make a macOS usb stick with windows

Frusolly wrote:

I am also a user who switched from Windows to Mac, and I faced the same need when I first tried Mac.

I used a software called UltraDMG to make a macOS bootable USB drive on my Windows 11. You only need to prepare your Windows ISO file and a USB drive, and the software will take care of the rest for you.

Aha , I had the same experience. I also successfully created a Mac installation disk on a Windows 11 using UltraDMG. Recommend it!

The best way to make a bootable macOS USB is on a Mac with the help you createinstallmedia command. Apple has a step-by-step guide for that: Create a bootable installer - Apple Support

However, if you could not get a Mac to do this and only have a Windows PC, then it is also possible to make a macOS bootable USB installer. Instead, the process is a bit more complicated. First, you should download a copy of macOS DMG file and burn it to a USB drive in order to make the USB bootable for macOS installation. Here is an easy guide for doing this: Burn DMG to USB on Windows 10 PC | The Ultimate Guide | Medium

Lastly, make sure your Mac is fully compatible to the right version of macOS.

I am also a user who switched from Windows to Mac, and I faced the same need when I first tried Mac.

I used a software called UltraDMG to make a macOS bootable USB drive on my Windows 11. You only need to prepare your Windows ISO file and a USB drive, and the software will take care of the rest for you.

I recommend you to try it. It is very convenient for users like us who are new to Mac!

[Edited by Moderator]

Oh, totally! Making a bootable USB stick with Windows to use on your Mac is pretty doable, and honestly, it’s a handy trick to have up your sleeve. Here’s a laid-back walkthrough to get you rolling:

1. Get the Windows ISO File: First thing’s first, you need the Windows ISO file. Think of it as a blueprint of Windows that your USB will mimic. You can download this directly from Microsoft’s website. They have the latest Windows versions ready for download. Just head over there, pick the version you want, and download the ISO file.
2. Boot Camp Assistant (If you're on macOS): Now, since you’re diving into this from a Mac perspective, Apple has this neat tool called Boot Camp Assistant that's baked right into macOS. It's essentially your golden ticket for getting Windows up and running on your Mac. Open it up, and it'll guide you through the process of creating a bootable USB drive with the Windows ISO you downloaded. Plus, it helps partition your hard drive if you're looking to run Windows alongside macOS.
3. Or, Use a Third-Party Tool (If Boot Camp doesn’t play nice): Sometimes, the stars don’t align, and Boot Camp might give you the cold shoulder, or you might want a bit more control over the process. In that case, there are third-party tools like UltraDMG (for Windows) or UNetbootin (works on both macOS and Windows) that can also create a bootable USB stick with your Windows ISO. The process is pretty straightforward: select your USB drive, choose the ISO file, and let the software work its magic.

It's easier to make a MacOS installer bootable USB on Windows than it is on a Mac. You don't need to use the Apple store or any terminal commands.

There are plenty of sites to download an ISO (disk image) of the MacOS installer

You just need to make sure you have the right version that your Mac can use. (Unlike Windows 10, you can't just install the latest version)

https://archive.org/details/macos_iso

https://isoriver.com/?s=mac+os

There are free programs for Windows that can write an ISO image file to USB such as Rufus https://rufus.ie/

nanaki-seto wrote:

Tried this and it does not work just tosses 1 error after another relating to command not found

I seriously do not understand why people always want to answer questions no one asked. What if a mac is left in an unbootable state you still going to tell them it is simple on the mac when they can't boot it ? Maybe they are fixing it for a friend and have 20 years experience on macs but do not have one any more and need to do so on windows i mean seriously

Did you read the linked Apple article provided by @ku4hx and others including myself? @ku4hx gave a sample command taken from the linked Apple article for creating a bootable macOS 13.x Ventura USB installer. The command differs slightly for different versions of macOS you are creating. Plus the instructions to get the full macOS installer differs depending on which installer you need.

Here are the links to the Apple articles needed for downloading & creating a bootable macOS USB installer:

How to download and install macOS - Apple Support

Create a bootable installer - Apple Support

No one can assist you with the errors encountered without knowing exactly what command you used and which macOS installer you are trying to create. It is best if we see a screenshot of the Terminal window showing the command used and the complete error message. The instructions in these two articles work if followed precisely (although the macOS 10.12 Sierra will fail due to a problem with its installer.....known bug Apple decided to ignore instead of fixing). Access to another compatible Mac is necessary to perform those instructions if your current Mac is unable to boot normally or into Safe Mode. Macs generally from Late-2009+ do have access to Internet Recovery Mode as well in order to access the online macOS installer if you don't have access to a compatible Mac to create a bootable macOS USB installer.

Frusolly wrote:

I am also a user who switched from Windows to Mac, and I faced the same need when I first tried Mac.

I used a software called UltraDMG to make a macOS bootable USB drive on my Windows 11. You only need to prepare your Windows ISO file and a USB drive, and the software will take care of the rest for you.

I recommend you to try it. It is very convenient for users like us who are new to Mac!

Thanks for your recommendation, I have successfully installed el capitan for my old Macbook air!

[Edited by Moderator]

UltraDMG worked great for me, highly recommended!

[Edited by Moderator]

"this is the first Mac I ever had"

It's incredibly simple to make the bootable flash drive on your Mac.

It's a single command in Terminal which you should copy and paste: Create a bootable installer for macOS - Apple Support

For instance, for Ventura: sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Ventura.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume

Hi OP,

Did you made a working macOS bootable USB on a PC? If yes, could you please share more details? My MacBook Pro can't boot in desktop and I need to reinstall macOS from USB.

Tried this and it does not work just tosses 1 error after another relating to command not found

I seriously do not understand why people always want to answer questions no one asked. What if a mac is left in an unbootable state you still going to tell them it is simple on the mac when they can't boot it ? Maybe they are fixing it for a friend and have 20 years experience on macs but do not have one any more and need to do so on windows i mean seriously

If you have a Mac from 2010+ (perhaps even a Late-2009 model), then that Mac may have access to the online macOS installers through Internet Recovery Mode....using Command + Option + R is best since it should access the most recent installer compatible with your Mac, or if there is only a local recovery mode, then it should allow you to access the installer without authenticating with an AppleID which would fail since your AppleID never "purchased" any of the older macOS installers.

How to reinstall macOS - Apple Support

Otherwise, you would need access to another Mac which is able to utilize an OS your own Mac can use. For example if your Mac is compatible with macOS 10.13, then you would generally need access to another Mac from Late-2009 to 2018 in order to create a bootable macOS 10.13 USB installer since only those model Macs are compatible with macOS 10.13 (the Macs can currently be running any version of macOS 10.6+). You can use this article to determine which versions of macOS are compatible with various Apple hardware in order to determine the versions of macOS your Mac is compatible and to verify whether any other Macs you have access to are also compatible.

https://eshop.macsales.com/guides/Mac_OS_X_Compatibility

Here is an Apple article with instructions for creating a bootable macOS USB installer (requires access to another Mac able to boot macOS):

Create a bootable installer for macOS - Apple Support

FYI, you should always provide the exact model of Mac so we can provide as many options as possible since some older Macs used macOS DVD installers, while newer Macs (2018+) have options for a firmware "Restore" although the latter still requires access to another newer Mac. You can get the exact model by clicking the Apple menu and selecting "About this Mac", or if it has no bootable macOS, then enter the system serial number here:

Check Your Service and Support Coverage - Apple Support

If you don't know of anyone with a compatible Mac, then maybe see if the Apple Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider will assist you....some may help.

Not possible.