If you only want to boot iso file in local disk, you can use F2 browser mode.
If you want to boot iso file in local disk and at the same time specify a persistence dat file also in local disk, then you must use vlnk file.
That is :
1. create a vlnk file which point to the iso file in local disk.
2. create a vlnk file which point to the dat persistence file in local disk.
3. copy the two vlnk files to Ventoy USB drive.
4. Set persistence in ventoy.json (the .vlnk.iso use the .vlnk.dat file as persistence file).
5. Boot Ventoy and select the .vlnk.iso file to boot.
https://www.ventoy.net/en/doc_vlnk.html
If you want to boot iso file in local disk and at the same time specify a persistence dat file also in local disk, then you must use vlnk file.
That is :
1. create a vlnk file which point to the iso file in local disk.
2. create a vlnk file which point to the dat persistence file in local disk.
3. copy the two vlnk files to Ventoy USB drive.
4. Set persistence in ventoy.json (the .vlnk.iso use the .vlnk.dat file as persistence file).
5. Boot Ventoy and select the .vlnk.iso file to boot.
https://www.ventoy.net/en/doc_vlnk.html