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To install Ventoy on a USB drive from Windows, download and extract Ventoy’s Windows package, run Ventoy2Disk.exe, select the correct USB drive, and click Install. This erases the selected drive, so back up its files first. Afterward, copy a Windows ISO to Ventoy’s large first partition, boot the PC from the USB, and select the ISO.
Before installing Ventoy
- Download the current Windows package from Ventoy’s download page and extract the ZIP file. The package filename follows a version pattern, so use the current release rather than relying on an older filename.
- Back up anything you need from the USB drive. Installing Ventoy formats the selected drive and destroys its existing data.
- Identify the intended USB drive before opening the installer. Windows hides non-USB devices by default; enabling Show all devices can expose other disks, including local drives.
Install Ventoy from Windows
- Connect the USB drive and open the extracted Ventoy folder.
- Run
Ventoy2Disk.exe. - Check the selected device against the USB drive’s identity and capacity. Do not proceed if you are unsure which disk is selected.
- Click Install and confirm the prompts. Wait for the operation to finish before removing the drive.
- Open the large first partition Ventoy creates and copy the Windows ISO file onto it. The ISO can be placed in a folder or a subfolder; Ventoy scans for image files and lists them in its boot menu.
Ventoy’s documented workflow is to install it once, then copy ISO files to the USB drive. You do not need to reinstall Ventoy each time you add an ISO.
Boot the computer from the Ventoy USB
- Safely eject the USB drive from the computer where you copied the ISO, then connect it to the PC where you want to install or repair Windows.
- Restart the PC and open its firmware boot menu. The key and menu layout vary by manufacturer; choose the USB device.
- Allow the PC’s firmware to determine whether it boots Ventoy in legacy BIOS or UEFI mode.
- When the Ventoy menu appears, select the Windows ISO and continue through Windows Setup.
If the Windows ISO does not boot normally
Try WIMBOOT for a supported Windows ISO
Ventoy’s default mode emulates an ISO as a CD-ROM. If an official Windows ISO has trouble in that mode, select the ISO in Ventoy’s menu and press W to switch to WIMBOOT. Press W again to return to normal mode. WIMBOOT is an alternative troubleshooting mode, not a required step for every installation.
See Ventoy’s WIMBOOT documentation for supported cases and details.
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Check the ISO and Windows 7 drivers
If booting fails more generally, Ventoy’s FAQ recommends checking whether the image file is corrupted. For Windows 7, an installer that says no installation media was found may be missing a USB 3.0 driver; the problem may be in the ISO rather than the Ventoy installation. Consult Ventoy’s FAQ for further troubleshooting.
Secure Boot and firmware settings
Ventoy documents Secure Boot support, but the exact process depends on the PC’s firmware. Some systems require enabling Allow Microsoft 3rd Party UEFI CA. On the first Ventoy boot, a key-enrollment prompt may appear; Ventoy says that enrollment procedure is performed once per computer. Its documentation also describes a UEFI CA 2023 key-enrollment issue for Ventoy 1.1.13 and later.
Rank #2
- High-speed USB 3.0 performance of up to 150MB/s(1) [(1) Write to drive up to 15x faster than standard USB 2.0 drives (4MB/s); varies by drive capacity. Up to 150MB/s read speed. USB 3.0 port required. Based on internal testing; performance may be lower depending on host device, usage conditions, and other factors; 1MB=1,000,000 bytes]
- Transfer a full-length movie in less than 30 seconds(2) [(2) Based on 1.2GB MPEG-4 video transfer with USB 3.0 host device. Results may vary based on host device, file attributes and other factors]
- Transfer to drive up to 15 times faster than standard USB 2.0 drives(1)
- Sleek, durable metal casing
- Easy-to-use password protection for your private files(3) [(3)Password protection uses 128-bit AES encryption and is supported by Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, and Mac OS X v10.9 plus; Software download required for Mac, visit the SanDisk SecureAccess support page]
If the documented enrollment flow does not work on your machine, Ventoy describes disabling its Secure Boot option and turning off Secure Boot in firmware as a fallback. Follow the current Ventoy Secure Boot guide for the relevant screens and release-specific instructions.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsOptional Windows 11 setup controls
Ventoy’s global control plugin documents optional settings for standard Windows 11 ISOs that bypass hardware checks and the online-account requirement. The online-account option requires temporarily disconnecting or disabling the network for the local-account choice to be offered. These are optional Ventoy configuration behaviors, not requirements for installing Ventoy. They do not replace checking the applicable Windows installation requirements. See Ventoy’s control plugin documentation.
Rank #3
- Supports UEFI and Legacy BIOS boot on many PCs and laptops. If boot issues occur, check Secure Boot settings and use the included boot instructions.
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When command-line installation makes sense
Most people should use the Windows GUI. The command-line option is useful when automating Ventoy installation or applying a repeatable configuration. Ventoy documents the Windows command form as Ventoy2Disk.exe VTOYCLI CMD DISK [Options], with install and update commands and disk selection by drive letter or physical drive number. GPT can be selected during installation; that choice is ignored during updates. The USB-type check is enabled by default as a safety measure. Review Ventoy’s command-line documentation before using it, and verify the target disk carefully.
Quick Recap
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Rank #4
- Transfer speeds up to 10x faster than standard USB 2.0 drives (4MB/s); up to 130MB/s read speed; USB 3.0 port required. Based on internal testing; performance may be lower depending upon host device. 1MB=1,000,000 bytes
- Backward compatible with USB 2.0
- Secure file encryption and password protection(2)
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