The problems with bootable Pendrives

You are probably familiar with using a tool like Rufus at work or in your home lab to write ISO files to bootable USB Pendrives for installing operating systems onto hardware.

But, writing an operating system image onto a Pendrive is a slow process (even at USB 3.x speeds), and keeping a stock of Pendrives with various operating systems ready to go ties up a whole load of flash media.

Could Ventoy be a solution?

Ventoy tries to fix the above problems by using a different approach.

Installing Ventoy onto a Pendrive makes the device bootable using it's own tiny, very specialised system software. The software looks for any ISO files present on the Pendrive, and presents them in a menu, much like a fancy GRUB boot screen.

Once can then pick an ISO file from the list, and Ventoy will boot it as if it were written to the Pendrive using Rufus.

This way, with a single reasonably sized Pendrive, one can keep a stock of bootable ISOs to hand without using lots of media or having to re-write ISOs with Rufus.

Setting up Ventoy

Setting up Ventoy is easy:

  • Download the portable zip package from the Ventoy website and extract it.
  • Plug in your Pendrive
  • Run Ventoy2Disk.exe and select your Pendrive, click Install and wait for the process to complete. Pick the right Pendrive!
  • After Ventoy has installed, be sure both Pendrive partitions mount in Explorer. If you only see one 'Ventoy' drive appear then run Disk Management and identify your Ventoy Pendrive device. Click the partition without a drive letter assigned, and assign one. The larger, empty partition is where ISO files need to be copied. I relabel this partition VentoyIso so I can easily tell them apart.
  • Copy your bootable ISO files to the larger partition.

I have loaded up a Pendrive with ISOs of (various builds of) Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Server from 2016 to 2022, Debian 10 and 11, Ubuntu Mate, VMWare Esxi, and a selection of system tools such as RescueZilla, CloneZilla, Ultimate Rescue CD, Macrium Reflect, and others.

Further reflections

In my experience, not every piece of hardware will boot every ISO file, particularly if either is in any way exotic, but on the whole the system works very reliably and is reliable, convenient and speedy versus a Rufus-based workflow.

Be aware that Ventoy effectively consumes the entire Pendrive, meaning one must be dedicated to it's use. Also keep in mind that a larger, faster Pendrive might better suited to the job as ISO files are typically large, and copying them can slow.

Personally, I use a 64gb USB 3.x drive, and find it to be a reliable, quick and very convenient way to both boot utility distributions and setup operating systems.