Ventoy
Ventoy turns a USB device into a boot library where compatible ISO and image files can be copied and selected from a startup menu. This page covers installation, image organization, firmware testing and safe updates.
What Ventoy provides
Ventoy installs a boot layer on a USB device so compatible ISO, WIM, IMG or other image files can be copied to the data partition and selected from a startup menu. It separates the boot framework from the image collection, which makes it useful for a portable toolkit, but each image still has its own hardware and license requirements.
Library organization and updates
Keep one folder per purpose, use readable filenames and retain a text manifest with image version, checksum and last boot test. The first Ventoy installation and later updates are device operations: back up important files, select the intended removable disk and verify that the update preserves the data partition before proceeding.
Maintenance note
This page reviews Ventoy for multi-image USB libraries, UEFI/legacy boot testing and recovery-media maintenance. Content review date: 2026-08-23.
Save to your cloud drive
Open the cloud drive to get the file directly, or save it for convenient access on another device.
Quark Cloud Drive
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Baidu Netdisk
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Ventoy multi-ISO USB guide
Install the boot layer once on a disposable USB, copy a small verified image set and test every image that matters before carrying the device as a recovery kit.
Before you start
- Prepare a USB device with a backup of any files that must be retained.
- Collect image files with architecture, version and checksum notes.
- Keep a fallback computer or recovery method for firmware and boot tests.
Installation steps
- 01
Install Ventoy to the correct USB
Open the installer, compare the device capacity and label with the intended USB, then confirm the erase warning before writing the boot layer.
- 02
Build the image library
Copy verified image files to clearly named folders, add a manifest and leave enough free space for a replacement image and diagnostic logs.
- 03
Test the startup menu
Boot a test computer in UEFI mode, select an image and record the result; repeat in legacy compatibility mode only when the target machines require it.
Quick start
- 01
Keep images identifiable
Put version and architecture in each filename and avoid duplicate names that make it unclear which image was selected from the menu.
- 02
Check persistence and writable storage
Treat persistence as an image-specific feature; verify its data path separately instead of assuming the Ventoy data partition changes the live system's behavior.
- 03
Update with a rollback plan
Copy the image library elsewhere before a Ventoy update, check the target device again and verify that the menu and files remain available after the restart.
Usage tips
- A multi-boot device is convenient but should not be the only recovery copy of a critical image.
- Keep rescue images separate from experimental builds so a menu error does not hide the recovery option.
- Re-test images after firmware, filesystem or Ventoy updates and record the machine used for the test.
Troubleshooting and uninstall
Why is an image missing from the Ventoy menu?
Check the file extension, copy completion, filesystem visibility and filename, then refresh or reboot the menu and compare the manifest with the files on the USB.
Why does one image boot in UEFI but not legacy mode?
The image may support only one boot path or the firmware may require a different partition mode. Confirm the image's own requirements and test with the matching firmware setting.
- Back up the image libraryCopy the image files and manifest off the USB and confirm that the backup opens before changing its partition layout.
- Remove the boot layerRepartition or format the USB with the operating system's disk tool only after the backup is verified and the device is no longer needed as recovery media.
Frequently asked questions
Does Ventoy include the operating systems stored on the USB?
No. Ventoy provides the boot framework and menu; the images you copy have separate publishers, licenses, hardware requirements and update schedules.
Can one Ventoy USB boot every computer?
No. Firmware mode, secure-boot policy, architecture and image support vary. Test the specific images on the machines that matter.
Does the download require an extraction code?
The Quark entry does not require one; the four-character code for the Baidu entry is shown beside its download entry.