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How to Create a UEFI Bootable Memtest USB Drive

This article explains how to download the UEFI-compatible memtest.efi binary and copy it to a USB flash drive in Windows, setting it up as /EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI so that the drive will boot Memtest on UEFI-based systems.



📋 Prerequisites


  • A USB flash drive (at least 16 MB) formatted as FAT32
  • A Windows PC with UEFI firmware (no Legacy/CSM boot mode)
  • Administrator privileges on the Windows PC
  • Internet access to download the memtest.efi file



🔽 1. Download the memtest.efi Binary


  1. On your Windows PC, open a web browser and go to the Memtest86+ EFI Binary Downloadspage.
  2. Find the latest release (e.g., v6.10) and click to download the memtest.efi file.


  • The file is typically named memtest.efi or uefi-memtest.efi.
  1. Save the file to your Downloads folder (e.g., C:\Users\YourName\Downloads).



💾 2. Format the USB Flash Drive as FAT32 in Windows


Caution: This will erase all data on the USB drive. Back up any important files first.


  1. Insert the USB flash drive into a USB port on your Windows PC.
  2. Open File Explorer and right-click on the USB drive letter (e.g., E:).
  3. Select Format… from the context menu.
  4. In the Format dialog:


  • Set File system to FAT32.
  • Leave Allocation unit size as Default.
  • Optionally set Volume label to MEMTEST.
  • Ensure Quick Format is checked.
  1. Click Start, then OK to confirm. Wait for the format to complete and click OK again.



⚙️ 3. Create the UEFI Boot Directory Structure


  1. In File Explorer, open the formatted USB drive (e.g., E:).
  2. Create a new folder named EFI in the root of the USB drive.
  3. Inside the EFI folder, create another folder named BOOT.


The resulting path should look like:


E:\EFI\BOOT



📂 4. Copy and Rename memtest.efi


  1. In File Explorer, navigate to your Downloads folder where you saved memtest.efi.
  2. Drag and drop memtest.efi into the E:\EFI\BOOT folder on your USB drive.
  3. Right-click the copied file in E:\EFI\BOOT and select Rename.
  4. Rename it to BOOTX64.EFI and press Enter.



🚀 5. Safely Eject and Boot Memtest


  1. In File Explorer, right-click the USB drive and choose Eject.
  2. Insert the USB drive into the UEFI-based computer you want to test.
  3. Power on the system and enter the UEFI/BIOS boot menu (often F12, Esc, F10, or F2).
  4. Select the USB drive entry (typically labeled UEFI: ).
  5. The system should boot directly into Memtest and begin memory diagnostics.



🛠️ Troubleshooting


Issue

Solution

USB not shown in boot menu

Ensure the drive is formatted FAT32 and the path is \EFI\BOOT\BOOTX64.EFI. Disable Secure Boot if it blocks unsigned binaries.

Memtest does not launch after selecting USB

Confirm the file is exactly named BOOTX64.EFI (case-sensitive). Try recreating the directory structure or using a different USB port or drive.

Memory test errors or hang

Update your UEFI firmware and try a newer or older version of the memtest.efi binary.



🔗 References


Updated on: 10/12/2025

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