How do I create windows 10 bootable USB on Mac without bootcamp?

[Tonyhu2255]

I'm running into a frustrating issue where I need to create a Windows 10 bootable USB for my Macbook Pro 2023, but every attempt to use Boot Camp Assistant has ended in errors. This has left me in a bit of a bind, as I'm keen to find an alternative method that bypasses Boot Camp altogether. The goal is to successfully prepare a USB drive with Windows 10 installation files, which I plan to use on a PC. If anyone knows how to do this directly on macOS, avoiding Boot Camp issues, I'd really appreciate a simplified guide or tool suggestions to get this done.

Update: Issue resolved using SYSGeeker WonderISO to create a Windows 10 bootable USB on my MacBook Pro 2023, bypassing Boot Camp Assistant. Special thanks to Johnseven for the recommendation! 

[#2 · Accepted solution]

@Tonyhu2255 

I totally get the frustration with Boot Camp giving you a hard time! No worries, though, there's definitely a way to get your Windows 10 bootable USB ready without it. Well, let me tell you about my journey finding SYSGeeker WonderISO and my experience using it.

Initially, I was in a similar bind as you, trying to create a Windows 10 bootable USB for a PC using my MacBook. After hitting a wall with Boot Camp Assistant due to errors and compatibility issues with my 2023 MacBook Pro, I realized I needed an alternative solution.

Finding WonderISO:

My quest started with a good old Google search. I sifted through forums, tech blogs, and Reddit threads, trying to find recommendations for creating a Windows bootable USB on macOS. There were a few options out there, but SYSGeeker WonderISO caught my eye due to its simplicity and the positive feedback from users who faced similar challenges.

You can see, making a bootable disk is very fast in my 2023 MacBook Pro. But I use USB 3.0, and the reading and writing speed is relatively fast.   Since my Windows 10 file is larger than 4GB, it will automatically split it into two small ISO files and then merge them. 

You can safely download WonderISO directly from here: 

https://www.sysgeeker.com/download/wonderiso-for-mac.dmg

NOTE: My macOS is big sur, It also supports the latest macOS Sonoma, venture.

My personal reviews for WonderISO:

Here's my take on it:

• User Interface: One of the first things I appreciated about WonderISO was its clean, intuitive interface.

• Functionality: WonderISO lived up to its promises. Creating a bootable Windows 10 USB was pretty straightforward. You select the ISO, choose the USB drive, and the software takes care of the rest. 

• Reliability: The bootable USB worked flawlessly on the first try. I was able to install Windows 10 on my PC without any hiccups, which was a relief after the initial setbacks with Boot Camp Assistant.

• Support: While I didn't have any issues that required support, it was reassuring to see that SYSGeeker offers helpful guides and customer service. I

My experience with SYSGeeker WonderISO was overwhelmingly positive. It solved my problem without any drama and was worth the effort to find and use it. For anyone struggling with creating a Windows bootable USB on a Mac, especially newer models, I'd definitely recommend giving WonderISO a shot. It’s a solid tool that does exactly what it promises, bypassing the need for Boot Camp altogether.

[#3]

@Tonyhu2255 

Yes, you can create a Windows 10 bootable USB on a Mac without BootCamp. Here are the steps:

• Download the Windows 10 ISO file from the official Microsoft website or authorized vendors.
• Download and install the free and open-source software "UNetbootin" on your Mac.
• Insert the USB drive into your Mac and launch UNetbootin.
• In UNetbootin, select "Diskimage" and click the "..." button to browse and select the Windows 10 ISO file you downloaded.
• Select the USB drive you want to use as the destination disk.
• Ensure that the file system is set to "FAT32" and click "OK."
• Wait for the process to complete. This will take some time, depending on the size of the ISO file and the speed of your USB drive.
• Once the process is complete, eject the USB drive and use it to install Windows 10 on a PC.

Note that UNetbootin may not work on all systems, and some users have reported issues with certain Windows 10 versions. Therefore, it's always good to test the bootable USB drive on a separate system before relying on it for a critical installation.

[#4]

@Tonyhu2255 

@Tonyhu2255 

 Alright, let's tackle this with some good old command line magic, ditching Boot Camp Assistant for this ride. We're gonna use the terminal on your Mac to create Windows 10 bootable USB on Mac. Just a heads-up, this approach is a bit more manual but totally doable. Let’s dive in:

NOTE: If you're not super comfy with the command line, it's wise to tread carefully, especially with commands like dd that can wipe out data if not used correctly.

