Ventoy - Simple USB MultiBoot

[StainlessS]

Hi guys,
Just a word on a new [at least to me] USB multiboot app that is simple to use.
Windows and Linux installers to USB.
EDIT: Looks to have been born about April 2020 v1.0.06 on Github, latest release v1.0.31 23 Dec 2020, about two dozen udpates
so far, so is in rapid active development. also has a forum.

What is ventoy

Ventoy is an open source tool to create bootable USB drive for ISO/WIM/IMG/VHD(x)/EFI files. With ventoy, you don't need to format the disk over and over, you just need to copy the ISO/WIM/IMG/VHD(x)/EFI files to the USB drive and boot them directly. You can copy many files at a time and ventoy will give you a boot menu to select them (screenshot).
x86 Legacy BIOS, IA32 UEFI, x86_64 UEFI and ARM64 UEFI are supported in the same way. Most type of OS supported (Windows/WinPE/Linux/Unix/VMware/Xen...)
580+ ISO files are tested (list), 90%+ distros in distrowatch.com supported (details),


HomePage:- https://www.ventoy.net/en/index.html
Github:- https://github.com/ventoy/Ventoy/releases
Forum:- https://forums.ventoy.net/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3p-f_Cwa4g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ng8emZvia_c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnJYIHtgxas

Also can use multiboot SD Card and if you see the FAQs page, hard drives too.
[EDIT: Just need to use a switch from command line or bat to enable hard drive, by default only removable (USB/SD cards) shown for install.]
Download, about 10MB for windows, open source on GitHub.

It could not be easier, simply install to USB, takes a few seconds,
creates a 2nd Hidden partition [32MB] where Ventoy resides (and boots to), and formats 1st partition (by default exFAT) and empty.
You just copy your bootable ISO files to the blank partition, and you're done, easy peasy. Can update Ventoy disk in-place when new version comes out.

Has list on site of tested working ISO's[~580}, Windows OS Installers, Linux OS Installers, and tools [recommend System Rescue disk].

Ones I tried today with success

boot-repair-disk-64bit.iso
foxclone40-02.iso
G13K9_PW4KGA00_W7SP1PRO64_ROW(DL).iso # Win7 setup [Dell] ~7GB on exFAT
linuxmint-20-cinnamon-64bit.iso
MacriumRescuev7.3.5365_RE_x86.iso # RE Version
rescatux-0.51b3.iso
Runtimelivecd[DriveImage_XML_Suite].iso
super_grub2_disk_hybrid_2.02s10.iso
systemrescue-7.01-amd64.iso

EDIT: Above MacriumRescue is Macrium Reflect USB rescue disk. I created from inside the Windows installed app, so you will not find the named ISO on internet, you make and name it yourself.

Fails

HBCD_15-2(Mod).iso # Hiren Boot CD, Old version [non PE]

Boots into Mini XP OK, but utility menus not shown, seems that it cant find where its running from. Dont know if dos style utilities work, but GParted [EDIT: Parted Magic] also cant find itself. I think Hiren uses different boot functionality to the others. Maybe it would work if I used original ISO filename,
EDIT: or probably not.

Foxclone looks interesting, clones FAT, NTFS, Linux Ext4, (and therefore Ext2, and Ext3). Also has TestDisk and other tools.
[I still have problems with ext4 partitions and Macrium Reflect, probably down to me usng single partion ext4, swapfile is unused area
at end of ext4 partition and Macrium reflect seem to mess with the MBR/GPT partition table [or PBR/SuperBlock] because of this, causing it to not boot after image restore. Hopefully Foxclone is not so stupid.]

FoxClone

FoxClone is a image backup, restore, and clone tool for Windows and Linux systems, using a simple point-and-click interface. Being Linux-based, it boots to its own system exclusive of anything on the hard disk drive (HDD) or solid disk drive (SSD), where it takes images of the partitions and stores them for later restoration. The resulting image files can optionally be compressed to save space. .


Backup & Restore

Backup any partition on a drive or all of them. Windows and linux partition types, legacy and GPT partition tables. Backups are compressed to save space.

FoxClone [Open source]:- https://foxclone.com/
EDIT: This looks to be the FoxClone source site (Lazarus IDE and Free Pascal source):- http://hardwickhome.net/
Could not find anything on FoxClone on YouTube, loads of unrelated game stuff using simlar name.
EDIT: Apparently only available in x64, he says to bug him if you want x86:- https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2439685

I've been making USB boot disks for my Machines, and because I've got loads of low capacity 2.5 inch hard drives (£0.50 each 20GB, bout 26 of them, plus another 10 40GB, 60GB and 80GB at bit higher price), I've been using Hard drives instead of USB or SD.
Plenty of space on 2.5 inch drive for a big label [unlike SD Cards]
and I can tailor each drive for specific machine, MBR/UEFI but Ventoy seems to pretty much make my previous YUMI disks obsolete. On the individual machine drives I can also put eg Drivers and maybe machine/OS specific registry hacks and such.
All 3 of my desktops have an external Hard drive dock, just drop the drive in and away we go.

