I'm trying to move files from my Windows system to a Linux setup using a USB stick. I attempted to install Ventoy for this purpose, but it didn't work out and now my USB drive isn't even recognized in File Explorer. Is there a reliable method to ensure I can keep and transfer my files while making the switch to Linux?
4 Answers
After dual-booting with Linux Mint and Windows 11, I found that accessing my Windows files is super easy! You can just open the Windows filesystem from Linux using the file manager and work on your files like you normally would. Everything syncs back to Windows seamlessly, so no big deal there!
If your USB drive is not working out, you could always consider shrinking your Windows partition if you have enough space. Later, when installing Linux, just allocate the free space for it without touching the Windows partition. You can then easily mount the Windows filesystem from Linux and transfer your files directly.
Just format your USB stick to FAT format, and it should work for transferring files.
When setting up a USB stick with Ventoy, remember that it typically includes an EFI partition along with a larger data partition, which can be formatted in NTFS, exFAT, FAT32, or even ext4. You could create an additional storage partition in Ventoy that uses a different filesystem. Windows should be able to access the partitions that are compatible. Can you share how you created your Ventoy USB?
So my new USB might end up unused. What a bummer!