How to Install Ventoy on Zorin OS 18.1

beginnerSoftware Install6 min

Independently tested and verified on Oct 22, 2026. Commands reproduced exactly as run.

Prerequisites

A computer running Zorin OS 18.1
An external USB drive
Your password, which the Ventoy GUI asks for when it starts
Access to https://ventoy.net to download Ventoy
A few ISO files to boot (the video uses CachyOS, Clonezilla, Proxmox and Windows 11)

This tutorial takes about 6 minutes to complete.

This guide shows how to install Ventoy on Zorin OS 18.1, copy ISO files onto the Ventoy drive, and boot four of them from one external drive. It follows the video.

New to Ventoy? The Ventoy page explains what it is, what it does and how it can help you.

Warning: Installing Ventoy formats the device and erases everything on it. Back up your files first.

Before you start

You need a computer running Zorin OS 18.1, an external USB drive, your password, access to https://ventoy.net to download Ventoy, and a few ISO files you want to boot. The video uses CachyOS, Clonezilla, Proxmox and Windows 11.

Jump to a chapter in the video: Intro · Download Ventoy · Extract folder · Run Ventoy · Install Ventoy · Add your ISOs · Boot test

Step 1: Download Ventoy

Open your browser and type https://ventoy.net in the address bar, then press Enter. Go to the downloads and find the linux.tar.gz file, then click it. Your download should start shortly. Click Save, which saves it in your downloads folder. Now you can close your browser.

The Ventoy download page listing the linux.tar.gz file with the pointer on it.

Step 2: Extract the file

Go to your Downloads folder and find the linux.tar.gz file. Right-click it and click Extract. Once it is extracted, you can delete the linux.tar.gz file.

Step 3: Move the Ventoy folder to your home folder

Move the Ventoy folder to your home folder: right-click the folder, click Cut, go to the Home folder, right-click and paste it there.

Step 4: Run the Ventoy GUI

Double-click inside the Ventoy folder, then double-click inside the Ventoy folder again. If you have an AMD or Intel CPU, find the VentoyGUI.x86_64 file, right-click it and click Run. Enter your password when asked. You can now close the file manager; the Ventoy window stays open.

Step 5: Select your drive

Connect your external drive (USB) and look in the device list of the Ventoy window. If you do not see it, click the green refresh button. If it still does not appear, open Options and click Show All Devices, which shows all the drives on your computer. Show All Devices is usually left unchecked by default.

Warning: Show All Devices lists every drive on your computer, including your main hard drive. Make sure you select the correct drive.

Step 6: Install Ventoy to the drive

Before you install, make sure you back up all your files: this will delete everything on the drive. With the correct drive selected, click Install. A message says the device will be formatted and all the data will be lost; click OK. Ventoy then asks you to confirm that you want to format the drive; click OK again. When Ventoy reports that it has been successfully installed to the device, click OK and close the Ventoy window.

The Ventoy2Disk warning that the device will be formatted and all the data will be lost, with Cancel and OK.

Step 7: Copy your ISOs to the Ventoy drive

Open the os folder that holds your ISO files. The video has CachyOS, Clonezilla, Proxmox and Windows 11 ISOs there. Highlight and copy all of them, then paste them onto your Ventoy drive. Wait until the ISOs have finished copying.

Tip: For faster speeds, use an external NVMe drive. The NVMe tutorial linked below shows how to build one with an external enclosure.

The file manager showing the Ventoy drive with four ISO files, cachyos, clonezilla, proxmox and Windows 11.

Step 8: Boot and test each ISO

Close the file manager and shut down your computer. Check your motherboard's documentation to see how to boot into the BIOS or the boot menu. In the boot menu, select your Ventoy drive; in the video it is the first device. You then reach the Ventoy menu. Select an ISO and boot in normal mode. In the video CachyOS, Clonezilla (a disk recovery tool), Proxmox and Windows 11 all load successfully.

FAQ

Yes. Ventoy formats the device and all the data on it is lost, so make a backup of anything you need before you click Install.

Zorin OS 18.1, which is what the video shows. Other systems are not covered here.

Click the green refresh button. If it still does not appear, open the Options menu and click Show All Devices. That list includes every drive on your computer, even your main hard drive, so make sure you select the correct drive.

On an AMD or Intel processor, run the VentoyGUI.x86_64 file. Right-click it, click Run and enter your password when asked.

Check your motherboard's documentation to see how to boot into the boot menu or the BIOS. In the video the Ventoy drive is the first device in the boot menu, so it is selected from there.

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Products used in this tutorial

storage

ORICO M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosure (10Gbps)

ORICO USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10Gbps) M.2 NVMe SSD enclosure supporting 2230/2242/2260/2280 form factors up to 8TB, with UASP support for fast external drive performance.

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