websites of widely used programs have been proliferating, especially among those that promise to do everything on their own, making them suitable for less experienced users who are more easily deceived. As I mention in the article, the official website is: https://etcher.balena.io
To test the software, I used a freshly installed copy of Windows 11 with the latest updates. Without further information, I couldn’t tell you more, but I can suggest trying to format the key using Windows to verify its integrity. It could also be a problem with the Etcher software, as I mention in the article, it seems a bit behind on bug fixes
I have just read this article, and I’m surprised nothing is mentioned about implementing the ability to make persistent partitions by Etcher. As I went thru the web, many users were crying about that.
Today I downloaded and installed Etcher, and there you go… 😀 My ISO file went thru the program and I’ve got a bootable Persistent Live USB 😀
Sounds an interesting feature. Thanks Mark Z, I will try it!
Hi Mark,
If I understand correctly, you are talking about creating a USB disk/key containing a Live operating system, which means a USB-bootable system that loads into RAM and saves changes to a persistent partition. If the premise is correct, whether it is Live or not does not depend on Balena but on the source ISO. Etcher, including similar software, does not have the capability to transform a “static” ISO into a “Live” one because it is the source ISO and the operating system contained within it that are configured to be Live.
Hi Massimo,
Yes, your understanding of my text above is correct. And I thought by the time until I read your message that BalenaEtcher, Rufus, mkusb, UNetbootin, etc. do this magic of making Live and persistent partitions from an ISO 😀 😀 😀
Well, I never went to computer classes, and my knowledge of computers has been learned on and off. That’s how it is often when someone knows by learning his own way.
And what I had put thru Etcher last night was a Linux Kodachi OS ISO.
BTW: sorry, Paolo for misleading you.