Anyways, hope someone finds a use for this handy tool.

[Atak_Snajpera]

Yes. Very useful. Thanks.

[FranceBB]

Wait, you're telling me I can clone my disk to a VHD as I do for virtual machines and boot it directly from a USB HDD? That's really cool! :D

[StainlessS]

Thats what it says [I aint tried that], but I think W10 [maybe enterprise or something] can boot VHD via Hyper-V thingy, but dont know how that works [external to W10, might have to reboot from inside W10].
Apparently something called HP SmartStart can boot pretty much anything, usually used for system setup. A link from inside HP site, demanded some kind of partner ID to download SmartStart.
But here tis without having to give partner ID [still the 2011/2012 version 8.70 ISO, which seems to be latest available].
https://smartstart.software.informer.com/8.7/
Above link is ISO, no idea how it works, or if it includes the BIOS boot stuff [but it shares the same name].
Dont know if it will only work on HP ProLiant server or not. [I SMS'ed somebody bout VenToy, and he SMS'ed back bout SmartStart doing that since 2011. I could not find more recent version of it, maybe I download it tomorrow].

EDIT: from EDIT: In Win SUX thread,

[B]Import Windows XP Mode from Windows 7 to Windows 10
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/138739-import-windows-xp-mode-windows-7-windows-10-a.html
EDIT: Wrong link, this one:- https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/135551-hyper-v-add-windows-xp-mode-virtual-machine-windows-10-a.html # <<<===== THIS ONE

W7 Pro had XP mode [you had to install it] with XP emulator, above is the XP emulator thingy, and instructions how to extract the
virtual XP image.

Windows XP Mode is a free pre-installed virtual machine running on Virtual PC in Windows 7. See the tutorial on our sister site Seven Forums: Windows XP Mode - Install and Setup - Windows 7 Help Forums

In this tutorial, I will show how to use Windows XP Mode virtual hard disk to create a virtual machine in Windows 10 using Hyper-V-

An archiving application which can open EXE archives is required. In this tutorial, I will use 7-Zip. Free download: 7-Zip

Notice that setting up Windows XP Mode virtual machine in Hyper-V, it will not be activated. If you have a valid XP product key, you can use it to activate the virtual machine.

Without activation, you can use Windows XP Mode virtual machine for 30 days.

Windows XP Mode is only available in US English.

Some instructions then

2.6) The extracted VirtualXPVHD file is the Windows XP virtual hard disk. When extracted, it has no extension. We need to add the .vhd extension to it to make Windows to recognize it as a virtual hard disk file.

In File Explorer, browse to folder where you extracted the VHD. Select View tab in Explorer, select File name extensions, right click the VHD file, select Rename, add .vhd to end of file name:
So using above you can extract and make copy of a premade WXP, valid for 30 days. [then presumably you make another copy of original for another 30 days]

[StainlessS]

Well I extracted VirtualXP.VHD as at end of last post, and copied to Ventoy Hard Drive, reboot, and not shown.
Copied to USB, reboot, same, does not appear in menu [new ventoy USB install, only that file in partition 1, shows No ISOs Found].
I guess may be a work in progress.
Got MD5 for the file, google search shows some problem, but is problem with VirtualBox not with XP VHD, so file does not seem corrupt.
https://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/6023
I'll havta havva look at forum tomorow and see if any mention of VHD booting.

EDIT: From forum, seems there may be some issue booting XP due to missing compatible driver. https://forums.ventoy.net/showthread.php?tid=705

mat-industries said
Since the latest version of Ventoy also supports booting from VHD, I have been working on this for the last few days.
Windows (different versions) I get all of them running.
Windows XP I unfortunately can't get to run. :-(
Maybe someone of you has a VHD with XP and the integrated drivers for Vboot to test.
Did anyone of you already manage that ???

Midas said
I am guessing here, but I believe XP is lacking the necessary driver to interact with a virtual disk and more so in case of its booting drive...

I also believe there may be workarounds, but I haven't researched them.

[VoodooFX]

I use Easy2Boot (https://www.easy2boot.com/), that's pretty old project, I see that Ventoy can be added there too https://www.easy2boot.com/add-ventoy/

[StainlessS]

Yeah, lots of options for Easy2Boot, I got most of the addons and stuff but yet to try anything with it.
[My Ver$ Easy2Boot is probably a bit old - certainly before birth of ventoy].
So much to do and so little time :)
I think is maybe the type of thing you could spend the rest of your life playing with.

EDIT:
Just tried with Win Server 19 VHD and Ventoy, same thing, reported "no ISO found".
Perhaps M$ does something to prevent working outside of their hyper-v thingy.
Both vm's were provided by M$ [the other one being XP].

As suggested by Feisty in win SUX thread,
Win Server19 vhd, 6 months Evaluation from here[8GB]:- https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/evaluate-windows-server-2019

[StainlessS]

Well, I decided to have a look at the docs, had some success, RTFM is an oft wrote piece of advise, its something to do with looking at docs.

