<p>We [[stopped recommending|news/rufus]] <i>balenaEtcher</i> to install Tails
from Windows in 2025 because <i>balenaEtcher</i> shares [[!tails_ticket 16381
desc="sensitive information"]] to the Balena company that allows identifying
who is installing Tails.</p>

</div>

<h1 id="install" class="step">Install <span class="upgrade">an intermediary</span> Tails using <i>Rufus</i></h1>

Open the *Rufus* download.

At the security warning, confirm that you want to open *Rufus*.

In the update policy dialog, click **No**.

*Rufus* starts.

Plug in the USB stick on which you want to install <span class="usb">Tails.</span> <span class="upgrade">the intermediary Tails.</span>

<div class="caution"><p>All the data on this USB stick will be lost.</p></div>

<div class="note upgrade"><p>The Persistent Storage of your Tails USB stick will not be
copied to the temporary Tails.</p></div>

Wait a few seconds until *Rufus* detects your USB stick.

Choose your USB stick in the **Device** menu.

If your USB stick doesn't appear in the **Device** menu, make sure that you
saved *Rufus* to your usual *Downloads* folder and not to the USB stick
itself.

Click the **Select** button.

Choose the USB image that you downloaded earlier.

<div class="note">
<p>Make sure that the USB image is called <i>[[!inline pages="inc/stable_amd64_img_filename" raw="yes" sort="age"]]</i> and has an
<i>.img</i> file extension.</p>

<p>If the image has an <i>.iso</i> file
extension, it is the wrong image. Please go back to the
<span class="windows">[[download step|windows#download]].</span>
<span class="upgrade-windows">[[download step|upgrade/windows#download]].</span></p>
</div>

Click **Start**.

Enter your password if you are asked for it.

The installation takes a few minutes.