PC bootable Windows 10 usb with High Sierra

[FaleoMD]

Hello!

Here's the problem I have wrestled with for a very long time. Long story short, my PC got some malicious stuff which I tried to remove with program called Malwerebytes. Final result of that it destroyed Windows important registry files and all I got is Windows 10 boot cycle loop forever. In other words Windows doesn't start anymore.

I've tried to create a boot usb with High Sierra that I could run repair install. I have ISO file downloaded from Microsoft and I've been trying couple of online instructions how to make boot usb with Mac High Sierra. They have not worked though and best I get is blinking cursor on my PC screen when I try to boot from usb.

Has anyone succeeded in creating PC bootable Windows usb with High Sierra? Help is urgently needed because my PC contains important work stuff that needs to be recovered.

Thanks

 

[maflynn]

I would just use a library computer, a friend's or ask for help if you have a Microsoft store near you.

I googled it and found these links failing that
https://www.windowscentral.com/how-create-windows-10-installer-usb-drive-mac
https://www.wdiaz.org/how-to-create-a-bootable-windows-10-usb-on-macos-sierra-2/

 

[FaleoMD]

I would just use a library computer, a friend's or ask for help if you have a Microsoft store near you.

I googled it and found these links failing that
https://www.windowscentral.com/how-create-windows-10-installer-usb-drive-mac
https://www.wdiaz.org/how-to-create-a-bootable-windows-10-usb-on-macos-sierra-2/

That first option with bootcamp is not working with High Sierra anymore. I try that another one and then tell what happened.

 

[FaleoMD]

Nope. Didn't work I tried those both options. Only blinking cursor on PC. Does anyone know how to make this work with High Sierra?

 

[DeltaMac]

I have made bootable Win10 installers a couple of times in the last month.
I use the BootCamp Assistant, which you say does not work for you.
I recommend trying the BootCamp assistant again. Get the screen where you can select Tasks - should be the second screen after BCA launches. Uncheck choices so that ONLY "Create a Windows 7 or later version install disk" is selected.
This is assuming that you have access to a downloaded Windows 10 ISO, and that you have the USB drive that you want to use for the install plugged in to your Mac. I use an 8GB USB flash drive for that. Browse to your Windows 10 ISO, or just drag that ISO to the ISO source line. Your USB drive should already show as the destination, so click Continue.
Wait for that to finish. (My flash drive takes about 30 minutes, so be patient) Boot Camp should ask for your admin password at the completion. You can just Quit Boot Camp Assistant.
And, there's your completely Win10 installer drive, all ready to plug in your PC and boot.
You probably have to check in the PC's BIOS to make sure that the BIOS supports booting to a USB device (I can't help you with that!)

If Boot Camp does not work for you - does it finish making the USB drive from your downloaded ISO?
Do you get some kind of error?
If all is OK until you try to boot the PC - do you need to use the boot manager for booting to USB?
Again, double-check the boot options in the PCs BIOS setup screens, make sure that USB booting is supported (and enabled, if necessary)

 

[BLUEDOG314]

If you have the ISO, get a flash drive at least 8GB like others have stated. Open terminal and type 'diskutil list' and get the disk identifier for your flash drive. It will be listed next to the current name of the drive and whatever size it is. It will say like "disk 2" or "disk 3." Just make ABSOLUTE SURE you get the correct one. If you would like, post a screenshot of your results so we get the right thing. Next, type 'diskutil unmountdisk diskX' followed by 'sudo dd if=PathToWinISO of=/dev/diskX' where diskX is what you identified above. Also, after "if=" you can drag the ISO into the terminal window and it will fill out the path for you. This will take a while, so let it run until you see it say completed and some stuff about how long the transfer took.

 

[FaleoMD]

If you have the ISO, get a flash drive at least 8GB like others have stated. Open terminal and type 'diskutil list' and get the disk identifier for your flash drive. It will be listed next to the current name of the drive and whatever size it is. It will say like "disk 2" or "disk 3." Just make ABSOLUTE SURE you get the correct one. If you would like, post a screenshot of your results so we get the right thing. Next, type 'diskutil unmountdisk diskX' followed by 'sudo dd if=PathToWinISO of=/dev/diskX' where diskX is what you identified above. Also, after "if=" you can drag the ISO into the terminal window and it will fill out the path for you. This will take a while, so let it run until you see it say completed and some stuff about how long the transfer took.

I've tried this one. Just blinking cursor on PC screen. I'm just trying that DeltaMac's option.

 

[FaleoMD]

Really weird but this time I managed to do it with bootcamp. Not with USB but with DVD. So the problem was with that USB stick. For some reason my PC didn't agree to install from USB. Bad thing though repair install wasn't possible anymore so only way to clean install and try save so much stuff you can. Anyways, thanks to all for replies!

 

[DeltaMac]

If you used your Boot Camp assistant to create the bootable USB drive from a Windows ISO, Restart your Mac, holding the Option key. The boot picker screen will appear. Insert your USB Windows installer, and you should see TWO possible boot partitions appear. One will be Windows, and the other will be EFI Boot. The one that works depends on which Mac you have. Try each. Some Macs may need quite some time to respond with that boot to the Windows installer, so give it a few minutes for something to happen. USUALLY, at some point, you will see a screen to "Press any key to boot from disk". I think if you ignore that message, the boot will stall, so watch for that screen. It does not appear in all cases, but you should watch for it, so you can press a key.
Or, it will continue on to where you can install Windows, and from there it's pretty straightforward. I ALWAYS choose a custom install, so I can format the Windows partition that boot camp creates. The Windows installer might stall there, too. So after a format, I usually shutdown there, then restart to the Windows installer. And it usually goes through without a hitch.

