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OregonRain's avatar
OregonRain
Iron Contributor
Sep 28, 2025

Best way to burn iso to usb on Mac? I need a Windows 11 bootable USB

Hi all, My Windows 11 PC was running into blue screen of death after system update. I tried the troubleshooting method and did not work. Based on my past experience, the best way is to clean install...
BrooklynEdge's avatar
BrooklynEdge
Iron Contributor
Sep 28, 2025

Burning Windows 11 ISO to USB is tricky on a Mac as it does not support NTFS file system. My advice is to create a Windows 10 virtual machine with PD and use the official Media Creation Tool to make a Windows 11 bootable USB.

P.S. The trick still works in 2025 and support all modern macOS versions like Tahoe, Sequoia, Sonoma.

Step 1: Open Parallels and Start the Wizard

Open Parallels Desktop from your Applications folder.

In the menu bar, click File > New.

Step 2: Choose Your Installation Method

Parallels will ask how you want to install Windows. Choose:

"Install Windows or another OS from a DVD or image file".

Click Continue.

Step 3: Locate Your Windows 10 ISO

Parallels will automatically search for operating systems.

If it finds your Windows10.iso file, it will be highlighted. Just select it and click Continue.

If it doesn't find it automatically, click the "Locate manually" link and browse to where you saved the ISO file on your Mac.

Step 4: Configure Your VM (The Easy Way)

Parallels will ask how you plan to use Windows to optimize performance.

Productivity: Best for Office, web browsing.

Games Only: Allocates more resources for performance.

Software Development: A balanced configuration.

Design: Allocates more RAM and CPU.

For most people, selecting "Productivity" is perfect. Click Continue.

Step 5: Name and Location

You can give your virtual machine a custom name (e.g., "My Windows 10 Machine").

Choose where you want to save it (the default location is usually fine).

Check "Create alias on Desktop" if you want a quick launch shortcut.

Click Create.

Step 6: The Installation Runs Automatically

Sit back and relax! Parallels will now boot from the ISO and start installing Windows 10 automatically. You will see the standard Windows setup screens, but Parallels handles most of the work.

The VM will restart a few times during the process. This is normal.

Step 7: Finish Up & Enjoy!

Once installation is complete, you'll be at the Windows 10 desktop.

Parallels Tools will be installed automatically. This is a critical set of drivers and utilities that makes everything run smoothly (like seamless mouse movement, shared folders, and better graphics).

You are now ready to use Windows 10 on your Mac!

Step 8: Burn ISO to USB on Mac

Boot into Windows 10 virtual machine on your Mac and download the official media creation tool to burn Windows 11 ISO to USB on your Mac.

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