Ventoy: Multi-Boot USB with Correct Structure

Instead of reformatting USB for each new image, Ventoy lets you simply copy ISO files like regular files. At boot, you get a menu with all available images.

Benefits:

• ✅ No need to rewrite USB for each image
• ✅ Support for Windows, Linux, utilities - all on one drive
• ✅ Regular files accessible from any OS
• ✅ Flexible configuration via JSON

🗂 Correct USB Structure

[First USB partition - exFAT/NTFS]
├── /ventoy/                    # ← Must be here!
│   ├── ventoy.json            # Main config
│   ├── revi/                  # Windows auto-install
│   │   └── autounattend.xml
│   └── theme/                 # Custom theme
│       └── distro/theme.txt
│
├── BACKUP/                    # Working files
├── LINUX/                     # Linux ISOs
│   ├── Archlinux 2025.12.01.iso
│   ├── Debian 13.2.0.iso
│   └── NixOS 25.11.1734.iso
├── WINDOWS/                   # Windows ISOs
│   ├── Windows 10 22H2.iso
│   ├── Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021.iso
│   └── Windows 11 25H2.iso
├── ReviSetup/                 # Post-install scripts
│   └── setup.cmd
└── UTILS/                     # Utilities
    ├── gparted-live.iso
    └── memtest86+.iso

⚠️ Critical: /ventoy/ must be on the first partition (where ISOs are), NOT in root!

⚙️ Basic Configuration: ventoy.json

File must be at /ventoy/ventoy.json, UTF-8 encoding.

Minimal Example

{
  "control": [
    { "VTOY_DEFAULT_MENU_MODE": "1" },
    { "VTOY_FILT_DOT_UNDERSCORE_FILE": "1" }
  ],
  "theme": {
    "file": "/ventoy/theme/distro/theme.txt",
    "gfxmode": "1920x1080",
    "resolution_fit": "1"
  }
}

🎨 Customization: Menu Themes

Where to Get Themes

1. distro-grub-themes - collection of ready-made themes
2. Gnome-look.org - themes tagged ventoy
3. Create your own - follow Ventoy documentation

Installing a Theme

# Clone theme
cd /mnt/ventoy/ventoy/theme
git clone https://github.com/AdisonCavani/distro-grub-themes.git distro

# Or download from Gnome-look
wget https://www.gnome-look.org/.../theme.tar.gz
tar xzf theme.tar.gz

In ventoy.json specify path:

{
  "theme": {
    "file": "/ventoy/theme/distro/theme.txt",
    "resolution_fit": "1"
  }
}

🪟 Windows Auto-Install

Structure for Auto-Install

/ventoy/
└── revi/
    └── autounattend.xml     # Windows Setup的 answers

/ReviSetup/
└── setup.cmd                # Post-install

Example ventoy.json for Auto-Install

{
  "auto_install": [
    {
      "parent": "/WINDOWS",
      "template": ["/ventoy/revi/autounattend.xml"],
      "autosel": 1
    }
  ]
}

What autounattend.xml Does

• Skips Microsoft account creation
• Disables telemetry
• Applies privacy settings
• Runs setup.cmd after install

💡 Ready-made configs: meetrevision/ventoy-conf

🛠 Post-Install: setup.cmd

Script runs automatically after Windows installation.

Example Actions

:: Disable driver updates
reg add "HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DriverSearching" /v "SearchOrderConfig" /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

:: Pause updates until 2038
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsUpdate\UX\Settings" /v "PauseUpdatesExpiryTime" /t REG_SZ /d "2038-01-19T03:14:07Z" /f

:: Disable telemetry
reg add "HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DataCollection" /v "AllowTelemetry" /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

:: Prevent Teams auto-install
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Chat" /v "ChatIcon" /t REG_DWORD /d 2 /f

🗂 Checklist: Creating USB

• Installed Ventoy via Ventoy2Disk.sh / .exe
• Created /ventoy/ on first partition
• Placed ventoy.json in /ventoy/ (UTF-8)
• Copied images to logical folders (LINUX/, WINDOWS/)
• (Optional) Installed menu theme
• (Optional) Configured Windows auto-install
• Verified JSON syntax via json.cn
• Tested boot

🔧 Useful Commands

# Check ventoy.json syntax
cat /ventoy/ventoy.json | jq .

# In Ventoy menu: F5 - show ventoy.json content

# Recreate Ventoy partition (data will be lost!)
sudo ./Ventoy2Disk.sh -i /dev/sdX

📚 Additional Features

Ventoy supports many plugins and extensions:

• Persistence - save data between Live system reboots
• Memdisk - boot images into RAM
• Auto install - OS installation automation
• Custom menu - custom menu items
• Injection - inject drivers/files into images

🔗 Documentation: ventoy.net

⚠️ Common Issues

🔐 Security

• ✅ exFAT - accessible from any OS (but unencrypted)
• 🔐 For sensitive files: VeraCrypt container
• ✅ autounattend.xml and setup.cmd - plain text, no passwords

🗂 Links

• 🚀 Official Ventoy Site
• 🎨 Theme Collection
• 🎨 Themes on Gnome-look
• 🪟 Windows Auto-Install
• 📘 Plugin Documentation