 

[DeltaMac]

I think the important part to remember is to make sure to format the USB as ExFat, particularly if you are trying to make a bootable USB for the latest Windows10 ISO. It WILL NOT work to use a USB formatted as FAT32. The Fall 2018 Windows 10 ISO has a file that absolutely will not copy to a FAT32-format drive. It does work with ExFat, however.

 

[irvingate]

If you used your Boot Camp assistant to create the bootable USB drive from a Windows ISO, Restart your Mac, holding the Option key. The boot picker screen will appear. Insert your USB Windows installer, and you should see TWO possible boot partitions appear. But I didn't use High Sierra for making the bootable Windows 10 USB. That's what i did with UUByte software. One will be Windows, and the other will be EFI Boot. The one that works depends on which Mac you have. Try each.

I am using Bootcamp on Mojave, it keeps saying the disk volume is not enough. Mine is 16G Kingston USB sticks, which is far enough to hold the Windows 10 ISO image. this is really weird.

 

[DeltaMac]

I am using Bootcamp on Mojave, it keeps saying the disk volume is not enough. Mine is 16G Kingston USB sticks, which is far enough to hold the Windows 10 ISO image. this is really weird.

The actual size of the USB stick is NOT the issue. You won't be successful creating a Windows 10 installer stick from the Boot Camp assistant when using the latest Windows ISO (Windows 10 October 2018). There is one file on that ISO that is too large. You will get the same failure regardless of how large the volume might be. The process fails because macOS can't copy that one file. It is not a Finder limit, per se. Boot Camp assistant reformats the USB stick to Fat32, which does not allow single files larger than 4GB.
The fix to do that from the Boot Camp assistant is to download the previous Win10 ISO (Windows 10 April 2018). You can do that from the Windows 10 ISO download page, just select the older version. Make your Win 10 installer stick using that older ISO (which will work from Boot Camp), then install Win10. Update to current Windows 10 through Windows Update. This takes at least twice as long, but certainly works.

That's the same method that Apple offers as a work-around from their Boot Camp support page.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206202

 

[paradox267]

The actual size of the USB stick is NOT the issue. You won't be successful creating a Windows 10 installer stick from the Boot Camp assistant when using the latest Windows ISO (Windows 10 October 2018). There is one file on that ISO that is too large. You will get the same failure regardless of how large the volume might be. The process fails because macOS can't copy that one file. It is not a Finder limit, per se. Boot Camp assistant reformats the USB stick to Fat32, which does not allow single files larger than 4GB.
The fix to do that from the Boot Camp assistant is to download the previous Win10 ISO (Windows 10 April 2018). You can do that from the Windows 10 ISO download page, just select the older version. Make your Win 10 installer stick using that older ISO (which will work from Boot Camp), then install Win10. Update to current Windows 10 through Windows Update. This takes at least twice as long, but certainly works.

That's the same method that Apple offers as a work-around from their Boot Camp support page.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206202

Wait just confirming, by using the April 2018 version of Win10 ISO, we can make a *pc-bootable* USB installer from Boot Camp Assistant?

 

[DeltaMac]

Wait just confirming, by using the April 2018 version of Win10 ISO, we can make a *pc-bootable* USB installer from Boot Camp Assistant?

Yes
In fact, if you don't need the Apple support files, you can leave that part turned off, and the creation of the USB installer takes less time to finish.

 

[paradox267]

Yes
In fact, if you don't need the Apple support files, you can leave that part turned off, and the creation of the USB installer takes less time to finish.

But leaving the support files in there won't do any harm when booting from a PC?

 

[DeltaMac]

Not sure. The support software includes various Apple hardware installers, which will run automatically. Just not necessary on a non-Apple PC.
Let the support files install, if you expect to use that installer on a Mac. But, it's too simple to just not select that support software, and you did ask about making that installer "PC-bootable", so I was assuming that you were asking about an installer that you could use with a Windows PC. Again, it will finish quicker when the support software is not needed (and it would not be needed with a non-Apple PC.)

 

[paradox267]

Yeah I understand that but when I check the box to "Create a Windows 10 or later install disk", the box for downloading the support software is greyed out and automatically checked. Any tips?

 

[DeltaMac]

hmm... Uncheck the support box first, then check "Create Win 10 disk" (?)

If you continue to see that box checked, then just continue with your Win 10 disk. You COULD just delete the bootcamp support files from the USB Win10 installer after you make it.
The files are in two folders
BootCamp
$WinPEDriver$

and one other file
AutoUnattend.xml

 

[paradox267]

Yeah I tried unchecking the "Create a Windows 10 or later disk" as well as the support system download option, but it automatically selects the support system download again when I recheck the create windows 10 option. I'll probably just delete the support files as you said afterwards. Thank you for your help!

 

[Joltaz]

You can create bootable Windows 10 installer using the cross-platform freeware UNetbootin or the terminal commands:
https://unetbootin.github.io/
https://www.top-password.com/blog/create-windows-10-bootable-usb-from-iso-on-mac/

Boot Camp Assistant is easier but it might not be available in macOS Mojave.

 

[Danloung]

You can create bootable Windows 10 installer using the cross-platform freeware UNetbootin or the terminal commands:
Boot Camp Assistant is easier but it might not be available in macOS Mojave.

Try the UUbyte iSO Editor,which is able to supports burning iso and making a bootable disc for all the version Windows.