How to create a bootable USB drive with Ventoy
A bootable USB stick lets you install an operating system, try a Linux distribution without touching your hard drive, or start rescue tools when a PC will not boot. The traditional way is to write one ISO image to one stick. Ventoy makes it simpler: you prepare the stick once, then just copy ISO files onto it, and a boot menu lets you pick any of them.
What you need
- A USB flash drive. Everything on it will be erased during setup, so copy off anything you want to keep.
- The ISO files you want to boot, for example MX Linux, antiX, GParted Live or Clonezilla Live. Download them from the app pages or the publishers and check their SHA-256 checksums (see how to verify a download).
- Ventoy for Windows or Linux from its download page.
Step 1: Install Ventoy on the USB drive
On Windows
- Extract the Ventoy ZIP archive to a folder.
- Run
Ventoy2Disk.exe. - Choose your USB stick in the Device list. Double-check it is the right drive.
- Click Install and confirm the warnings. Ventoy creates two partitions: a large data partition for your ISO files and a small boot partition.
On Linux
Extract the Linux archive and run the graphical installer (VentoyGUI) or the script from a terminal. Find your stick’s device name with lsblk first, and replace /dev/sdX below with it:
Linux terminal
lsblk
sudo sh Ventoy2Disk.sh -i /dev/sdXStep 2: Copy your ISO files
Open the large Ventoy partition in your file manager and copy the ISO files onto it, like any other file. You can create folders and add or delete images at any time, without reformatting. When a new version of Ventoy appears, use the Update button in Ventoy2Disk: it updates the boot part and leaves your ISO files alone.
Step 3: Boot from the USB drive
- Plug the stick into the target PC and restart it.
- Open the one-time boot menu. The key varies by manufacturer; F12, F11, F10, F8 or Esc are common, and the start-up screen usually shows it.
- Select the USB drive. The Ventoy menu lists your ISO files; choose one and press Enter.
If Secure Boot is enabled, Ventoy may show a "Verification failed" screen the first time. Ventoy’s documentation explains how to enrol its key once with the on-screen tool; alternatively, temporarily disable Secure Boot in the firmware settings.
Alternative: write a single image with dd on Linux
For a stick that should contain exactly one image, you can write the ISO directly. This erases the target, so check the device name carefully:
Linux terminal
sudo dd if=image.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress conv=fsyncTools used in this guide
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Prepare a USB stick once, then copy any number of ISO files onto it and pick one from a boot menu.
-
A friendly Debian-based desktop that runs live from USB, ideal for trying Linux.
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A very light live system for old PCs and portable use, with optional persistence.
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A live system for creating, resizing and moving partitions on drives that are not in use.
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A live system for imaging and cloning disks, useful for backups before big changes.
Frequently asked questions
Will Ventoy erase my USB drive?
Yes, installing Ventoy erases the drive. After that, adding or removing ISO files does not erase anything else, and updating Ventoy keeps your files.
Can I still use the stick for normal files?
Yes. The Ventoy data partition is an ordinary partition, so you can store documents next to your ISO files.
Ventoy or Rufus?
Rufus writes one image at a time and offers detailed options for that image. Ventoy holds many images on one stick and needs no rewriting when you change them. Many people keep both. See our disk and USB utilities guide for related tools.
Does Ventoy work with Windows installation ISOs?
Yes, Ventoy can boot Windows installation images as well as most Linux distributions and many rescue tools. Its website keeps a list of tested images.
My PC does not show the USB drive in the boot menu. What can I do?
Try another USB port, check that USB boot is enabled in the firmware settings, and make sure you chose the right boot mode (UEFI or legacy BIOS) for your system.
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