# Ventoy — Create Bootable USB Drives with Multiple ISOs

> Ventoy is an open-source tool that lets you create a bootable USB drive for ISO, WIM, IMG, VHD, and EFI files. Simply copy image files to the USB drive and boot from them directly without reformatting.

## Install

Save as a script file and run:

# Ventoy — Create Bootable USB Drives with Multiple ISOs

## Quick Use
```bash
# Download the latest release from GitHub
# Linux:
wget https://github.com/ventoy/Ventoy/releases/download/v1.1.05/ventoy-1.1.05-linux.tar.gz
tar xzf ventoy-1.1.05-linux.tar.gz
cd ventoy-1.1.05
sudo sh Ventoy2Disk.sh -i /dev/sdX
# Then copy any .iso files to the USB drive
cp ~/Downloads/ubuntu-24.04.iso /mnt/ventoy/
```

## Introduction
Ventoy eliminates the tedious cycle of formatting USB drives every time you need a different bootable image. Instead of writing one ISO at a time, you install Ventoy once on a USB stick and then simply copy as many ISO, WIM, IMG, VHD, or EFI files as your drive can hold. On boot, Ventoy presents a menu to choose which image to start.

## What Ventoy Does
- Boots ISO/WIM/IMG/VHD/EFI files directly without extraction or reformatting
- Supports multiple image files on a single USB drive simultaneously
- Works with both Legacy BIOS and UEFI Secure Boot
- Handles images larger than 4 GB on FAT32 via automatic file splitting
- Supports persistence for live Linux distributions across reboots

## Architecture Overview
Ventoy installs a custom bootloader into the first partition of the USB drive and creates a second exFAT or FAT32 data partition for storing image files. At boot time, the Ventoy bootloader scans the data partition, builds a menu of all recognized image files, and uses direct disk mapping to boot the selected image without unpacking it. The bootloader supports both Legacy BIOS (via GRUB-like chain) and UEFI (with its own signed EFI binary for Secure Boot).

## Self-Hosting & Configuration
- Download the installer from the GitHub releases page for Linux, Windows, or LiveCD
- Run the installer once to set up the Ventoy bootloader on your USB drive
- Copy image files to the data partition using any file manager or CLI
- Customize boot menu appearance and behavior via a ventoy.json config file on the drive
- Update Ventoy in place without losing existing image files using the update command

## Key Features
- No reformatting needed when switching between OS images
- Supports over 1000 tested ISO files including Windows, Linux, and rescue disks
- Theme and menu customization through JSON-based configuration
- Plugin system for auto-install scripts, persistence, and boot parameters
- Cross-platform installer available for Windows and Linux

## Comparison with Similar Tools
- **Rufus** — writes one ISO at a time and requires reformatting for each new image
- **balenaEtcher** — simple single-image writer with no multi-boot support
- **YUMI** — supports multi-boot but uses older syslinux approach with less broad compatibility
- **MultiBootUSB** — similar concept but discontinued and less actively maintained

## FAQ
**Q: Does Ventoy support Windows installation ISOs?**
A: Yes. Ventoy can boot official Windows 10/11 installation ISOs directly, including ones larger than 4 GB.

**Q: Will Secure Boot work?**
A: Ventoy supports UEFI Secure Boot through its own enrollment process. You may need to enroll the Ventoy certificate on first boot.

**Q: Can I still use the USB drive for normal file storage?**
A: Yes. The data partition works as a regular drive. ISO files and personal files coexist.

**Q: How do I update Ventoy without losing my ISOs?**
A: Use the update option in the installer. It upgrades the bootloader partition while preserving all files on the data partition.

## Sources
- https://github.com/ventoy/Ventoy
- https://www.ventoy.net/en/index.html

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Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/asset-a586e137
Author: Script Depot