Is Ventoy with a Linux Mint live USB safe for inspecting and wiping old hard drives?
Asked by
MellowCactus42
I have some e-waste hard drives that I want to inspect for files and possibly format or wipe in case they contain malware. Can I use Ventoy with several Linux Mint ISO files to boot a live environment and examine the drives safely? I'm considering disconnecting my computer's main drive and booting only from the USB so nothing on the installed system can be affected. Is there any meaningful safety difference between Ventoy and Rufus for this use?
Answers
Linux malware generally can’t run just because you connect a Windows drive, but don’t treat a live environment as magically immune. Avoid opening suspicious executables, disable automatic mounting if you want maximum caution, and don’t connect the questionable drive while the installed operating system is running. For wiping, carefully identify the device name—such as /dev/sdb—before using any destructive command.
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A Linux live USB is commonly used to inspect and repair potentially infected Windows drives. Disconnecting your normal system drive is extra cautious, but it’s a good way to prevent accidentally wiping or modifying it. An old spare computer or a USB-to-SATA/IDE adapter can also be useful for handling unknown drives.
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Ventoy should be fine. It simply boots the ISO files you copy onto the USB, so you can keep several live environments on one drive and choose between them at startup. Verify that you downloaded the ISO from an official source, and make sure you select the correct target disk before formatting or wiping anything.
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MellowCactus42: That’s what I was hoping to confirm—I mainly wanted a second opinion before trying it.