A standard 2021 build was usually a 1TB or 2TB HDD populated with a library of Operating Systems:

While the keyword says "HDD," in 2021, using a spinning hard drive for a multiboot utility is painfully slow. However, if cost per GB is your priority (e.g., storing 500GB+ of ISOs and backup images), a 7200RPM external HDD with a USB 3.0 enclosure is viable.

A multiboot setup relies on a sophisticated bootloader like or Ventoy . Instead of formatting the drive for a single ISO, these tools create a bootable environment that can read and launch multiple ISO files stored on a standard data partition.

Once Ventoy is installed on your drive, you can simply copy your ISO files into the Ventoy drive. It supports a wide range of ISOs without requiring additional configuration.

Since the data partition is a standard NTFS drive, you can plug this HDD into a running Windows PC and Windows Defender will automatically scan the ISOs. If a tool (like a crack or a portable app inside Hiren's) gets flagged, delete the ISO immediately.

While the exact contents can vary based on specific "repacks," the typically features:

Creating a multiboot HDD in 2021 is more straightforward than ever, thanks to tools like Ventoy. This approach not only saves space but also provides a versatile toolkit for various computing needs.

This guide represents the iteration of multibooting. If you follow older guides from 2019, your drive will fail to boot on a modern Dell XPS or Lenovo ThinkPad.

Make multi OS bootable USB drive including windows os and linux