Rufus for Mac app for creating Windows 11 bootable USB on Mac?

[EricHarvey]

I was gifted a Windows PC and plan to install Windows 11 on it as it is a bare device and no OS comes with currently. When I searched the relevant resources on the web, a lot of suggestions point to the Rufus app. However, When I go to the official website, it only supports Windows and Linux. Is there any Rufus or Mac app available for download or suggest a good Rufus alternative that works on for Silicon Mac M3?

P.S. I only have a M3 MacBook Pro at hand so I can't download and use the official Media Creation Tool for making Windows bootable USB as well.

Thanks

[#2]

I've been in a similar situation before, where I only had a Mac and wanted to install Windows. Rufus does only support Windows and Linux, but don't worry, I used WonderISO to solve this problem. This software is designed specifically for macOS and can easily create a bootable USB drive for Windows 11, fully compatible with M1, M2, and M3 chips.

I followed this tutorial: (works for my Macbook Pro)

https://www.zdnets.com/make-windows-bootable-usb-mac

The process is very simple. It is similar to Rufus, but more suitable for Mac users. I think this is the most convenient alternative at present, and it is definitely worth a try!

[#3]

@EricHarvey UTM is an open-source virtualization application for macOS, iOS, and iPadOS that allows users to run virtual machines on their devices. It uses the QEMU emulator and Apple's Hypervisor framework to emulate a wide variety of operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and macOS.

After installing UTM app on your Mac, you can set up a new Windows 10 virtual machine by selecting the Windows 10 ISO file, configuring the necessary resources such as CPU, memory, and storage, and completing the setup. Once the VM is ready,  download the Media Creation Tool from the Microsoft website within the VM. Use this tool to download the Windows 11 installation files and create a bootable USB drive.

By doing this, there is no need to find a Rufus for Mac solution anymore as Media Creation Tool is powerful enough for creating Windows 11 or Windows 10 bootable USB now!

[#4]

@EricHarvey 

You can't directly run Rufus on Mac because Rufus and the official Windows Media Creation Tool don't work with macOS. However, you can use built-in macOS tools and services to do this.

Using the built-in Disk Utility and Terminal:

1. First, you need to download the Windows 11 ISO file from Microsoft's official website.
2. Connect a large enough USB flash drive to your Mac.
   Open Disk Utility (located in Applications > Utilities), then format the USB drive to MS-DOS (FAT) and make sure the scheme is set to GUID Partition Map.
3. Open Terminal (also in the Utilities folder) and use the createinstallmedia or dd command to copy the Windows 11 ISO file to the USB drive.

For example: sudo dd if=/path/to/downloaded.iso of=/dev/disk2 bs=1m, making sure to replace the path and disk identifier.

4. The if= is followed by the path to your ISO file, and the of= is followed by the path to your USB device. Using the diskutil list command can help you confirm the correct path to the USB device. Note that you need to be especially careful when using the dd command, because if you specify the wrong disk, you may lose data.

5. Finish and Verify: Once the dd command is finished, your USB drive should have a fully bootable version of Windows 11.

This way, you can create a Windows bootable disk on your Mac, and while you can't run Rufus on mac  directly, the effect is the same. This process may take some time, especially as the dd command copies files, so patience is required.

Hope my answer helps you!

[#5]

Creating a Windows 11 bootable USB using Rufus on Mac (or any similar tool) can be a bit finicky. While Rufus is primarily a Windows app, some folks have gotten it to work through a virtual machine or Wine. And not all ISO files will work seamlessly, so ensure that you're using a Windows 11 compatible ISO. If you've grabbed an ISO from an unofficial source or an older version, chances are it may not boot correctly.

[#6]

@EricHarvey Do you try the Bootcamp assistant app? It is a built-in utility on macOS that allows users to create a Windows 10 or Windows 11 bootable USB drive on a Mac. While its primary function is to help install Windows alongside macOS on the same machine, it also provides a straightforward way to create a Windows bootable USB.

This is particularly useful for Mac users who prefer not to rely on third-party applications like Rufus, which isn't natively available on macOS and you can't use Rufus on Mac directly. Bootcamp handles the process efficiently, integrating well with the macOS environment and ensuring that the USB drive is formatted correctly for Windows installation.

Using Bootcamp as an alternative to Rufus has the added benefit of simplicity and support. Since Bootcamp is developed by Apple, it is optimized for Mac hardware and receives official support and updates

[#7]

While UTM and the Media Creation Tool combo is a great way to go, especially for Apple Silicon users, there are plenty of alternatives to Rufus on Mac that can also do the job for creating bootable USB drives on macOS. Balena Etchar is probably the most intuitive choice if you want a graphical interface, while UNetb0otin and terminal commands offer powerful alternatives. So, whatever route you choose, you've got options that will work seamlessly with your M3 Mac! Happy booting!

[#8]

About finding a Rufus for Mac solution. I agree with JackMoore. You've hit on a solid point. UTM is a great solution for those looking to run a Windows virtual machine on a Mac, especially Apple Silicon Macs like the M1 and M3. Since UTM leverages QEMU and Apple’s Hypervisor framework, it allows users to emulate various operating systems efficiently, and the process you've outlined for setting up a Windows 10 VM and then using the Media Creation Tool to create a bootable USB is spot on.

[#9]

@EricHarvey 

Although there is no direct "Rufus for Mac" version to make a bootable USB for Windows 11, we can use the tools that come with Mac to try to achieve Rufus-like functions.  Here I will briefly introduce the steps of this method. Although it is not designed specifically for Windows, it can sometimes work.

1. Download Windows ISO file: First, you need to download the ISO file of Windows 11 from the official Microsoft website. Remember to save it somewhere easy to find.
2. Prepare USB drive: Insert a large enough USB drive into your Mac. Usually Windows 11 requires more space, so it is recommended to use a drive with a capacity of 16GB or larger.
3. Format USB drive: Open "Disk Utility", select your USB drive, click "Erase", and select MS-DOS (FAT) format and GUID partition map. This step ensures that your USB can be recognized when Windows is installed.
4. Use Terminal and createinstallmedia: Open "Terminal", you can find it in the "Utilities" folder under "Applications". Although the createinstallmedia tool is mainly used to create macOS installation disks, let's try its general use here. Enter a command similar to the following:

sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Mojave.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume --nointeraction

The paths and commands here need to be adjusted according to your situation, especially the location of the ISO file and the volume name of the USB.

This method may not be as successful as using the tool directly in the Windows environment, because it is not designed for Windows. If it does not work, you may still need to consider other methods, such as finding a machine that can run in the Windows environment, or using a third-party tool that supports Windows ISO files.

[#10]

@EricHarvey 

I have some reservations about using Boot Camp Assistant to create a Windows 11 bootable USB, especially when people often ask if there is a tool like "Rufus for Mac". In fact, although Boot Camp Assistant provides some functions for making bootable disks, it is not completely equivalent to Rufus.

The main problem when I tried to use Boot Camp Assistant was that it was not always stable or compatible. For example, it sometimes failed to recognize the USB device I inserted or had an error when downloading Windows support software. This experience made it feel like this tool was not designed to simply create a bootable disk. In addition, Boot Camp's support for Macs with M1 chips is even more limited, which further complicates the situation.

In short, while Boot Camp can be used in some cases, it cannot completely replace the functions of Rufus, especially when it comes to making Windows bootable disks. Therefore, for users who only have Mac devices and are looking for "Rufus for Mac", it may be necessary to explore other methods or tools to create a bootable USB for Windows 11.