Where Does Rufus Store Settings?
Rufus portable ini versus registry settings, and what the p in the filename actually controls.
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Rufus has no installer and one rule: rufus.ini beside the exe means portable settings, no ini means the registry (HKCU Akeo Consulting Rufus). Even an empty ini file flips the switch, and the p builds simply create it by default.
The exes are otherwise binary identical, so any copy goes portable by adding the file. Copy exe plus ini to a new PC to carry language, update checks and preserved options. Portable still touches the registry for system duties (autorun policy and friends); portability means your settings travel, not that Windows stays pristine.
Where Rufus stores this, by platform
<exe-dir>\rufus.ini
Portable settings beside the exe (empty file suffices; p builds ship it). Without ini, settings live in HKCU\Software\Akeo Consulting\Rufus, shared across copies in different folders. Windows only; single exe, no installer.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make Rufus portable?
Place an empty rufus.ini next to rufus.exe (or download the p build). Settings then travel with those two files to any PC with no registry dependency for options.
Where are Rufus settings without rufus.ini?
In HKCU\Software\Akeo Consulting\Rufus. All copies on that account share those values until an ini beside one of them opts that copy out.
Notice an outdated path? Let us know.