I'm currently running Ubuntu and want to replace it with Windows 11. I installed Ventoy on a USB drive, copied the official Windows 11 ISO from Microsoft onto it, and selected the ISO from the Ventoy menu. The result is only a black screen, so the Windows installer never starts. I also tried Ventoy's Wimboot option, but that led to a "Load driver to show hardware" screen. The target computer is a Lenovo Legion 5 OLED APH10. What is the best way to create installation media that will boot correctly and let me install Windows?
3 Answers
If Ventoy still fails, create the USB with a different tool instead of using the ISO directly. On Ubuntu, WoeUSB-ng is a common option for making Windows installation media. Make sure the USB is backed up first because the process will erase it, and use a current WoeUSB-ng version that supports Windows 11 images.
Check the laptop’s firmware settings as well. Use the one-time boot menu to select the entry labeled with UEFI, confirm that USB boot is enabled, and avoid legacy or compatibility mode. If the installer starts but cannot see the internal drive, that is a separate storage-controller issue and may require changing the controller mode or loading the Lenovo storage driver.
First try updating Ventoy to the newest release, then recreate or refresh the USB and copy the ISO over again. Boot the laptop in UEFI mode and temporarily disable Secure Boot if Ventoy reports that it is not supported. Start with the normal ISO boot option; Wimboot is mainly a fallback and the driver prompt does not necessarily mean Windows is missing storage drivers.
Also verify the ISO’s checksum or download it again from Microsoft. A damaged or incomplete ISO can produce a black screen even when Ventoy itself is working.
The Windows Media Creation Tool is intended for Windows, so from Ubuntu you’ll generally need WoeUSB-ng or another Linux-compatible USB creation method.