How to Install Zorin OS 18.1 (Step by Step for Beginners)

This tutorial takes about 11 minutes to complete.

This guide shows how to install Zorin OS 18.1 on your PC, from downloading the ISO to your first login, and which installer options to pick as a beginner and why. It follows the video, with the exact keys, button names and options from the recording.

New to Ventoy? The Ventoy page explains what it is, and the Windows 11 Ventoy walkthrough shows the Windows steps in more detail. If you are already running Zorin OS, there is also a guide to installing Ventoy on Zorin OS 18.1.

Warning: this is a fresh install. Erase disk and install Zorin OS erases the whole drive, and there is no disk partitioning or dual boot. Back up anything important first.

Before you start

You need a PC, a USB stick or an external drive larger than 8 GB, and a minimum of 25 GB of free space on your hard drive. You will also need a second computer, or the same PC while it still runs its current system, to download the ISO and prepare the USB drive. The video does this part on Windows 11, because many people switching to Linux are coming from Windows.

A wired internet connection is the easiest and most reliable way to connect, and it lets the installer download updates while installing Zorin OS.

Jump to a chapter in the video: Intro and requirements · Get the ISO · Ventoy USB · Copy ISO · Boot menu · Secure Boot fix · Install Zorin · First boot

Step 1: Download the Zorin OS 18.1 ISO

Open your browser and go to the official Zorin OS download page. Scroll down and find the Zorin OS 18.1 Core version. The video notes that it should be free, and the page marks it Free. Click Download, and your download should start automatically. The video skips through the wait.

When the download is done, go to your Downloads folder, and you should see the Zorin ISO.

The video also puts the ISO in its own folder, which is optional but keeps it easy to find. Right-click the ISO and click Cut. Go to This PC and the C drive, right-click, choose New, then Folder, and name it ISO. Open the folder, right-click and paste.

Step 2: Download Ventoy

To make a bootable ISO drive, the video uses Ventoy. It turns your USB stick or external drive into a multi-boot ISO drive, so you can store multiple ISOs on it and boot from them.

Open the browser and go to ventoy.net. Click Downloads, scroll down, find the Ventoy Windows zip file and click it. Your download should start shortly.

Step 3: Extract Ventoy and open Ventoy2Disk

Once the download is finished, go to your Downloads folder and close the browser. Now you need to extract the zip file: right-click it, click Extract All, and then click Extract. The new folder should open.

Go inside the Ventoy folder and look for the Ventoy2Disk application. Double-click it, and click Yes to give administrator access. Now the Ventoy application is open.

Step 4: Select your USB drive

Connect your external USB drive. If you do not see your USB stick or external storage device, click the green refresh button. If you still do not see it, open the Options menu and click Show All Devices. This shows all the drives on your PC, and it is off by default.

Warning: make sure not to install Ventoy on your main drive. Make sure you install it on your external drive. Also back up any important files you have, because this will format and erase everything on the disk.

Step 5: Turn on Secure Boot Support

Open the Options menu again and make sure Secure Boot Support is checked. In case you have any problems with Secure Boot errors, this should help fix it. Step 9 shows how to fix the Secure Boot errors if you still get one.

Step 6: Install Ventoy on the USB drive

Make sure you have everything backed up from your drive, and then click Install. A warning says the device will be formatted and all the data will be lost. Click Yes to continue.

A second window double-checks that you want to format the device and lose all the data. You can click Yes.

When it is finished you will see Congratulations: Ventoy has been successfully installed to the device. Click OK, and then close the Ventoy application.

Step 7: Copy the Zorin OS ISO to your Ventoy drive

Open the file manager. If you look on the side, you can see your Ventoy drive. Go to This PC and the C drive, click the ISO folder, right-click the ISO file and select Copy. Go back to This PC, double-click the Ventoy drive, then right-click and paste. When the ISO file has finished copying to the Ventoy drive, close the window.

Tip: for blazing fast speeds and more storage space, use an external NVMe drive. The NVMe enclosure tutorial shows how to build your own NVMe drive with an NVMe enclosure, and the Orico M.2 NVMe enclosure page has the product details.

Step 8: Boot from the USB with the boot menu key

Shut down your computer and reboot into the BIOS or boot menu. Plug the USB into the PC you are installing on, then restart and tap the boot menu key right as it powers on. The key depends on the brand. Here are some common ones.

You could also check your motherboard's documentation. Keys vary by model. If yours does not work, check the manual of your computer or motherboard.

Tap the key, do not hold it. Tap it repeatedly right after you press the power button, with the USB already plugged in. The boot menu lets you pick the USB drive once, and the BIOS setup key opens the firmware settings, where you can change the boot order.

Acer: on some models the F12 boot menu must first be enabled in the BIOS. Press F2, go to Main, set F12 Boot Menu to Enabled, then save and restart. Lenovo: many models also have a small Novo button that opens a boot menu.

