Forum Discussion

QuincyEvergreen's avatar
QuincyEvergreen
Iron Contributor
Apr 16, 2025

Can I create macos monterey bootable USB on a Windows 11 PC?

Hi all,

My MacBook Air M1 was locked and unable to get into the device. I have to create a bootable USB and reinstall macOS fro this Mac. I have done this on my Mac with the createinstallmedia command, which is a free utility that comes with Mac.

The problem is that I don't have any Mac currently. Instead, my wife has a Windows 11 laptop at home. How can I create mac monterey bootable USB on a Windows 11 PC? 

Best Regards,

Quinn

  • KashDiesel's avatar
    KashDiesel
    Iron Contributor

    Ultradmg, a cross platform app for making macOS bootable USB on Windows PC and Mac. It works by burning macOS dmg file to USB. This will make the USB becoming a bootable disk for macOS install. You can use this app on any PC or Mac for creating Monterey bootable USB.

  • Creating a Monterey bootable USB on Windows 11 definitely sounds like an adventurous project, this isn’t as straightforward as just using a Mac. You’re diving into DiskPart and PowerShell, which can be a bit tricky if you aren't familiar with command-line tools. One wrong command and you could accidentally wipe another drive, or worse! 

    Apple doesn’t officially support creating macOS installers on anything other than a Mac. So you’re going off the beaten path if you are going to create monterey bootable usb on Windows 11, which means if anything goes wrong, you might be left Googling solutions for hours or facing errors that nobody else has experienced.

    When it comes to downloading the macOS Monterey .dmg, you’re at the mercy of where you get it. If you don't snag it from a super reliable source, you might end up with malware or a corrupted file, which would be a major bummer.

  • ArcherFrost's avatar
    ArcherFrost
    Iron Contributor

    On Windows 11, you can use the diskpart and PowerShell utilities to manually copy the macOS .dmg file to create a bootable USB media that can be used to install macOS Monterey free of charge, with no additional software required. This is done by formatting the USB using diskpart and then manually writing the macOS Monterey installation files to the USB using PowerShell.

    Prepare a 16GB or above USB drive and backup your data, get the macOS Monterey .dmg file from a trusted third-party source or a Mac with Monterey already installed.

    When you're done, enter exit to exit diskpart. Then we can download and install the 7-Zip utility, right-click on the .dmg file, open the archive with 7-Zip, and extract the Install macOS Monterey.app content to the specified folder on the desktop. Next, we will run PowerShell as administrator and enter the Copy-It command. This will help make Monterey bootable USB from a Windows PC.

    Copy-Item -Path C:\Users\YourName\Desktop\Monterey\* -Destination E:\ -Recurse .

    Then open File Explorer to make sure the USB drive has the installation file, right click on the USB drive and select Eject. Insert the created USB into your Mac, reboot and hold down the Option key, select the USB boot disk in the startup interface, and follow the prompts to complete the system installation.

    The biggest advantage of using this method to create a bootable macOS Monterey USB disk is that it costs absolutely nothing. The whole process is done with the tools built into Windows 11 and the 7-Zip software, without having to rely on other complicated third-party software. Moreover, everything is done locally, regardless of the network conditions. There are some command line operations involved, but I've provided you with detailed step-by-step instructions, so you'll be able to get started even if you're not familiar with them.

     

  • EmersonGrove's avatar
    EmersonGrove
    Iron Contributor

    About using GibMacOS to create monterey bootable usb on Windows 11. Even though GibMacOS is designed to simplify the process, there’s always a chance for things to go awry. If there are any hiccups in the script or during the download process, you could end up with a corrupt USB drive. This could lead to headaches down the line when you try to install macOS. Since this method isn't officially sanctioned by Apple, support can be pretty sparse. If you run into issues, finding solutions might take a bit longer since you won’t find a ton of official resources to help you. Most of the help out there is community-driven and might vary in quality.