Directory contents of Ventoy disk partition 1 [ventoy dir required for specials, other dirs I added just to keep some order].

Ventoy\ # Disk named Ventoy. Partition 1, re-Formatted after install to NTFS, req for some Win VHD
iso\ # non awkward ISO
foxclone40-02.iso
systemrescue-7.01-amd64.iso
memdisk_iso\ # Needs Ventoy Boot Menu F1 key Memdisk mode, but see ventoy.json
HBCD_15-2(Mod).iso
ventoy\
ventoy.json # Some config stuff in here
ventoy_vhdboot.img # Req plugin where Win VHD
win_vhd\ # Win VHD fixed & dynamic, W7+, needs NTFS if prior W10 1803. Needs ventoy\ventoy_vhdboot.img plugin
VirtualXP.VHD # XP not supported in ventoy, lack of drivers [W7+ ONLY,
WSrv19.vhd # Win Server 2019, boots but "This computer hardware is not supported in Server 2019", not ventoy prob.

Win VHD's need ventoy_vhdboot.img plugin in ventoy folder.

Contents of ventoy.json text file [Make sure names are in correct case, upper lower case letters]
Also ensure Linux style SLASH '/' separators, not DOS style BACKSLASH '\'.

{
"auto_memdisk": [
"/memdisk_iso/HBCD_15-2(Mod).iso"
]
}

Above described by docs Memdisk plugin, Will auto mount HBCD_15-2(Mod).iso as if F1 key pressed before HBCD was selected for boot.
Memdisk option in Ventoy [whether by F1 key before boot or auto F1'ed via auto_memdisk json config] loads entire ISO into memory rather than simple mount as a device [restriction on ISO size, ~1GB max + other restrictions, RTFM].

If more than one memdisk ISO then like so [Note COMMA ',' after all iso paths except the last line]

{
"auto_memdisk": [
"/memdisk_iso/HBCD_15-2(Mod).iso",
"/memdisk_iso/SomeOther.iso"
]
}

HBCD which originally booted but failed to show utility menus in Mini XP, boots OK if F1 key pressed before boot
and in Mini XP shows utilities OK [I tested one utility out which worked OK].
PartEd (or maybe its PartIt) option (within the HBCD disk, but separate boot image ie not part of Mini XP) still does not fully boot.
Tried some DOS style utils, some of which worked OK.
EDIT: HBCD is quite a tricky one, there are many boot images and zipped executables inside it, using lots of different boot methods,
it really would be a miracle if they all worked without problems.

XP VHD did not boot, although it seemed to try, but then only W7+ VHDs are supported due to lacking drivers.
Win Server 2019 VHD, started to boot but when scanning devices decided that hardware was insufficient for the OS, not sure
what was lacking [We class this as SUCCESS].
Failing Svr2019 machine was Core 2 quad Q9550. I have not yet tried on my i7-8700 6 core 12 thread W10 machine.

Ventoy is [mostly] super easy if ISO only bootables, but some non ISO's need RTFM and maybe entry in json file or some plugin.

EDIT: On i7 machine, did not have the same insufficient spec hardware problem as on Core 2 Q9950 machine, seems to boot OK,
but said something about reboot again to install OS, and as I don't want to install anything, I powered off.
Seemed to be a VHD to setup Server 2019, rather than a running copy of Svr 2019 which I was expecting.
So anyways, we again count this as SUCCESS.

EDIT: The reason for Win VHD plugin:
Why not out-of-box support

This feature was not integrated by Ventoy. The main considerations are:
1. bootmgr, etfsboot.com ... These files in ventoy_vhdboot.img are NOT open source, they are directly extracted from Windows ISO file.
2. Easy to update ventoy_vhdboot.img separately
3. Easy to customize ventoy_vhdboot.img

[VoodooFX]

I have HBCD v15 working in Easy2Boot, trick with utilities is to copy that folder to usb root.

[StainlessS]

VX, did you got dat dem PartEd/PartIt thingy working [in same boot menu as Mini XP], or es ist kaputski ?

EDIT: And a Happy New Year to you sir, and all you other critters out there. :)

[VoodooFX]

I don't remember anything like that, probably never used.

Happy New Year for you too. ;)

[StainlessS]

I meant the item 2 below Mini XP in the HBCD menu, list something like,
"Linux rescue environment (PartEd Magic vxx.xx.xx)".
Is just a partition editor.
EDIT:
Linux based rescue environment (Parted Magic 2012-10-10)

I got HBCD_15-2 partly working (without Memdisk option) by copying entire HBCD folder to root of
ventoy partition 1. Parted Magic still dont work though.
So ISO exists on bootable device twice, once as ISO and then again as main folder HBCD,
only a few files are not duplcated, at same level as HBCD folder.

autorun.inf
changes.txt
HBCD.txt
HBCDMenu.cmd


I can still run HBCD_15-2 via SD Card(with everything working), so not a big problem. [also burnt to a couple of DVD's].