How to create a bootable Windows 10/11 USB installer on macOS

[trs96]

This is more complicated than you'd think. If you have no PC running windows you can follow this guide to make one.
The fact that you can't format your USB drive as EXFat to make the installer, makes this a lot more complicated. You must format FAT32 and that has a 4GB file size limit. This requires that you split the Windows install.wim file into two.

Requires the use of Terminal. You also need to install Xcode and Homebrew. Enjoy the video.

 

[Going Bald]

It is easier to format Exfat if you create a Linux Live DVD of some distro like Mint or Ubuntu, format the USB drive, then reboot into Mac OS to create the installer.

 

[trs96]

This Youtuber says that you can format the USB exFAT in macOS Disk Utility and that it works. He never shows booting the USB on a PC though. It should work on legacy computers but may not work with UEFI. Wonder who is right ? I've not tested this myself.

 

[trs96]

Here's a simpler, free option. Try this Paragon software with the free 10 day trial and make your flash drive NTFS instead of FAT or ExFAT. You can then copy paste the Windows files to create your installer to make things even easier than having to use Terminal and Xcode.

Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software

Read and write files from NTFS formatted disks on your Mac

www.paragon-software.com

 

[jpz4085]

Hi @trs96 and @Going Bald,

I wrote a lengthy guide some time ago because I encountered the same file size limit when creating the installer on macOS and Linux. You can use exFAT or NTFS with the appropriate driver in Clover or OpenCore if loading Windows on a Hackintosh. In retrospect I suppose the length of that guide probably serves as a deterrent so I created a bash script tool called BOOTDISK that automates the process. The install media created will be UEFI and BIOS bootable.

I find it handy so hopefully this might be of some use to yourselves or others.

 

[thesobchek]

This is more complicated than you'd think. If you have no PC running windows you can follow this guide to make one.
The fact that you can't format your USB drive as EXFat to make the installer, makes this a lot more complicated. You must format FAT32 and that has a 4GB file size limit. This requires that you split the Windows install.wim file into two.

Requires the use of Terminal. You also need to install Xcode and Homebrew. Enjoy the video.

Followed the instructions from your blog post, usb boot is working but keep encountering this error when selecting the drive for installation (see image)

I formatted it for NFTS in disk utility, got the error. Selected it in this prompt and clicked format, still the same error.

 

[trs96]

Followed the instructions from your blog post, usb boot is working but keep encountering this error when selecting the drive for installation (see image)

When installing Windows 10 it's best to only have connected the one drive that you will be installing to.
Then delete everything on that drive and let Windows format and partition it.

 

[Going Bald]

Followed the instructions from your blog post, usb boot is working but keep encountering this error when selecting the drive for installation (see image)

I formatted it for NFTS in disk utility, got the error. Selected it in this prompt and clicked format, still the same error.

If you are unable for some reason (NVMe drives under graphics card or on back of MB, leave drive 0 in, but, at the point of the screen you attached, select each of the drive one partitions and delete them. Then select the resulting free space for the Win10/11 installation. The installer will partition and format the drive for you.