The Easiest Way to Create a Bootable USB with Ventoy

#linux #productivity #tooling #tutorial

Hello, I'm Ganesh. I'm working on FreeDevTools online, currently building a single platform for all development tools, cheat codes, and TL; DRs — a free, open-source hub where developers can quickly find and use tools without the hassle of searching the internet.

Do you hate formatting your USB drive every time you want to try a new Linux distro or install Windows?

I used to use Rufus for everything when I was in Windows and used a recovery partition in Linux, but it used to take time to test with a new os.

Also, for os on booting USB was crashing due to some of the other reasons. On searching to reduce this slow process, I found a better way do it with Ventoy. You can install it on your USB once, and then you just "copy-paste" your ISO files.

You can have Windows, Ubuntu, Mint, and Zorin OS all on the same stick.

Here is how I set it up.

Step 1: Install Ventoy to Your USB

First, you need to prepare the USB stick.

Download the Ventoy tool from their official website.
Plug in your USB drive.
Make sure you have a backup on a USB drive.
Open the Ventoy program, select your USB drive from the list, and click Install.

Step 2: Copy Your ISO Files

You don't need Rufus anymore.

Open your file manager (like "This PC" or "Files").
You will see your USB drive is now named Ventoy.
Simply copy your ISO files (like zorin-os.iso or lubuntu.iso) and paste them inside the USB drive.

You can copy as many as you want, as long as you have space!

Step 3: Boot from the USB

Now, take the USB to the computer where you want to install the new OS.

Plug it in and restart the computer.
Press your Boot Menu key repeatedly (it depends on brand, in my case, I had a HP laptop, it was F9).
Select your USB drive from the list.

Step 4: Select Your ISO

Instead of loading immediately, you will see a simple menu on the screen listing all the ISO files you copied earlier.

Use the arrow keys to select the OS you want.
Press Enter.
Select "Boot in Normal Mode."

That’s it! The installer will start just like normal. Next time you want to try a different OS, just drag the new file onto the USB. No formatting required.