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YUMI (Your Universal Multiboot Installer) is a portable application for creating multiboot USB flash drives, allowing users to run multiple operating systems from a single device. It provides an easy way to install and boot ISO files from USB, making it a flexible solution for creating bootable drives and managing different systems.
With YUMI, you can create a versatile USB drive that boots reliably for any purpose. You can use it to boot from a Live Linux distribution, run a Windows Installer, or even create a fully portable operating system using Windows To Go methods. You can also boot from and run popular antivirus scanners, disk-cloning software, penetration testing tools, and other system utilities from the removable storage media.
Using this Open-Source USB boot software tool is as easy as 1-2-3. Select your target flash drive, choose your distribution from the list, browse to the ISO file (or download the ISO), and click “Create. Once finished, you should have a ready-to-run Live USB containing the Live Operating System, Windows Installer, or System Diagnostics utility you previously selected.
Get a bootable USB without losing your storage. Unlike other tools that use the ‘DD’ (Disk Destroyer) method to write an ISO to a USB drive, Universal USB Installer (UUI) lets you continue using your drive for storage. While the “DD” method overwrites the entire file system, UUI provides several native options that let you install your Live Linux distribution without losing your precious storage space.
Persistence feature for saving changes
A key feature of this tool is its support for persistent storage. This allows you to save changes you make to your Live Linux distribution and restore them on subsequent boots. Ubuntu-based Casper persistence now works with FAT32, NTFS, or exFAT-formatted drives. From version 2.0.1.6 onward, the drive is formatted using exFAT, allowing persistent storage files larger than 4 GB and supporting sizes up to 40 GB.
Drag and Drop ISO Files onto the USB
For quick, easy file transfers, the tool supports drag-and-drop. You can use it to add files to your bootable USB without worrying about keeping track of your installs.
Instead of relaunching this Live Linux USB Creator to add more distributions, you can drag additional ISO, IMG, WIM, VHD(x), VDI, VTOY, and EFI files from any folder on your computer and drop them onto any folder under the UUI folder on your flash drive. You can create custom folders within the UUI folder for additional storage. During bootup, the system automatically populates menu entries for any newly discovered items.
Secure Boot from USB
This application supports Secure Boot from USB with UEFI. During startup, select ‘VTOYEFI’ and then choose the option to ‘Enroll_This_Key_In_MokManager.cer’ to enable Secure Boot.
YUMI – Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✓ Creates multiboot USB drives that can store multiple operating systems, antivirus tools, and recovery utilities on a single device. | ✗ Some ISO files may require special settings or may not be fully compatible with multiboot configurations. |
| ✓ Supports booting Windows installers, Linux distributions, rescue disks, and many other bootable ISO files. | ✗ Advanced features and boot options can be confusing for beginners. |
| ✓ Lets users add or remove bootable images without recreating the entire USB drive. | ✗ USB boot compatibility depends on the target computer’s BIOS/UEFI firmware settings. |
| ✓ Supports both Legacy BIOS and UEFI boot modes, depending on the selected YUMI edition. | ✗ Selecting the wrong USB drive during setup can erase existing data. |
| ✓ Free to use with a straightforward interface suitable for system administrators, technicians, and advanced users. | ✗ Primarily designed for creating multiboot USB drives rather than serving as a complete backup or disk imaging solution. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can YUMI create a bootable Windows 11 USB?
Yes. It can add Windows installer images to a multiboot USB, allowing you to boot and install Windows from the drive. The article lists Windows 11 as part of the supported operating environment for creating the multiboot USB.
Does YUMI erase the USB drive?
It can, depending on the installation method and the USB drive selected. You should verify the target drive carefully before creating the multiboot media because selecting the wrong drive can result in existing data being erased.
Can YUMI add more ISO files after the USB is created?
Yes. You can add additional ISO, IMG, WIM, VHD(x), VDI, VTOY, and EFI files by dragging them into folders under the UUI folder on the flash drive. The boot menu can automatically detect newly added items, so you do not need to recreate the entire USB drive.
What is the difference between YUMI and Ventoy?
Both let you keep multiple bootable images on a single USB drive, but they use different approaches to creating and managing the boot menu. YUMI provides a guided multiboot creation process with distribution selection, persistence options, and support for adding various image types, while Ventoy is designed around installing its bootloader once and then copying supported ISO files directly to the USB drive.
What’s New in UUI YUMI Multiboot USB Creator 2.0.3.9:
Release Date 2026-07-26
- Updated to use the Ventoy version 1.1.17 bootloader.
What’s New in exFAT YUMI Multiboot USB Creator 1.0.4.2:
Release Date 2026-07-26
- Updated to use Ventoy version 1.1.17 bootloader.
Official Homepage – https://pendrivelinux.com
Basic Essentials to Create a Multi-System Bootable USB Flash Drive
- 4GB+ flash drive (128GB–1TB SSD works well).
- A computer that can boot from a USB.
- Windows 11, 10, or 8 Operating Environment.
- YUMI (to create a Multiboot Bootable USB).
- Your favorite ISO Files.