    Not every PC is going to work perfectly with macOS. While installing Monterey on unsupported hardware might be a goal, using a bootable USB created on Windows doesn't guarantee that all your drivers will play nicely once macOS is running. You could face issues with Wi-Fi, sound, or graphics, leaving you with a less-than-optimal experience. The tool is going to handle the formatting aspect, but if you’re not careful or don’t know what you’re doing, you could accidentally wipe out important data on your USB drive. Formatting in the right way for macOS can also be a bit tricky—if you miss a step, you might be left with a non-bootable drive.

    If macOS gets updated and the GibMacOS script hasn’t been updated to reflect those changes, you could end up trying to use an outdated method that doesn’t work on creating monterey bootable usb on Windows 11. Keeping up with updates might require checking back to the GitHub page regularly.

  • GibMacOS is a free open source script that combines Windows built-in Diskpart to download macOS Monterey from Apple servers, format USB and create macos monterey bootable usb disk, with this solution is completely free, using official sources, safe and reliable, but also through the script to achieve a certain degree of automation, reducing manual operation.

    Step 1. Download GibMacOS and follow the prompts to install.

    Step 2. Insert the USB drive, open the software and run it as administrator, select Montere version, press Enter to download the .pkg file.

    Step3. After the download is complete, GibMacOS will generate the .pkg file. In the same window, select the Build DMG option and wait for the conversion to .dmg.

    Step 4. Press Windows + S and type cmd to run as administrator. Enter the following Diskpart command to make mac monterey bootable USB on Windows 11/10.

    diskpart
    list disk
    select disk X
    clean
    convert gpt
    create partition primary
    format fs=fat32 quick
    assign
    exit

    Step 5. Go back to the GibMacOS window and select 'Burn DMG to USB'. Enter the USB disk letter, press Enter and wait for the write.

    Step 6. Open File Explorer and check if the USB contains the macOS installation files.
    Then right-click on the USB and select Eject.

    Step 7. Plug in the USB, restart your Mac, hold down the Option key and select USB to install macOS Monterey on your Mac.

  • MasonHayes's avatar
    MasonHayes
    Iron Contributor

    What You’ll Need before you create Mac monterey bootable USB:

    • A USB Drive: At least 16GB to hold the macOS installer. Make sure to back up anything important because we’ll wipe this baby clean.
    • macOS Monterey DMG or ISO File: You need this file to create Mac monterey bootable USB. Just make sure you’re getting it from a reliable source.
    • baleneE tcher: A free and user-friendly tool for creating bootable drives.

     

    Step-by-Step Guide to Create Mac monterey bootable USB:

    Step 1: Format Your USB Drive
    1. Plug in your USB drive and make sure it’s recognized.
    2. Open Disk Management (You can search for it in the Start menu).
    3. Find your USB drive on the list. Right-click and select Format.
    4. Choose exFAT as the file system. Give it a name like “MONTEREY” so you know what’s up.
    5. Complete the format process. This ensures the drive is clean for the macOS installer.

    Step 2: Download baleneE tcher
    1. Head over to the baleneE tcher website and grab the installer. It’s straightforward—no hassles.
    2. Install it by simply following the prompts.

    Step 3: Create Mac monterey bootable USB
    1. Open baleneE tcher. You’ll see a sleek, simple interface—easy peasy.
    2. Click on “Flash from file” and select your macOS Monterey DMG or ISO file.
    3. Next, choose your USB drive from the list. Just double-check you’ve got the right drive!
    4. Hit the “Flash!” button and let baleneE tcher work its magic. This might take a few minutes, so grab a snack or scroll through your phone.

    Step 4: Eject the USB Safely
    After the flashing process is complete, make sure to safely eject your USB drive. Don’t just unplug it—nobody wants a corrupted drive.

    Step 5: Boot from USB on a Mac
    1. Plug the USB into the Mac you wanna install Monterey on.
    2. Turn it on and immediately hold down the Option key as it boots. This will bring up the boot menu.
    3. Select your USB drive and you’re all set to install macOS Monterey!

Resources