For example, if you want to experiment with Linux distributions, you can install on your PC in a multiboot configuration. Another option is to boot it as a live operating system from a bootable USB stick. Not sure which Linux version yet? We explain how you can make a multiboot USB stick with Linux distributions (so several).
There are many tools (also free) with which you can put a live operating system on a USB stick, but most of them are limited to one operating system. There is, for example, the user-friendly WinUSB, but it is mainly intended for Windows and some stripped-down WinPE environments. In addition, WinUSB only supports Ubuntu by default, as well as a few antivirus tools. Or you choose YUMI, which lets you choose from about 130 distributions, including Windows, WinPE and Linux.
Unfortunately, adding a live operating system isn’t quite as smooth in either tool. This is noticeably smoother with the relatively new Ventoy. The tool also offers support for numerous Linux distributions, mainly in the iso format, but also with formats such as img, vhd(x), efi and wim. You can find a complete overview on ventoy.net/isolist.
Ventoy also knows how to deal with the sometimes fickle requirements of UEFI systems and with the so-called secure boot function on those UEFI systems, about which more later.
Install Ventoy via Windows
Everything starts with the installation of Ventoy on a USB stick. Preferably use a fast USB stick with USB 3.0 or faster, with sufficient capacity to store the image files of the intended operating systems. Also make sure that the USB stick does not contain any important data. During the installation, the USB stick is repartitioned and formatted.
The fastest way to get Ventoy on Windows can be installed with the exe file that you download from the aforementioned website. Extract the downloaded zip file, insert the USB stick into your PC and run the file Ventoy2Disk.exe on. For convenience, click first language and choose Dutch (Dutch).
The USB stick now belongs in the Devicefield to appear and at Status you see READY to stand. Confirm with to install and with Yes (2x). A little later, the installation is complete and you will see the Ventoy version number appear on the device under Ventoy. By the way, you can use the button Updating always install a newer version on the ubsb stick, preserving any image files or other data.
Very occasionally it can happen that your Windows system stubbornly refuses the Ventoy installation via the exe file, for example because security functions do not allow the tool to perform so-called low-level operations on your USB stick. Then you can still try with the alternative download ventoy-1.0.21-livecd.iso (where the version number may be newer). This is a Linux distribution called TinyCore including the Ventoy Linux installation package: Linux is less difficult about a Ventoy installation.
This procedure is as follows: format your USB stick with the file system fat32. If it is larger than 32 GB, this will unfortunately not be possible from within Windows, but you can create a smaller fat32 partition yourself with the Command Prompt command disk part. Then open the ventoy-1.0.21-livecd.iso file in a virtual DVD drive (right click on the file and choose To link) and copy the EFIfolder to the root folder of your USB stick (or partition). Then you start your PC in uefi mode from this USB stick.
If you only have legacy bios, you can also download the iso file via the free tool Rufus put it on the USB stick. You must then select the option Write in DD-image mode.
You should now see a boot menu where you can select the Ventoy 1.0.xx LiveCD chooses. Select your USB stick as disk (make no mistake) and choose <1> Install Ventoy to
Install Ventoy via Linux
If you work with Linux, you can download the Linux version of Ventoy from the webpage mentioned in the previous tip (ventoy-1.0.21-linux.tar.gz or newer). Here you first extract the tar.gz archive file and then the tar file. In the subfolder ventoy-
The parameter /dev/XXX you of course replace with the correct USB device, for example /dev/sdc. You can find the necessary information for this with the command sudo fdisk -i.
With the parameter -i (in the command that starts the file Ventoy2Disk.sh) install Ventoy on your USB device. If it turns out that you had previously installed Ventoy on this stick, an error message will appear. In that case you can force the installation with the parameter -I (capital i). If you have an update from Ventoy in mind, use the parameter -you.
Live operating system
You have now completed the preparatory work. Now all you have to do is put the desired image files of the live environments on the USB stick. It’s simple: download the disk image file (image) of such a live operating system and place it in the Ventoy partition. By the way, you can also create subfolders in this partition (for example Linux-general, Troubleshooting and Windows) and place one or more image files in the correct subfolder.
After all, as soon as you boot a system from your Ventoy stick via the special boot selection menu or if necessary from the bios (consult your system manual for this), Ventoy will detect these image files and show them as selectable items in a boot menu. Then all you have to do is select the desired operating system. If you prefer to see the folder structure within your Ventoy partition in the form of a tree structure, press the F3 key (TreeView).
secure boat
It has to be said: the USB stick as Ventoy put it together as standard, turned out to work on our one test device, but it didn’t work with the other. The cause turned out to be a security function of the UEFI system, the so-called secure boot. This function often proves to be a stumbling block for live media and that is no different at Ventoy.
In Windows, you’ll quickly find out if that feature is enabled. Press Windows Key+R and enter msinfo32 from. If you Enabled see standing at System Overview / Secure Boot Status, then secure boot is active.
Now you can temporarily disable this feature in your uefi bios (you may need to set a Supervisor Password here first), but then your regular operating system may not boot until you disable that feature again. You can also try it by selecting the menu . in the Ventoy2Disk window Options to open and at secure boat before installing Ventoy on the stick. In Linux you do this by setting the parameter -s to give.
The very first time you start a certain secure boot system with this USB stick, you have to perform some simple instructions. Basically, the required key is then injected into your system’s MOK (Machine Owner Key) database. This procedure did indeed solve the starting problem on our test system, but you perform the operation at your own risk.
When preparing a USB stick, Ventoy uses the partition style mbr (Master Boot Record) by default. That’s fine in the vast majority of cases, but it can happen that a uefi system still expects the gpt (GUID Partition Table) partition style. In that case, open the menu in Ventoy2Disk Options and choose you at partition table the option GPT (instead of MBR). In Linux you control this with the parameter -g. Only do this if it doesn’t work with mbr.
Finally, you can safely put your own data files on the Ventoy partition on your USB stick, but you can also reserve extra disk space for a third (or fourth) partition. It goes like this: in Ventoy2Disk you open again Options and choose you Partition Configuration, where you put a check on Reserve space at the end of the disc and enter the desired capacity. In Linux you use the parameter -r
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