If the key does nothing: fast boot can use up your keystrokes. On a Windows PC, hold Shift and click Restart, then choose Use a device and pick your USB drive. To open the BIOS setup that way, go to Troubleshoot, Advanced options, then UEFI Firmware Settings.

The boot menu keys for Dell, HP, Lenovo, ASUS, Acer, MSI and Gigabyte are the ones said in the video. The BIOS setup keys, the Novo button and the Acer setting come from the manufacturers' support pages and other published lists: Dell, HP, MSI, Acer and the Gigabyte BIOS manual.

In your boot menu, locate your Ventoy drive. In the video, the first device shown is the Ventoy drive. Select it and press Enter.

Step 9: If you get the Secure Boot failure

If you see the error Verification failed: (0x1A) Security Violation, the video calls it the infamous secure boot failure. This is one of the Secure Boot errors, and the fix only takes a minute. Press Enter for OK. When it asks you to press any key to perform MOK management, press Enter.

Go down to Enroll key from disk and press Enter. The selected key will be enrolled into the MOK database. Make sure you select VTOYEFI and press Enter. Then scroll down until you see ENROLL_THIS_KEY_IN_MOKMANAGER.cer and press Enter.

Go down to Continue and press Enter. Choose to enroll the keys, scroll down to Yes and press Enter. Then press Enter again to reboot the PC.

Step 10: Boot the Ventoy drive and start Zorin OS

After the reboot you are in the Ventoy boot menu. Select the Zorin OS ISO and press Enter. Boot into normal mode, and then click Try or Install Zorin OS. Now you have booted into the installation media.

Step 11: Choose your installer options

Click Install Zorin OS to begin the installation. These are the choices from the video, one screen at a time.

Keyboard layout

Choose your keyboard layout. The video uses English. Click Continue.

Updates and other software

The video recommends a wired internet connection. This lets the installer download updates while installing Zorin OS, and it also allows you to install third-party software, graphics and Wi-Fi drivers. Keep both of those options checked.

If you install third-party drivers and have Secure Boot enabled, the installer shows Configure Secure Boot. Choose a password (a security key) here and confirm it, because you will enter it when the system restarts. Make sure to set up this password.

Check the census box if you do not want to participate in the census. The census just lets the Zorin developers know how many users are using their OS. Click Continue.

Erase disk and install

The video is not doing a dual boot system. It starts with a fresh operating system and formats the entire drive, so make sure you back up any important files first. Select Erase disk and install Zorin OS and click Continue.

Choose the drive

Here is where you select your drive. Make sure you select the correct hard drive, because when you click here it shows all your hard drives. The video does not install on the Ventoy drive, even though it is listed, and picks the 53 GB hard drive instead. Select your drive, then click Install Now.

A warning tells you that your disk will be erased and formatted. Double-check that you selected the correct drive, and then click Continue.

Location and account

Select the location of where you are and click Continue. Then set up your username and password to log into your operating system. You can also change your computer's name, pick a username and enter your password. The video keeps the option Require my password to log in checked. Click Continue.

Step 12: Finish the install and set up Zorin OS

Zorin OS 18 is now being installed on your hard drive. The video fast-forwards through this part. When the installation is complete, restart your computer. Remove your USB stick or external hard drive and press Enter.

Log in and fix the display

Log in: click your username and enter your password. You have successfully installed Zorin OS 18.

Now fix the display. Right-click the desktop, go to Display Settings and then to Resolution. The video changes it to 4K, which is 3840 by 2160, and sets the scale to 100%. Click Apply and then Keep Changes, and close the settings.

Update the system

Make sure all the software packages are up to date. You can click Install Now on the notification if you see one, or do it from the menu: click the Z button, go to All apps, scroll down to Software Updater and open it. It checks for updates for your system. Click Install Now and enter your password. After the update is done, click Restart Now to restart your computer, and log back in.

You have now downloaded the Zorin OS 18.1 ISO, made a Ventoy USB, booted it with your boot menu key, installed Zorin OS with the Erase disk option and finished the first-boot setup. In the next video you will see how to integrate local AI using Ollama.

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How to Install Ubuntu 26.04 LTS (Step by Step for Beginners): the same install for Ubuntu 26.04 LTS.

How to Install Ventoy on Zorin OS 18.1: make the same USB from Zorin OS.

How to Install Ventoy on a Drive from Windows 11: the Ventoy steps used here, in detail.

How to Install Ventoy on Ubuntu 26.04: make the same USB from Ubuntu.

How to Install Ventoy on Debian 13: the same install on Debian 13.

Orico M.2 NVMe Enclosure Unboxing, Setup & Speed Test: build a fast external drive for your Ventoy setup.