Best USB drives for multiboot

Some links below are Amazon ad affiliate links but I only recommend products I have actually used and tested. It does not cost you any extra but it helps to earn me a few pennies…

USB drives should have a metal shroud around the USB connector. If you use a USB drive that has a plastic shroud or no shroud, then you will get connectivity problems on some computers (don’t ask me how I know!).

Always buy a USB 3 drive as they will be much faster than USB 2 drives even if you only have a USB 2 port available.

E2B will work with any USB drive from 8GB up to 2TB in size. For best legacy\BIOS compatibility, it is best to keep the first and second partition below 128GB but you can use the Gear Wheel button and choose any size you like. For drives larger than 128GB, I recommend you use 127GB NTFS+1GB FAT32+remainder for Partition 3 (NTFS\exFAT).

Important features for a USB multiboot drive

  • Use a reputable brand. If it is too cheap then it will be a fake (e.g. 2TB USB flash drive for $20!)
  • Always choose a USB 3 drive
  • 4K sector hard disk drives are not legacy-bootable – some external USB drives are 4K drives and are not suitable for Easy2Boot or Ventoy.
  • Benchmark data – the sequential I/O wr/rd speeds quoted by the manufacturer is NOT that relevant. When running an OS from a USB drive or using persistence, compare the 4K random rd/wr speeds as reported by Crystal DiskMark (check Amazon reviews). For a USB 3 Flash drive you should look for a result of over 1MB/s (4K Q1T1).

USB Flash drives (Removable type)

SanDisk Extreme Pro USB 3.2 with retractable metal USB 3 connector (420MB/s rd, 380MB/s wr)

Sandisk Extreme Pro USB 3.1 (Gen 1) CZ880 (#Amazon ad link)  (review) Fast and most compatible

Transcend JetFlash 920 (#Amazon ad link)  (review) As fast as a SanDisk Extreme Pro but cheaper!

USB Flash drives (Fixed/Hard Disk type)

Corsair GTX USB 3.1 (review)

Silverstone 2242 M.2 SATA III SSD to USB 3.1 Gen 2 Enclosure with Retractable (SST-MS09C-MINI) – add M.2 card for a superfast USB Flash dive!

USB HDD/SSD (Fixed)

For USB booting I recommend using a USB 3.0 enclosure (not USB 3.1 or 3.2) and an SSD drive (lower power requirement than HDD, more robust, no spin-up delay).

USB CD\DVD Emulator

IODD range – e.g. The IODD Mini SSD (recommended) also supports encryption. Can emulate Removable or Fixed USB drive. Can be write-protected.

IODD’s can be loaded with 100’s of ISOs and VHD files. You can then load one or more of these via the IODD controls to emulate a CD\DVD\Removable drive\Fixed drive.

USB Flash Encrypted

Kingston DT2000

Accessories

USB 3 Y-cable – Useful when using USB HDD with higher power requirements. Connect both ends of the Y to two laptop ports or connect one end to the laptop and one end to a USB battery power pack to provide extra power.

USB 2 extension cable – Use between USB 3 port and USB 3 drive to force system to use the slower USB 2 protocol and USB 2 drivers (USB3 has blue connectors). May work when USB 3 drivers are not included in an OS or when the USB data lines have I/O rd/wr data integrity issues due to bad design or poor quality cable.

Note: Buy good quality shielded USB cables with metal USB shrouds around each connector.

New! Ventoy for Easy2Boot v1.0.97 now released!

 

eBooks available (in PDF format)

Easy-to-read eBooks are available in PDF format (each eBook is over 100 pages) – rated 4.5/5 stars.
Learn the secrets of Legacy and UEFI USB booting and then make your perfect multiboot USB drive.
E2B eBook #1 includes instructions on how to remove the E2B 5-second start-up delay blue screen.

E2B is unique in that it uses partition images which allows you to directly boot from Secure Boot images (no need to disable Secure Boot or run MOK manager or modify your UEFI BIOS).

Most eBooks are over 100 pages long, contain original content and step-by-step exercises which are suitable for both the beginner or the more experienced user.
Customer reviews are located at bottom of each eBook product page and multi-buy discounts are available when you buy more than one eBook. Please also visit RMPrepUSB.com and the E2B Forum.
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