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Bootable USB for Windows ??

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spotanjo3

spotanjo3

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Can I create a bootable usb for windows from Mac? I can't use my PC because its empty.

I have to install Windows for my PC.

I tried BalenaEtcher and I unplug USB Drive (fat32) from macOS and plug on PC and press f12 and switch to USB Drive I got "No boot sector on USB device."
 
I assume you need like a windows computer if you are trying to create an bootable iso for Windows via from a mac computer.
 
I don't have a working version. I have an empty PC and non-operation system. All I need is bootable USB Drive and a windows. That's the problem. I only have macOS Big Sur laptop right now.
 
spotanjo3 said:
I don't have a working version. I have an empty PC and non-operation system. All I need is bootable USB Drive and a windows. That's the problem. I only have macOS Big Sur laptop right now.
Click to expand...

Im pretty sure you have to install Windows on the mac to create a bootable usb for the windows computer.
 
That's what I am saying.. :)

Here:

I tried BalenaEtcher and I unplug USB Drive (fat32) from macOS and plug on PC and press f12 and switch to USB Drive I got "No boot sector on USB device."
 
spotanjo3 said:
That's what I am saying.. :)

Here:

I tried BalenaEtcher and I unplug USB Drive (fat32) from macOS and plug on PC and press f12 and switch to USB Drive I got "No boot sector on USB device."
Click to expand...

I said to use windows installed on Mac, not MAC OSX.
 
spotanjo3 said:
That's what I am saying.. :)

Here:

I tried BalenaEtcher and I unplug USB Drive (fat32) from macOS and plug on PC and press f12 and switch to USB Drive I got "No boot sector on USB device."
Click to expand...
Try rufus https://rufus.ie/ (Get Rufus-3.13.appx)

Then grab your windows ISO after that burn the ISO with rufus. Should work
 
Rufus won't work on macOS. I have to use my macOS laptop to install bootable Windows 11 so I can install on PC.
 
BalenaEtcher doesn't work too well with Windows ISOs I've found, but there are a couple ways to do it. The main issue you're running into is FAT32 doesn't support file sizes larger than 4GB. The Install.wim file in any modern Windows ISO is going to be larger than that, so most methods usually don't copy it all over (or at all), and MacOS doesn't quite like using NTFS for removable media, and Windows doesn't like exFAT for its installers so most "normal" methods like Balena or UNetbootin and such have issues.

The easiest way I've found is using a couple different software packages, like UUByte ISO Editor or SYSGeeker WonderISO. Both are paid software, but do have a free trial that you can use to just make the USB the one time you'll need it. They both support setting up Windows installers on FAT32, and are easy enough to use.

You can also use Terminal and some custom packages available on Github to split the Install.wim file, but unless you're very familiar with Terminal and setting up Homebrew on MacOS, I wouldn't bother with this method and just use the above.

Failing that, you can also just use VirtualBox to setup a Windows VM on your Mac, install Rufus on there, passthrough the USB drive to the VM and then use that to setup the ISO. A bit of a roundabout way to do it, but it works in a pinch of none of the above work for you.
 
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I did with SYSGeeker WinderISO and it won't let me because I have to pay for it. Never tried it and it didn't not let me to use just make the USB the one time.
Post automatically merged:

How do I add Rufus with Oracle virtual box. I Just installed Oracle Virtual Box on my Mac. Can't find the tutorial on Google for it.
 
Last edited by spotanjo3,
spotanjo3 said:
I did with SYSGeeker WinderISO and it won't let me because I have to pay for it. Never tried it and it didn't not let me to use just make the USB the one time.
Post automatically merged:

How do I add Rufus with Oracle virtual box. I Just installed Oracle Virtual Box on my Mac. Can't find the tutorial on Google for it.
Click to expand...
First install windows onto the VM, then grab rufus for windows then after that get another ISO for windows in the VM then burn the ISO on the USB with a passthought burning a bootable usb on there
 
spotanjo3 said:
For everyone else, thank you so much for your trying..

For you @linuxares,

Sigh ? LOL!

I know about Boot camp but I don't bother to tried it until today. Boot Camp works the best and I try it today and its working great on PC.

Thank you everyone. Problem resolved!
Click to expand...
Yes, I've been googling solutions :P Hench the sigh. I really don't get what cause your issues to Etcher since it often works right out of the box.
 
linuxares said:
Yes, I've been googling solutions :P Hench the sigh. I really don't get what cause your issues to Etcher since it often works right out of the box.
Click to expand...

Yeah, Etcher works fine for something else but refused to do it for bootable USB Flasher. It did say successfully but PC won't accept for something else. I looked into USB Flash Drive and noticed something was missing compared to Boot Camp's version have an extra. That's probably the reason why it won't work. Anyway, thanks again!:P
 
spotanjo3 said:
Yeah, Etcher works fine for something else but refused to do it for bootable USB Flasher. It did say successfully but PC won't accept for something else. I looked into USB Flash Drive and noticed something was missing compared to Boot Camp's version have an extra. That's probably the reason why it won't work. Anyway, thanks again!:P
Click to expand...
What have happened with them lately :S
I hope Ventoy comes OSX since it will make "boot usbs" a thing of the past. Just "burn Ventoy" to a USB and then copy the isos you wish to boot.
 

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