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To update an existing Ventoy USB safely, use Ventoy’s Update operation—not a new installation. On Windows, open Ventoy2Disk.exe, select the Ventoy USB, and click Update. On Linux, run Ventoy2Disk.sh with the -u option and the verified device path. Ventoy’s documentation says an upgrade leaves files in the drive’s first partition unchanged.
Do not click Install or use a force-install option for this job. Ventoy warns that a normal installation formats the drive and removes its existing data. Confirm the target disk before starting, and make a separate backup of irreplaceable files even though the documented upgrade is designed to preserve your ISO images and other files.
What a Ventoy update changes—and what it should leave alone
Ventoy separates user storage from its boot components. The large first partition is where you place ISO files and other data. Ventoy’s Chinese getting-started documentation explains that the boot files are stored in a second partition named VTOYEFI, identified there as 32 MB. During an upgrade, Ventoy replaces the boot files in that second partition while leaving the first partition’s files and filesystem unchanged. See the project’s Chinese getting-started guide for that partition-level description.
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Upgrade versus installation
An upgrade updates Ventoy’s boot software in place. Installation creates Ventoy on a disk, which normally requires formatting it. Selecting the wrong operation is the most common way to turn a file-preserving update into a data-loss event.
| Operation | Where you perform it | How you identify the target | Documented data result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upgrade an existing Ventoy drive | Windows Ventoy2Disk.exe with Update, or Linux Ventoy2Disk.sh -u |
Choose the existing Ventoy USB in the Windows list, or provide its verified Linux device path | Files in the first partition remain unchanged |
| Install Ventoy for the first time | Windows Install or Linux install option | Select the disk that will be dedicated to Ventoy | Ventoy warns that installation formats the drive and loses existing data |
Ventoy also documents a “non-destructive installation” feature, but that is still an installation procedure, not the normal update method. The project says it is unnecessary when Ventoy is already present. Its non-destructive installation page nevertheless recommends backing up very important data before disk operations.
Prepare the USB before updating
A few minutes of identification and backup work greatly reduce the chance of selecting the wrong disk.
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Make a separate backup
Copy irreplaceable documents, work files and unique media to another storage location before updating. The backup can be another existing disk or a separate USB drive; no new hardware is required for an ordinary Ventoy upgrade. Ventoy’s guidance is explicit that very important data should be backed up first, even when using a feature intended to preserve data.
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Close programs that use the drive
Close file browsers, ISO-writing tools, virtual-machine software and any application that may have an open file on the Ventoy volume. Eject the USB cleanly from the operating system, reconnect it, and then begin the update. This gives the utility an uncomplicated view of the partitions and avoids a file being written while Ventoy changes its boot area.
Identify the correct physical disk
Compare the USB’s capacity, label and connection details with what the Ventoy utility displays. Do not rely only on a drive letter: letters can change when other storage is connected. On Linux, write down the complete device path, such as the /dev/... name shown by your disk-management tools, and check it again immediately before running the command.
Be especially careful with Windows’ device filter
Windows lists USB drives by default. If you enable Show all devices, the list can include internal and other non-USB disks. Ventoy’s FAQ warns that this broader list requires extra care. Leave the option disabled unless you have a specific reason to expose other disks, and verify the capacity and model whenever it is enabled.
Update Ventoy on Windows
Use this workflow when the USB already boots Ventoy and you want to move to a newer Ventoy release.
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- Download the current Windows package. Get the Ventoy archive from the project and extract it to a local folder. The package includes
Ventoy2Disk.exe; the official instructions are on the Ventoy getting-started page. - Connect only the intended Ventoy drive if possible. Removing unrelated USB disks makes the device list easier to read and reduces the chance of a mistaken selection.
- Open
Ventoy2Disk.exe. If Windows asks for permission to run the utility, approve it only when you have confirmed that the file came from the Ventoy package you downloaded. - Select the existing Ventoy USB. Check its displayed size and device details against the physical drive. If Show all devices is enabled, recheck that the selection is the removable Ventoy disk rather than an internal drive.
