Ventoy Cheat Sheet

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Linux · Ventoy Cheat Sheet

One USB stick, many ISOs: install Ventoy to the stick once, copy .iso files onto it, and boot to a menu that lists them. Written against Ventoy 1.1.18 (the latest release when this was checked). Installing erases the stick, and nothing here was run on a real PC — see the notes at the bottom.

The whole job, in order

1. DownloadFrom ventoy.net: the windows.zip or the linux.tar.gz; extract it

2. Back up the stickInstalling wipes everything on it

3. Install onceWindows: Ventoy2Disk.exe → pick the device → Install. Linux: the commands below

4. Copy ISOsDrag them onto the big partition (named Ventoy), subfolders are fine

5. Eject safelyThen plug it into the target PC

6. Boot from USBOpen the PC's one-time boot menu at power-on (often F12, F2, F10 or Esc; it varies by maker) and choose the stick

7. Pick an ISOVentoy shows a menu of the images it found; choose one and press Enter

Install from Linux — check the device before you wipe it

# 1. Find the stick: look for the right size and name, NOT your system disk lsblk -o NAME,SIZE,MODEL,TRAN,MOUNTPOINTS # 2. Go to the extracted folder (replace x.x.xx with the version you downloaded) cd ~/Downloads/ventoy-x.x.xx # 3. Install (replace /dev/sdX with the stick, the whole disk, not sdX1) sudo sh Ventoy2Disk.sh -i /dev/sdX # Same, with Secure Boot support: sudo sh Ventoy2Disk.sh -i -s /dev/sdX

Ventoy2Disk.sh options (Linux)

-iInstall; refuses if Ventoy is already there

-IForce install (also if Ventoy is already there)

-uUpdate Ventoy, keeping the files on the stick

-lList Ventoy information for the device

-sEnable Secure Boot support (off by default)

-gGPT partition table (the default is MBR)

-r SIZE_MBLeave free space at the end of the stick (install only)

-L LABELName of the big partition (default Ventoy)

Windows

Ventoy2Disk.exePick the device; Install for a new stick, Update to upgrade

Show all devicesOption that also lists non-USB disks — leave off unless you need it

Option menuWhere the Secure Boot and MBR/GPT choices are set, before Install

MBR / GPTChosen at install only; MBR boots both BIOS and UEFI PCs

UpdateLeaves the ISOs in place; the app offers it when it sees a newer version on the stick

After the install

2 partitionsA big data partition for your files, plus a small boot partition Ventoy owns

exFATDefault format of the big one; files over 4 GB are fine

Reformat itNTFS, FAT32, UDF, XFS and ext2/3/4 also work; FAT32 stops at 4 GB per file

Image typesISO, WIM, IMG, VHD(x)

Menu orderAll subfolders are searched; the list is alphabetical

At the Ventoy menu

EnterBoot the highlighted image (Normal mode)

F1Help

F2Browse files on the stick

F4Boot the PC's own disk instead

F5Tools menu (includes power options)

Ctrl+rGRUB2 mode — try for a Linux ISO that won't boot

Ctrl+wWIMBOOT mode — try for a Windows ISO that won't boot

Ctrl+dMemdisk mode (loads the whole image into RAM)

Secure Boot

Install with it-s on Linux; the Secure Boot option on Windows

First bootThe PC may show a "Verification failed" screen; press a key to reach the key manager (MokManager)

Enroll key from diskPick the small boot partition, then ENROLL_THIS_KEY_IN_MOKMANAGER.cer

Continue → YesConfirm, then reboot; once per PC

Still blocked?Some firmware blocks Ventoy's loader; turning Secure Boot off in the PC's setup is the sure fix

Persistence (changes survive reboots)

sudo bash CreatePersistentImg.shMakes persistence.dat: 1 GB, ext4, label casper-rw

-s MB / -t FS / -l LABELSize, filesystem, label

-c persistence.confNeeded for Debian, Kali, Clonezilla (file contains / union)

casper-rwLabel for Ubuntu, Mint, elementary, Zorin

vtoycowLabel for Arch and Fedora (Fedora also needs selinux=0)

persistenceLabel for Kali and Clonezilla

ventoy/ventoy.jsonOn the stick; its persistence list ties an ISO (image) to a .dat file (backend)

syncRun after copying the .dat file so it is really written

ExtendPersistentImg.shGrow a .dat file without losing data

When an ISO won't boot

Linux ISOMenu → Ctrl+r (GRUB2 mode)

Windows ISOMenu → Ctrl+w (WIMBOOT mode)

Secure Boot errorEnroll the key (above), or turn Secure Boot off

Stick missing from boot menuTry another USB port; in setup, check USB boot is on and UEFI/Legacy matches

Damaged downloadCompare the ISO's checksum with the one the distro publishes

Very slowUse a USB 3 port and stick; live systems and persistence read and write constantly

Gotcha — the install erases the disk you point it at

On Linux, -i /dev/sdX wipes sdX without a second chance, so run lsblk first and match the stick by size. Pass the whole disk (/dev/sdb), not a partition (/dev/sdb1). To add or remove an ISO later, just copy or delete the file — do not run Install again; use Update only for a new Ventoy version.

What was checked on this sheet

Checked against the official Ventoy start page, its latest-release page on GitHub (version 1.1.18) and its persistence page: install steps, the Ventoy2Disk.sh options, partitions and formats, and the persistence commands and labels. The Secure Boot key steps and the menu hot keys (Ctrl+r, Ctrl+w, Ctrl+d, F1, F2, F4, F5) come from third-party guides and Ventoy's release notes, and I left out F3, F6 and F7 because I could not confirm what they do. Not run: the installer, any boot, or any ISO, so the Windows-GUI wording, the "MBR boots both BIOS and UEFI" line and the "boot menu key" row are from memory and may differ on your PC. Key assignments have changed between Ventoy versions, so trust the menu's own F1 help on your stick.