- To create a multiboot USB, open Ventoy, select the USB flash drive, and click “Install.” Open the USB with Ventoy installed, and copy and paste the ISO files for Windows 11, 10, Linux, etc.
- You can now start a device with the Ventoy bootable USB and choose the installation you want to start.
Ventoy is an application that makes it super simple to create a bootable USB flash drive of Windows 11 (and 10) without the need to reformat the removable storage, and in this guide, you will learn the steps to use it.
Usually, when you have to perform a clean install of Windows 11 (or 10), you use the Media Creation Tool to create a bootable USB media. Alternatively, you can use the Rufus tool to perform the same task but with more customization options. Although these tools work as advertised, the problem is that you have to repeatedly reformat the drive to update the installation files or change the operating system.
Ventoy is a piece of software that installs on a flash drive to make it bootable. Once the flash drive is bootable, you only have to upload the ISO (or WIM, IMG, VHDX, or EFI) files you want to use without extracting them. When you insert the USB flash drive, the system will boot into the Ventoy software. While in this experience, you can choose the image you want to start the computer. If a new version of the ISO becomes available, you can replace it or keep both versions of the image in the same bootable flash drive.
This guide will teach you the steps to use Ventoy to create a bootable USB to install Windows 11, 10, Linux, or another operating system from the same flash drive.
Create multiboot USB flash drive with Ventoy
To create a Windows 11 bootable USB with Ventoy, connect a flash drive with enough space, and use these steps:
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Under the “Assets” section, click the ventoy-x.x.xx-windows.zip file and download it to your computer.
Quick note: You may need to force and keep the file as the browser may detect it as malicious. -
Open File Explorer.
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Open the Zip folder location.
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Double-click the open the ventoy-x.x.xx-windows.zip file.
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Click the Extract all button from the command bar.
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Click the Browse button.
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Select a location to extract the files.
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Click the Select Folder button.
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Click the Extract button.
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Open the ventoy-x.x.xx folder.
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Double-click the Ventoy2Disk.exe file to launch the installer.
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Choose the USB flash drive from the “Device” setting.
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Click the Install button.
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Click the OK button.
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Click on This PC from the left pane of File Explorer.
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Open the Ventoy drive.
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Copy and paste the ISO files to make them bootable. You can include the latest image of Windows 11, 10, Linux, etc.
Once you complete the steps, you can use the USB flash drive to boot a device with the Ventoy software, where you can then choose to start the device with one of the ISOs you uploaded to the drive.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].