How to Create a Multiboot USB With Ventoy: Windows, Linux and Secure Boot Tips

One correction to the headline: the tools don't run "all at once". You choose one image from the menu each time you boot.

What Ventoy does differently​

With a tool like Rufus, each ISO means a format-and-write cycle for the drive. Shareef contrasts that with Ventoy, where you prepare the drive once and then copy files onto it.

Ventoy's documentation backs this up. You don't need to format the disk again and again. You copy the ISO file to the USB drive and boot it. It also says you can copy ISO/WIM/IMG/VHD(x)/EFI files and boot, with no formatting needed.

The comparison is about workflow, not capability. Rufus isn't incapable and Ventoy isn't universally better. Ventoy trades repeated writing for a one-time setup. In return you need to check that each image boots.

Building the drive (Windows)​

What you need

• A USB drive. Shareef recommends at least 32GB and a reputable brand. That is his practical advice, not a Ventoy requirement. Size the drive to the images you plan to store, since ISOs can run to several gigabytes.
• The Ventoy Windows package from its GitHub releases page.
• A backup of anything on the stick.

Steps

1. Extract the Ventoy zip and run Ventoy2Disk.exe.
2. Choose your USB drive in the Device dropdown.
3. Confirm it is the right drive. Installation permanently erases everything on it.
4. Click Install and accept the warning prompt.
5. When it finishes, the drive appears in File Explorer labelled Ventoy.
6. Copy your ISO files onto it.

Safety notes from the official docs

• By default, Ventoy2Disk.exe lists only USB drives. A "Show all devices" option lists every disk. Leave it off unless you have a specific reason, because with it on, an internal disk can appear in the list.
• Afterwards, the drive has two partitions. The first is exFAT by default, and you can reformat it as NTFS, FAT32, UDF, XFS or ext2/3/4.
• Ventoy searches the first partition's folders and subfolders for images. It lists them alphabetically in the boot menu, so you can organize them into folders.
• The same partition can still hold ordinary files.
• Updating Ventoy later is a separate operation from installing. The documentation says the upgrade is safe and the files on the first partition stay unchanged. Even so, back up first.

Booting from the stick​

Plug the drive in and open your PC's one-time boot menu. The key varies by maker. Shareef's HP laptop uses Esc and then F9. He says F12 is common on Dell and Lenovo, F2 on Asus, and Del on custom desktops. Treat those as examples. If the key isn't obvious, check the maker's documentation or the prompt that flashes at power-on.

Choose the USB drive and the Ventoy menu appears. Pick a Windows ISO to reach the Windows installer, or a Linux image to reach its live environment. What happens next is up to that image.

Secure Boot: don't just switch it off​

Shareef suggests disabling Secure Boot if Ventoy won't start, then turning it back on. That works as a last resort, but it skips steps the project documents first.

• Firmware setting. Ventoy says some computers need the "Allow Microsoft 3rd Party UEFI CA" option enabled in the UEFI firmware before Ventoy will boot.
• First-boot enrollment. With Secure Boot on, Ventoy shows an enrollment screen on first boot. You complete it once per computer.
• A new key. Ventoy changed its Secure Boot certificate in 2026. Version 1.1.14 updated the shim for the UEFI CA 2023 issue and uses a new CA, so the new key must be enrolled on first boot. Ventoy's Secure Boot page also says since 1.1.13+ you need to enroll a new key. That is a slight mismatch with the release notes, and 1.1.13 was later withdrawn. Ventoy says 1.1.13 was deprecated due to a mistake. In practice, use a current release.
• Last resort. Ventoy admits its solution isn't perfect. If you get an error screen instead of the expected blue enrollment screen, the solution doesn't work on your machine and you may need to disable Secure Boot.

Ventoy's default policy also deserves a mention. It fully bypasses Secure Boot checks, so any EFI file can boot without verification. Version 1.1.14 added a VTOY_SECURE_BOOT_POLICY option in the global control plugin for people who want the UEFI policy enforced. Only enroll keys you understand and trust, since enrolling them casually weakens what Secure Boot protects.

If you disable Secure Boot to get past a stubborn machine, turn it back on afterwards, as Shareef advises.

Version note. Ventoy's news page lists 1.1.18 released 2026/10/09, and GitHub shows the same. Check the project page for the current release before you build a drive. An older stick may show the enrollment screen the first time it boots on a Secure Boot PC.

Where it can fail: image compatibility​

Shareef says Ventoy has "occasional" issues with very new or niche ISOs. Ventoy's documentation explains why in more detail.

Ventoy presents the ISO as a virtual disk at the firmware level. The documentation says most modern OS kernels use their own drivers after boot, so they can't see that virtual disk. Because of this, Ventoy has to add hooks for each distribution. The project calls that "really a hard work" given how many distributions and edge cases exist. So a supported file extension doesn't guarantee that a particular image boots.

Two practical consequences:

• Test each image you depend on. Do this for the Windows installer, each Linux live image and each recovery tool.
• Try another mode if one fails. Ventoy's secondary boot menu offers other modes. A WindowsForum report on version 1.1.17 suggests trying Normal mode first, and WIMBOOT mode if an official Windows ISO won't boot. I haven't tested that advice, so treat it as a lead.

Test before you need it​

Shareef's closing advice is the most important. Boot from the drive after you build it, confirm the Ventoy menu appears, and launch each ISO in turn. Storage can degrade, and a rescue stick that fails during a crisis is worse than having none.

A good routine:

1. Test on more than one PC if you can, especially one with Secure Boot on.
2. Re-test after you add or replace images.
3. Re-test after you update Ventoy.
4. Keep a conventionally written backup stick for any tool you can't live without.

Verdict​

Ventoy is a sound answer to drawer-full-of-USB-sticks syndrome, and it needs only one install. The caveats are the wipe at install, the 2026 Secure Boot key changes, and image-by-image compatibility. Plan for those and the stick lives up to its promise.