Ventoy is a powerful open-source solution for creating multiboot USB drives. It’s increasingly popular among IT professionals, system administrators, and tech-savvy users who need to boot various operating systems from a single USB device.
What is Ventoy?
Ventoy is a free, open-source utility that allows users to create bootable USB drives for ISO, WIM, IMG, VHD(x), and EFI files without the need to format the USB every time. Simply copy your ISO files to the USB stick, and Ventoy will present a boot menu to choose from when you boot the device.
Key Features
- 100% open source
- Supports Legacy BIOS, UEFI (x86, IA32, ARM64, MIPS64EL)
- Works with both MBR and GPT partition styles
- Secure Boot supported
- Allows direct boot from files—no extraction required
- Supports booting images from the local disk
- Handles ISO files larger than 4GB
- Supports file systems: FAT32, exFAT, NTFS, UDF, XFS, EXT2/3/4
- Linux persistence supported
- Auto-installation for Windows and Linux
- Highly customizable boot menu and theme
- 1,200+ tested ISOs from various OS distributions
Supported Systems
Ventoy supports a wide range of operating systems and tools:
- Windows: Windows 7 to Windows 11, including Windows Server editions
- Linux distributions: Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, Arch, Manjaro, Kali, Tails, openSUSE, Linux Mint, and many more
- Unix/BSD: FreeBSD, pfSense, GhostBSD, TrueNAS, etc.
- Utilities: MemTest86, SystemRescue, Clonezilla, Kaspersky Rescue Disk, and many others
- Others: ChromeOS Flex, FydeOS, VMware ESXi, XenServer, Android-x86…
Full list of supported ISOs:
👉 https://www.ventoy.net/en/isolist.html
How to Install
Ventoy is available for:
- Windows
- Linux
- It can also be built from source.
Getting started is simple. Just install Ventoy on your USB drive, copy your ISO files to the USB, and you’re ready to boot.
Installation guide:
👉 https://www.ventoy.net/en/doc_start.html
Plugins and Advanced Customization
Ventoy includes a robust plugin framework, allowing users to enable:
- Automated installations (Windows/Linux)
- Password protection
- Linux persistence
- File injection
- Menu aliasing
- Custom themes
- GRUB menu extensions
Plugin documentation:
👉 https://www.ventoy.net/en/plugin.html
Why Ventoy Stands Out
Ventoy significantly streamlines the multiboot USB creation process by offering:
- Time savings: no reformatting or rebuilding required
- Multi-OS testing convenience
- Broad compatibility with ISOs and filesystems
It’s an actively maintained project with a vibrant community and extensive documentation, making it one of the most flexible and user-friendly multiboot solutions available today.
Useful Resources
- Official website: https://www.ventoy.net
- GitHub repository: https://github.com/ventoy/Ventoy
Conclusion
Ventoy is not just a bootable USB tool—it’s a game-changer for anyone working with multiple operating systems or recovery utilities. With its simple interface, advanced features, and powerful flexibility, Ventoy turns any USB drive into a multiboot powerhouse.
