Short answer: In Rufus, look for the small arrow beside SELECT; its menu can switch to DOWNLOAD. If that arrow is missing, check the package, update setting and launch-time connection described below. You can also get an ISO directly from Microsoft and use SELECT. Do not press START or format a USB merely to restore a download option.
This guide concerns the ISO download control inside the Rufus application. If your problem is getting the Rufus executable from GitHub, use our ZIP versus EXE file-choice guide instead. If DOWNLOAD appears but an ISO transfer fails, record the actual error: that is a different symptom from a missing control.
Reviewed 12 October 2026 UTC: We read the publisher’s documentation and selected files in the Rufus 4.15 source archive. We did not run Rufus or a Fido script, download a Windows ISO, write a drive or test these steps on a PC.
Check the missing control before changing anything
The publisher FAQ describes SELECT as a split button in Rufus 3.5 and later. For the ordinary desktop package, its documented conditions include enabling Check for updates and reaching the remote script during application launch.
- Identify the package and version. Note whether you obtained the executable from rufus.ie or installed a Store package. Our Rufus file review helps identify the official Windows builds. Avoid mixing a website download button with the application’s ISO control.
- Choose whether you want the integrated download feature. In the ordinary desktop package, review Check for updates in Rufus settings. If you prefer to keep it disabled, use the local-ISO route below. If you enable it, close and reopen Rufus with connectivity available so its launch-time check can run.
- Separate internet access from application access. A working web browser alone does not establish that the application’s request succeeded. On a managed computer, ask the administrator to inspect the Rufus request or policy; do not turn off endpoint or network protection to reveal a button.
- Keep the symptom and log together. Record the version, package, whether SELECT has an arrow, and relevant Rufus log messages. Remove personal paths and identifying information before sharing a log. An ISO download error needs its own error-specific investigation.
What we observed in the selected 4.15 source
| Condition | Selected source observation | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Package and updates | SetFidoCheck stops when updates are disabled in a non-Store build. Store mode is exempt from that gate. | Identify the package before applying the desktop update-setting advice. |
| Windows PowerShell | The gate checks Windows PowerShell installation markers; the launcher uses the Windows PowerShell executable. | PowerShell 7 alone does not establish that this requirement is met. Use a local ISO or ask the Windows administrator to investigate the component. |
| Remote availability | CheckForFidoThread reads Fido.ver, checks the selected script URL, then enables the split control if it is downloadable. | Inspect startup connectivity rather than writing a drive to reveal the menu. |
This is a reading of selected source paths, not a runtime diagnosis of your computer. We are not recommending registry edits, execution-policy changes or copying an unknown script into an elevated shell.
Use an official ISO without the Rufus DOWNLOAD control
- Open Microsoft’s Windows 11 download page and use its Disk Image (ISO) section. It distinguishes x64 images from the linked Arm64 route. Choose the image for the destination computer, not merely the architecture of the Rufus executable.
- Save the ISO to the computer and compare its SHA-256 with Microsoft’s reference for the matching download and language. Its Verify your download section explains the comparison. A checksum for a Rufus EXE is a different file’s reference.
- In Rufus, use SELECT to choose that saved ISO. Selecting a file is separate from preparing or erasing a USB drive.
Keep a record of the image filename, language and source page so a later mismatch can be investigated against the correct file. Downloading an ISO does not establish upgrade eligibility, file-retention options or successful installation. For an upgrade offer that has not appeared, read our Windows update-offer checks.
| Your task | Next step |
|---|---|
| Get an ISO while keeping the integrated feature disabled | Use the OS publisher’s download route, then SELECT the saved image. |
| Prepare installation media after obtaining an image | Follow the image publisher’s instructions and our USB-tool task comparison. Back up the chosen drive elsewhere before writing. |
Our inspection and its limits
We read six relevant C/header entries inside the retained 4.15 source ZIP without extracting or executing them. The dated inspection receipt records archive and entry hashes and line references. These measurements identify inspected bytes; they do not prove compiled-executable equivalence or a security audit.
Why we do not repeat the FAQ’s memory-only assurance
In the selected net.c path, we observed a restricted temporary script file being written. We therefore do not describe this implementation as keeping the script only in memory.
The maintainer’s Fido-handling security advisory lists 4.12 as patched. Get the current official release rather than downgrading to restore a control. That advisory does not establish the cause of your missing button, and we did not reproduce its vulnerability or certify any release as completely safe.
Fido’s publisher README describes a PowerShell project for obtaining official Microsoft Windows ISO links. We did not test which images it currently offers. Reading Microsoft’s download page is not proof that Rufus offers the same release in its integrated menu.