- Click Update. Choose the update control, not Install. The update operation is intended for an existing Ventoy installation and changes the boot components without formatting the main data partition.
- Wait for completion. Do not unplug the USB, close the utility or put the computer to sleep while Ventoy is working. Allow Windows to report that the operation has finished.
- Open the main partition and verify your files. Confirm that several known ISO images and ordinary files are still present. Use the operating system’s safe-eject command before disconnecting the drive.
If Windows shows the wrong drive or no drive
Stop rather than guessing. Disconnect other removable disks, reconnect the Ventoy USB, and refresh the utility’s device list. Check the drive’s size and label in Windows Disk Management or File Explorer, then return to Ventoy2Disk.exe. If the USB is visible to Windows but not to Ventoy, try a different USB port and confirm that the package was extracted completely.
Update Ventoy on Linux
Linux uses the same in-place concept but requires you to supply the whole device path. The official guide gives the command form sh Ventoy2Disk.sh { -i | -I | -u } /dev/XXX; -u is the update operation.
- Download and extract the Linux package. Use the Ventoy archive for Linux and open a terminal in the extracted directory containing
Ventoy2Disk.sh. - Connect the existing Ventoy USB. Use your desktop disk utility or other trusted system information to determine its complete device name. A partition path and a whole-device path are not interchangeable: the Ventoy command expects the disk device, represented in the documentation by
/dev/XXX. - Confirm the path immediately before execution. Match the device’s capacity and model with the physical USB. If more than one disk has a similar size, disconnect the others or verify using another independent identifier.
- Run the update form of the command. Substitute the verified disk path for
/dev/XXXwhile retaining-u:sh Ventoy2Disk.sh -u /dev/XXX. Do not replace-uwith-ior-I; those are installation choices in the documented command form. - Let the script finish without removing the USB. Keep the terminal open and wait for its completion message. Interrupting a disk operation can leave boot components incomplete.
- Check the first partition. Mount or open the Ventoy data volume after the script exits and confirm that known ISO files and other data remain visible. Unmount or eject the USB cleanly before removing it.
Why the Linux command is more demanding
A Windows user selects a device from a graphical list. Linux places the responsibility on the path you type. A typo can point to an entirely different disk, so treat the device path as a destructive-operation target: verify it, compare it with the hardware, and do not proceed when the identity is uncertain.
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Verification should cover both the data partition and the boot function.
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- Check the data partition. Open the large Ventoy volume and confirm that representative ISO images, folders and personal files are present. Compare a few filenames with your backup rather than checking only that the volume opens.
- Check the filesystem view. The main partition should remain accessible with the same files and directory structure. The Chinese Ventoy guide says an upgrade does not change that main partition’s filesystem.
- Test booting when practical. Restart a test computer and select the USB from its firmware boot menu. Confirm that Ventoy’s menu appears and that at least one known ISO can be selected. A boot test is useful after a major version change or when the USB is mission-critical.
- Keep the backup until the test is complete. Do not delete your temporary copy immediately after the utility reports success; retain it until you have opened the important files and, ideally, completed a boot test.
What to do when an update fails
Ventoy2Disk.exe continually fails on Windows
Ventoy documents its LiveCD as a Windows fallback when Ventoy2Disk.exe always fails. The project’s LiveCD documentation describes that route. Boot the LiveCD environment, connect the Ventoy USB, identify the correct disk there and perform the update using the Linux package or the environment’s documented tools. Linux users do not need the LiveCD route; they can use the Linux package directly.
Before switching methods, repeat the basic checks: use a direct USB port instead of a hub, close programs holding the volume, and ensure that Windows has not mounted the drive read-only because of a hardware problem. If the utility fails after you selected Show all devices, disable that option and reselect the removable disk by its size and model.
