VentoyPlugson Basics - Themes and Menu Settings Without Risk
Every Ventoy setting lives in one file: ventoy.json. Editing it by hand in Notepad is how menus get broken. VentoyPlugson exists so you never have to - it is a small web control panel, served from your own PC, that edits the settings visually. This guide covers starting it safely, the changes worth making, and the backup habit that makes experimenting risk-free.
By Technical AnshuVentoy USB Guide8 minute read
Watch the full Ventoy guide video for the drive setup that Plugson then customises
Ventoy reads its optional settings from a file named ventoy.json, stored in a folder called ventoy on the data partition. Themes, menu names, plugin mappings - all of it is in there, in a format where one missing comma can quietly disable your changes. VentoyPlugson is Ventoy's own answer: a tiny local web server you run while the drive is plugged in, giving you forms and dropdowns for the same settings. No installation, nothing uploaded anywhere - the page is served from your own machine, to your own browser.
Browser - http://127.0.0.1:24680 - VentoyPlugson
Plugson sections
Control Pluginglobal behaviour
Theme Pluginmenu look and fonts
Menu Alias Pluginshort display names
Persistence Pluginlive Linux storage
Menu Class Pluginicons per file type
VentoyPlugson runs as a local web page - the address 127.0.0.1 means it never leaves your own computer
1
Start Plugson the Right Way
Plug in the Ventoy drive - Plugson edits the drive that is connected, so it must be present
From the extracted Ventoy package, run VentoyPlugson.exe as administrator (on Linux, the Plugson script takes the device as an argument)
Your browser opens the control page - typically http://127.0.0.1:24680; if it does not open automatically, the Plugson window shows the exact address to visit
Work in the page, and when finished, close Plugson from its window before unplugging the drive
2
Back Up ventoy.json Before Changing Anything
Open the data partition, then the ventoy folder
Copy ventoy.json to your PC as ventoy-backup.json
If an experiment ever breaks the menu: restore the backup - or simply delete ventoy.json entirely; with no settings file, Ventoy returns to its factory-default behaviour and your ISOs are untouched
That delete-to-reset fact is what makes Plugson safe to explore - there is no change you cannot undo
3
The Changes Worth Making First
Theme Plugin: copy a theme folder into ventoy/themes on the data partition, then select it in Plugson - new background, fonts and layout at next boot
Menu Alias Plugin: give long filenames short menu names - ubuntu-24.04.1-desktop-amd64.iso becomes simply "Ubuntu 24.04" in the menu, while the file itself keeps its real name
Menu language: the boot menu's own language can be switched in the control settings
Persistence Plugin: the same panel manages the ISO-to-backend mapping covered in the persistence guide
Change one thing at a time and boot the drive to test - if the menu misbehaves, you know exactly which change did it
4
Rules That Keep Plugson Trouble-Free
All file paths inside Plugson begin at the data partition root and are case-sensitive - /ISO/Ubuntu.iso and /iso/ubuntu.iso are different files to Ventoy
Settings apply to this drive only - they travel with the USB, so a theme or alias works on every PC you boot
Never edit ventoy.json by hand while Plugson is open, and never edit it from inside a booted Ventoy session
Plugson edits settings, nothing else - it never touches your ISO files themselves
See the Ventoy Drive Setup in the Video First
Plugson only makes sense once the drive itself is right - the video covers the complete base setup.
Is VentoyPlugson safe? The page looks like a website - is my data uploaded?
No. The address 127.0.0.1 is your own computer. Plugson runs a tiny local server on your PC and your browser talks only to it. Nothing is sent to the internet, and closing the Plugson window stops the server completely.
I changed a theme and now the Ventoy menu looks broken. How do I undo it?
Two ways: open Plugson and switch the theme back to the default, or delete the ventoy.json file from the ventoy folder on the data partition. With no settings file, Ventoy boots with its factory-default menu - your ISOs are never affected.
Can I set a short name for an ISO without renaming the file?
Yes - that is exactly what the Menu Alias plugin is for. The alias is only the display name in the boot menu; the real file keeps its original name on disk, so checksums, scripts and your own records stay valid.
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.