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Ventoy Update Fix

Update Ventoy Without Losing ISO Files on the USB Drive

Your Ventoy drive works, but it is running an old version and a new Windows or Linux ISO refuses to boot. The fear stopping you is real: will updating wipe the drive? Done the right way, an update takes under a minute and every ISO survives.

By Technical AnshuVentoy USB Guide7 minute read
The full video shows the Ventoy update running live - watch which button is safe and which one erases the drive

Ventoy releases updates regularly - new operating system support, boot fixes, better hardware compatibility. If your drive is a year old, a brand-new ISO may fail on it for no other reason than its age. The good news: Ventoy is designed to be updated in place. The update process touches only the small boot area and deliberately leaves the data partition alone. The only genuine danger is one wrong click, and this guide exists so you never make it.

Ventoy2Disk - two buttons, two very different results
InstallFormats the whole drive - all files erased
UpdateReplaces boot files only - ISO files untouched
After updateDevice version = Package version
Install and Update sit next to each other in Ventoy2Disk - for an existing Ventoy drive, Update is always the correct one
1

Before You Start - Three Quick Safety Checks

  1. Identify your drive properly: note its size and drive letter in File Explorer - in Ventoy2Disk you must select this exact device, not another USB disk
  2. Close anything using the drive: shut File Explorer windows and pause any copy running to the drive
  3. Optional but wise: if the drive holds your only copy of an important ISO, copy that one file to the PC first - updates are safe, but backups are cheaper than regret
2

Download the New Package and Compare Versions

  1. Go to ventoy.net and download the latest Windows package (the ZIP file)
  2. Extract the ZIP to a normal folder - do not run the tool from inside the ZIP
  3. Plug in your Ventoy drive and run Ventoy2Disk.exe as administrator
  4. Select your drive in the Device dropdown and compare Ventoy in Package against Ventoy in Device - if the device number is lower, proceed
3

Click Update - Not Install

  1. Click the Update button
  2. Read the confirmation box: it tells you the update keeps the files on the drive - confirm with Yes
  3. Wait a few seconds while Ventoy rewrites only its boot partition
  4. Success looks boring: a completion message, and the device version now matching the package version
  5. Linux users do the same job with one command: sudo sh Ventoy2Disk.sh -u /dev/sdX - the -u flag is update mode
4

Verify Everything Survived

  1. Open the drive in File Explorer - your ISO files are all still there, unchanged
  2. Safely eject the drive using the taskbar eject option
  3. Boot a PC from the drive once: the Ventoy menu appears, and the new version number shows at the bottom-left of the menu
  4. Boot the ISO that failed before - in most version-related cases it now starts normally

If an ISO still fails after a successful update, the problem is not the version - check the file itself (complete copy, correct type, good checksum) using the file detection guide in this series.

Watch the Safe Update Done Live

See the exact Ventoy2Disk screens, the version numbers before and after, and the ISOs still sitting untouched on the drive.

Watch Full Video
Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Install and Update in Ventoy2Disk?

Install creates Ventoy on a drive from scratch and erases everything on it. Update upgrades an existing Ventoy drive by replacing only the boot files - the data partition and all your ISO files are preserved.

My drive does not appear in the Ventoy2Disk device list. What now?

Re-plug the drive into a different USB port, run Ventoy2Disk as administrator, and close any disk tools that may be holding it. For USB hard disks and SSDs, newer Ventoy2Disk versions also have an Option - Show All Devices setting that reveals non-removable-style drives.

How often should I update Ventoy?

Only when you need to: when a new operating system ISO will not boot, when you hit a bug a newer release fixes, or every few months as routine maintenance. There is no need to update for every new ISO you copy - copying files never requires an update.

This guide is based on the Ventoy Complete Guide video by Technical Anshu - Update, Secure Boot and File Detection Fix - Stuck on a step? Ask in the video comments, help is always there.