The script reports an error on Linux
First, stop and confirm that you used -u and the whole Ventoy disk path. Do not retry with an installation option simply because the update failed; installation has a different data outcome. Reconnect the USB, make sure no file manager or terminal has the volume busy, and run the update again only after verifying the device identity.
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Do not immediately format the drive or run an installation. Safely reconnect it, inspect whether the main partition appears in the operating system, and compare the drive’s partition information with the backup. If the data partition is not mounted, use the operating system’s disk utility to determine whether it is present but unmounted. A missing mount point is different from missing data; formatting would make recovery harder.
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The USB no longer boots
Confirm that the computer is actually attempting to boot from the USB and that firmware settings have not changed. Test the drive on another compatible computer when available. If the data partition is intact but the boot menu does not appear, use Ventoy’s documented recovery options rather than improvising with a fresh installation. A fresh install should be considered only after you have secured a complete backup of the first partition.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why you should not use non-destructive installation as a shortcut
Ventoy’s non-destructive feature is designed to install Ventoy on a disk that does not already have it while attempting to preserve existing data. The project labels it an installation feature and says it is unnecessary when the disk already contains Ventoy. For an existing Ventoy USB, the regular Update control or Linux -u command is the clearer, purpose-built operation.
The non-destructive page also says: “Ventoy will try to ensure the safety of existing data, but it is strongly recommended to back up first for very important data.” That wording is a caution, not a guarantee that every disk layout or failure condition will preserve files.
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A Ventoy forum discussion from September 2020 records a report involving an upgrade problem around version 1.0.21. You can read the historical thread at the Ventoy forums. It is an old anecdote, not a current failure rate or evidence that present-day updates generally damage files. Use the current official instructions, verify the target disk and maintain a backup instead of treating that report as a prediction for your hardware.
Windows and Linux update methods compared
| Consideration | Windows | Linux |
|---|---|---|
| Tool | Ventoy2Disk.exe |
Ventoy2Disk.sh |
| Update action | Select the drive and click Update | Run sh Ventoy2Disk.sh -u /dev/XXX with the verified disk path |
| Device selection | Graphical device list; USB devices are listed by default | Typed whole-device path |
| Main risk | Selecting another disk, especially with Show all devices enabled | Typing or copying the wrong /dev/... path |
| Expected first-partition result | Ventoy documents that an upgrade leaves files in the first partition unchanged | |
| Fallback documented by Ventoy | LiveCD when Ventoy2Disk.exe continually fails |
Use the Linux package directly; the Windows LiveCD route is not required |
Common mistakes to avoid
- Choosing Install instead of Update: installation formats the drive and can remove the ISO collection you intended to keep.
- Using a force-install option: a force option does not turn installation into a safe upgrade.
- Assuming a drive letter is permanent: Windows can assign a different letter when other storage is connected.
- Leaving Show all devices enabled without checking: internal disks can appear in the same list.
- Typing a Linux partition instead of the disk: the documented update command uses the whole device path represented by
/dev/XXX. - Unplugging during the operation: wait for the utility or script to finish before removing the USB.
- Skipping a backup for unique files: the documented preservation behavior is reassuring, but a separate copy is still the prudent protection for important data.
- Reinstalling immediately after an error: diagnose the device and preserve the existing data before considering any installation procedure.
The safe-update checklist
- Confirm that Ventoy is already installed on this USB.
- Back up irreplaceable files and ISO images.
- Download and extract the package for your operating system.
- Disconnect unrelated storage where practical.
- Verify the USB by capacity, label and device details.
- Use Windows Update or Linux
-u. - Do not use Install, force-install or an unrelated partition operation.
- Wait for completion and eject the drive safely.
- Check the first partition and test booting when practical.
Following that sequence keeps the operation aligned with Ventoy’s documented design: update the boot files in the small system partition while preserving the files stored in the large first partition.
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