Ventoy - Easy USB multiboot for ISO files (UEFI, too!)

Discussion in 'Application Software' started by Atari800XL, May 1, 2020.

  1. David77

    David77 MDL Novice

    Mar 16, 2017
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    :p Selecting "run all programs from RAM" in XPE builder was the solution...... :p

    Thank You....
     
  2. WindowsMyStyle

    WindowsMyStyle MDL Member

    May 2, 2018
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    Of course if the RAM solution is the best ... it's not a great thing ...
    My opinion Vertoy is an excellent Multi Boot but only for modern PCs.
    UEFI32 Compatibility Nonexistent
    Windows XP and Windows Vista don't work
    All versions of Windows PE won't work unless everything starts in RAM (and who has 1-2 GB ?! ")
    The Multi Boot principle is totally different ... and mapping for any ISO will never be a good solution ... will always have problems with past or future versions.
     
  3. Isn’t >= 2GB standard these days, unless you have a PC from <2009?
     
  4. Atari800XL

    Atari800XL MDL Addicted

    Apr 3, 2011
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    Wait a minute here...
    My advice was to try the "Run all programs from RAM" option first, but I don't think it's the ONLY option...
    I haven't tried it with XPE recently (in combination with Ventoy), but aren't you supposed to put some "marker" files on the root of the USB drive that holds the "Programs" or "Program Files" folders? Wasn't that file called "CDUSB.Y"?

    I use a similar approach for my own custom PEs, the marker file is there to make sure the USB drive you booted from gets a fixed drive letter (usually "Y:") so later on you can be sure that your programs and other stuff is there on drive Y:

    When I used 10PESE and other project some years ago, I used a mix of (mostly used) programs in RAM (so they would ALWAYS be available, even when the USB is removed), and some other (less used or larger) tools on the Y: drive
    In that case, you leave the option "Run ALL programs from RAM" unchecked, but in the submenus for each program separately, you select the option on a per-program basis.

    ...lots, Lots, LOTS of options everywhere :)
     
  5. WindowsMyStyle

    WindowsMyStyle MDL Member

    May 2, 2018
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    and if I wanted to use Sergei Strelec's Windows PE, how much RAM should I have if the ISO is 4GB ?! at least 8GB ?!
    I repeat the mapping is a good solution but not for everyone!
    Ventoy practically bases all its startups on total mapping ... this makes everything not very compatible with many PCs (and not only dated)
     
  6. migascalp

    migascalp MDL Senior Member

    Sep 18, 2009
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    #86 migascalp, May 30, 2020
    Last edited: May 30, 2020
    I tried
    Does not work
    USB support does not seem to be detected

    Edit:
    However, casper-rw real partition still works as well as it did when I used it
    Annotation 2020-05-30 144038.png

    Edit2:
    finally not. it does not work :(
     
  7. Atari800XL

    Atari800XL MDL Addicted

    Apr 3, 2011
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    Maybe we can try the new "Wim file direct boot" feature of the brand new 1.12 version of Ventoy.
    It's supposed to boot your boot.wim (for example, W10XPE) directly, no extra memory required!
    @migascalp, do you still have your test setup at the ready?
     
  8. Atari800XL

    Atari800XL MDL Addicted

    Apr 3, 2011
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    #89 Atari800XL, May 30, 2020
    Last edited: May 30, 2020
    (OP)
    I just tested the new "Direct .wim file boot" and it's excellent!!
    Thank you @ventoy for this great new feature!

    Booting my own custom PE's has now gotten even simpler, so maybe I (or someone else) will try this with a Win10XPE boot.wim as well (by @chrisr of course!).

    EDIT: Did a quick XPE test: I checked "Run ALL apps from RAM, so everything would be packed into one single boot.wim file, but then deselected all [external] apps, so the .wim would be done quicker. The XPE build process is super fast (remember, you don't even need to build the ISO), then just copy to your Ventoy USB, and directly boot it!!!
     
  9. migascalp

    migascalp MDL Senior Member

    Sep 18, 2009
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  10. erkange

    erkange MDL Novice

    Aug 21, 2016
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    @ventoy your forum page has an SSL issue. Just fyi.
    prnt.sc/sv0bn6
     
  11. ventoy

    ventoy MDL Novice

    May 1, 2020
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    It's OK now.
     
  12. adrianyujs

    adrianyujs MDL Member

    Sep 26, 2012
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    Any guide how to change the theme?
     
  13. jc8

    jc8 MDL Novice

    Mar 12, 2016
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    1. Add a new folder called ventoy to the root of your USB drive.
    2. Put your downloaded theme "Whatever" into that folder.
    3. Create a text file inside the ventoy folder and rename it to ventoy.json
    4. Put the following code inside ventoy.json
    Code:
    {
        "theme": {
            "file": "/ventoy/Whatever/theme.txt"
        }
    }
    
     
  14. xteam

    xteam MDL Novice

    Jun 23, 2015
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    Thats really neat, i usually use easy2boot which works fine but lately it is causing me some troubles adding esd or iso larger than 4gb.
    does ventoy supports 256gb usb?
    i had some issues to get it working with e2b but eventually i dont know how it worked, uefi and legacy probably created 2 partitions one ntfs and another fat32 with some grub on it i think.
    one more thing, does it show ALL isos in ALL folders, cause sometimes i add software iso's separately in the folders and i dont feel like showing a thousand iso each time i want to install windows.
     
  15. xteam

    xteam MDL Novice

    Jun 23, 2015
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    how can i set ventoy to look for ISO files in a specific folder cause i need to add other tools that contain iso images in other folders.
    also is it possible to split my usb to 2 parts 120gb by 120gb ?
     
  16. Atari800XL

    Atari800XL MDL Addicted

    Apr 3, 2011
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    xteam: read the documentation.
    You can exclude your specific folders by adding an empty file in there with this name:
    Code:
     .ventoyignore 
    That way, iso files in that folder will not be added to the menu.

    About your other question: Yes, you can reserve disk space when installing ventoy.
    Go to ventoy.net, click "Documentation" and read the notes on the 1.14 version. It will tell you that you have to open the "Option" menu when installing Ventoy. Select "Partition configuration" and tick the "Preserve..." box.
     
  17. Kyhi

    Kyhi MDL Junior Member

    Jul 16, 2015
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    I have a Question and an assumption.. As a Developer of Win10XPE and with Testing Ventoy...
    We can build Win10XPE all programs into ram (Boot.wim) we also have an option to build Win10XPE with programs into Y:\drive - Y:\drive would be the drive containing a flag.. Which would usually the USB or Partition or Mounted ISO...
    In the case of Ventoy Booting an ISO - I assume the ISO is mounted - the Boot.wim is loaded into memory (X:\) - then the ISO is unmounted... As the ISO is not presented as a drive after Booting the ISO with Ventoy...

    Can there be an option to not unmount the ISO - so as the Mounted ISO drive can be present and assigned a drive letter ? As we use a Letterswap command to change the drive letter of what ever drive contains the Flag to Y:\

    Not sure how well this will work, if the ISO is kept as a Mounted Drive - as an ISO file is not considered Writable Media, but it may only effect certain programs that would want to write to their own Program Folder...

    Hope this kind of makes for sensible reading..
    Thanks
    KYHI
     
  18. ventoy

    ventoy MDL Novice

    May 1, 2020
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