1. First things first, grab the Windows 10 ISO from the official Microsoft website if you haven’t already.

2. Plug in your USB drive. Make sure it’s at least 8GB and you don’t mind wiping it clean, because that’s exactly what’s about to happen.

3. Open Terminal. You can find it using Spotlight (Command + Space) by typing "Terminal" or find it in Applications -> Utilities.

4. Identify your USB drive with the diskutil list command. You’ll see a list of drives, like /dev/disk1, /dev/disk2, etc. Figure out which one is your USB based on the size and name. Let's say it's /dev/disk2 for this example.

diskutil list

Step 5. Unmount the disk (replace disk2 with your disk number). Don’t physically unplug it, just unmount it so we can work with it:

diskutil unmountDisk /dev/disk2

Use dd to copy the ISO to your USB drive. This is where the magic happens. Replace /path/to/windows10.iso with the actual path to your Windows 10 ISO file, and disk2 with your disk number. This command will take a while, and it might look like it’s not doing anything, but give it time.

 sudo dd if=/path/to/windows10.iso of=/dev/rdisk2 bs=1m

Tip: Using /dev/rdisk2 (notice the 'r' before 'disk') instead of /dev/disk2 might speed things up.

After the dd command finishes, run the following to eject the disk safely:

diskutil eject /dev/disk2

You should now have a bootable Windows 10 USB drive, ready to be used on your PC. Keep in mind this process is a bit more technical, and the Terminal doesn’t hold your hand through it. Double-check your commands, especially the dd part, because if you write to the wrong disk, you could wipe something important.

[#5]

@Tonyhu2255 

There are many ways and tools can be used to make Windows 10 bootable USB installer on Mac, like rufus, WonderISO or Unetbootin. But for me, I used to installed windows 10 in a VM (vmware i think is what I used) on Mac and then created the USB drive from there. I wish that you had known about this method.

[#6]

Bootcamp assistant app is removed from Apple Silicon on Mac so you can't create Windows 10 bootable USB on Mac with Bootcamp app. You can mount Windows 10 ISO image on your Mac and copy all the files and folders to target USB drive except install.wim file, which is too large to be saved on a FAT32 partition. You need to split it into small chunks with wimlib utility.

The install.wim file is a Windows Imaging Format file used by Windows for the installation and deployment of Windows operating system images. It contains a compressed collection of files and directories crucial for Windows installation, allowing the entire operating system to be deployed from a single, manageable file. This file is commonly found within Windows installation media like DVDs or USB drives, in the sources folder.

To split a large install.wim file on a Mac, you can use a compatible tool that supports WIM files, like wimlib. wimlib is an open-source, cross-platform library that provides tools to work with WIM files, including creating, modifying, and extracting them. It also includes a command to split large WIM files into smaller, more manageable pieces that can be stored on media with smaller capacity or used for network deployments.

wimsplit /path/to/install.wim /path/to/split/split.wim 3000

The 3000 at the end of the command specifies the maximum size (in MB) for each split part. You can adjust this value based on your needs.

After executing these steps, you'll have several split WIM files (e.g., install.swm, install2.swm, etc.) at the specified destination path. These files can be used in place of the original install.wim for Windows installations that require split WIM files, such as installations from USB drives with FAT32 formatting, which has a maximum file size limit of 4 GB. Now, you have successfully created a Windows 10 bootable USB on Mac without Bootcamp.

[#7]

Parallels Desktop, a popular virtualization software for Mac, allows you to run Windows and other operating systems within macOS without needing to reboot. So you can create Windows 10 bootable USB on Mac in a Windows virtual machine.

Firstly, you need to have a copy of the Windows 10 ISO file. Microsoft provides this file for free on their website, intended for users who need to install or reinstall Windows. Download this file to your Mac before proceeding to the next steps.

With the Windows 10 ISO file downloaded, the next crucial step is to obtain a USB drive with sufficient storage space. Typically, a drive with at least 8GB of space is recommended. This ensures that there is enough room for the Windows installation files and any additional updates or drivers you might need to include in the bootable media.

Once Parallels Desktop is installed, you can use it to create a new virtual machine using the Windows 10 ISO file. During the setup process, Parallels will ask where you want to install Windows. At this stage, instead of installing it on a virtual disk, you'll choose your USB drive as the installation destination. This process effectively turns your USB drive into bootable Windows 10 installation media.

