Forget Complex Formatting: Ventoy's Multi-System USB Boot Solution
Ventoy is an open-source bootable USB drive creation tool. With Ventoy, you no longer need to format your USB drive every time; simply copy ISO files directly to the USB drive to boot, eliminating other complex steps. The tool supports copying multiple ISO files simultaneously and provides a menu at boot time for you to select the system you need to start. Additionally, Ventoy is fully compatible with both Legacy BIOS and UEFI boot modes. To date, Ventoy has successfully tested over 11,000 ISO files and can almost boot any ISO file.
Use Cases
In traditional USB system installation solutions, every time you need to install a new system, you must format the USB drive and write the system .iso file into it. This means that every time you change the system, the USB drive needs to be reformatted and written with a new image file.
However, with Ventoy, this process is greatly simplified. You only need to format the USB drive once, after which you can store multiple operating systems, such as WinPE, Windows, Linux, etc., on the same USB drive. At boot time, you can select the required system from the menu to load. If you need to add a new system, simply copy the corresponding .iso file to the designated directory on the USB drive without reformatting it again. This not only saves time and effort but also greatly improves efficiency.
Ventoy Features
- 100% open source (License)
- Easy to use (User Guide)
- Fast (as fast as copying files)
- Boot directly from ISO files without extraction
- Seamless support for Legacy + UEFI modes
- UEFI mode supports Secure Boot (starting from version 1.0.07) [Details]
- Supports persistence (starting from version 1.0.11) [Details]
- Supports direct booting of WIM files (Legacy + UEFI) (1.0.12+) [Details]
- Supports automatic installation and deployment (1.0.09+) [Details]
- Supports ISO files larger than 4GB
- Retains the original boot menu style of ISO files (Legacy & UEFI)
- Supports most common operating systems
- Not just booting, but a complete installation process
- ISO file support list mode or directory tree mode display [Details]
- Proposes the concept of "Ventoy Compatible"
- Supports plugin extensions
- Supports USB write protection during the boot process
- Does not affect the daily normal use of the USB drive
- Data is not lost during version upgrades
- No need to upgrade Ventoy following OS upgrades
Installation and Usage
Download
Official download link: https://www.ventoy.net/cn/download.html
Using on Windows
Ventoy supports use on Windows and Linux operating systems, but macOS is not currently supported. Below is the usage guide for the Windows system.
After installing Ventoy, open the interface as shown below. You need to prepare a USB drive (please back up data in advance), select your USB drive, and click Install. Note: The first installation of Ventoy will format the USB drive, so please back up your data.
Then place your system image (.iso) in any directory on the USB drive. Ventoy will automatically traverse and find your system images. Set the USB drive as the first boot device in the BIOS, and you will see multiple boot options. To add other systems later, simply copy the system image to any directory on the USB drive.
User Experience
A previous blog post introduced another multi-system USB boot tool: WinSetupFromUSB Multi-System USB Boot Tool. However, that tool requires opening the software to write the image every time a new system is added, making it less convenient and simple than Ventoy. Currently, xiaoz has switched to Ventoy, which is both simple and convenient. For students who frequently need to install systems, Ventoy is an indispensable tool, and I recommend everyone to use it.
- Ventoy Official Website: https://www.ventoy.net/cn/index.html
- Project Address: https://github.com/ventoy/Ventoy