If you are a fan of testing different operating systems and prefer a real experience, and not a virtual one, or if you work in system administration and usually carry a USB memory well stocked with ISOs with you, surely you already know Ventoy, an application to create installable units which was launched a couple of years ago, but which already occupies a privileged place among the tools of all self-respecting.
Just in case, we repeat: Ventoy is a utility with which to create USB drives that contain installation images of operating systems, for example versions of Windows or Linux distributions, among others, obviously for installation. Something that we already had a priori, see Rufus, who we have talked about here on more than one occasion; Although the truth is that there are many alternatives. Why, then, is Ventoy so special?
Because Ventoy is an open source and cross-platform development that makes it easy to boot multiple operating systems from a single USB drive. It’s really fantastic because unlike most existing options, once you install Ventoy on your USB, you can add, but also remove operating system installation images with drag and drop, or delete. In other words, the process is much faster, simpler and optimal for the useful life of the USB.
With Ventoy you can not only add as many installation images (ISO, IMG, WIM, etc) as the available storage space on the USB memory allows: it frees you from constantly formatting by formatting the unit. With Ventoy, the method of use is simple: you connect the USB to the computer, access the folder and add or delete what you want. There’s no more. Then you start and proceed with what you want to do (in the previous links you have detailed instructions for use).
Ventoy has another positive thing, and that is that it is a project with a very active development that every so often launches a new version with interesting news, as is the case at hand. Specifically, Ventoy 1.0.84 releases support for multiple languages in boot menu and, most importantly, filesystem support FAT32 and more than 32 GB of storagethus improving its performance in multiplatform environments.
Just a couple of news, but interesting enough to allow us to publish this reminder about Ventoy, an essential tool today… for those who need it, of course. To insert a Windows or a Linux distro in a timely manner, there are simpler alternatives, such as balenaEtcher. Now, if it’s something you do often, you’ll appreciate what Ventoy offers you. All information and downloads on its official website.