However, it's important to note that directly creating Windows 10 bootable USB on Mac through Parallels Desktop might not be as straightforward as using dedicated software for making bootable drives. It takes more time and storage space on your Mac.

[#8]

WonderISO (suggested by @Johnseven )works fine on my Apple Silicon Mac running Monterey. The steps are super simple and the only thing you need to do is making several mouse clicks. And the rest is processed by WonderISO.  It takes about 10 minutes to create a Windows 10 bootable USB on Mac without Bootcamp app.

[#9]

If you want to create windows 10 bootable USB on Mac without bootcamp, you can try using a different tool called Etcher. Etcher is a free and open-source tool that allows you to create bootable USB drives from ISO files. Here are the steps to create a Windows 10 bootable USB on Mac using Etcher:

• 1. Download Etcher: Visit the Etcher website (https://www.balena.io/etcher/) and download the version for macOS.
• 2. Download Windows 10 ISO: Go to the official Microsoft website and download the Windows 10 ISO file.
• 3. Connect the USB drive: Insert your USB drive into your Mac.
• 4. Open Etcher: Open the Etcher application that you downloaded.
• 5. Select the ISO: In Etcher, click on the "Select image" button and browse to the location where you saved the Windows 10 ISO file.
• 6. Select the ISO file. Select the USB drive: Click on the "Select drive" button in Etcher and choose your USB drive from the available options. Make sure you select the correct drive, as the process will erase all data on the chosen drive.
• 7. Flash the USB drive: Click on the "Flash!" button in Etcher to start the process of creating Windows 10 bootable USB on Mac. Etcher will verify the ISO file and then write it to the USB drive.
• 8. Wait for the process to complete: The process may take some time, so be patient and wait for it to complete.

Once the process is finished, The task of creating Windows 10 bootable USB on Mac is complete. You can use this USB drive to install Windows 10 on a PC.

Before you create Windows 10 bootable USB on Mac (without bootcamp), Remember to back up any important data from your USB drive, as creating a bootable drive will erase all existing data.

[#10]

It becomes much challenging to create Windows 10 bootable USB on Mac as Bootcamp is not available on Apple Silicon Mac. Instead, you can borrow another Intel Mac and use Bootcamp to make a bootable Windows 10 USB on Mac.

Step 1: Open the Boot Camp Assistant in the Utilities folder within your Applications folder. Alternatively, use Spotlight search (Cmd + Space) and type "Boot Camp Assistant" to find and open it.

Step 2: Select the "Create a Windows 10 or later version install disk" option when it appears. This option will still work for Windows 10.

Step 3: Browse to and select the Windows 10 ISO file you downloaded earlier. Choose the USB drive as the destination for your Windows 10 bootable USB.

Step 4: Boot Camp Assistant will now create the bootable USB drive. This process can take some time, depending on the speed of your USB drive and Mac.

Once Boot Camp Assistant completes the process, you will have a Windows 10 bootable USB drive ready to use. You can then use this drive to install Windows 10 on a PC.

[#11]

Hello & thank you for this tutorial. I successfully got windows 10 on my old rig after some component swaps. I assume the same process would work with windows 11 also? I'm building another PC that will need windows 11 on it.

[#12]

@Johnseven 

I found a way to install Windows on system without Mac OS system. You will need a USB with a Mac OS system on it. Reason why you will need to format the HD of the mac.  With the system off. Turn on the mac. Access the boot up Options menu. Select the USB with the mac os. You will not be loading the Mac Os system. Don't worry. It will load to install the Mac OS system. You click the desktop and select Disk Utility. Choose the hard drive. Select Partition. Select one Partition.  Under the Partition window Select Master Boot Record. This will allow you to format the hard drive that is not GUID partition that is for Mac. Once that is done. You are golden. Make sure you have a bootable USB with Windows on it.  I used a bootable CD with Windows 7.  When selecting the bootable media, it will load windows. You may receive error that unable to use the hard drive. No worries. Select the hard drive, delete and format. and Try again. This should allow you use the hard drive and install windows.  No boot camp and no Mac OS on the system. If you need to get drivers. Try using IOBIT Driver Booster. It is free. Or you can view the devices in Device manager to locate the kind of devices that maybe needed to be updated.