How to Create Mac Bootable USB from Windows 11/10

How can I create a macOS bootable usb on Windows 10? - posted by Bauer2260 in Microsoft Community

If your Mac won't boot due to update glitches, corrupted system files, or drive errors, you can still rescue it: create a Mac bootable USB from Windows 11/10. With UUByte DMG Editor, you can burn a macOS image directly on your PC, bypass the startup error, and repair or reinstall the system.

How to Create Mac Bootable USB on Windows?

Step 1. Prepare for Creating Mac Bootable USB

Before we look into the detailed steps to create macOS bootable USB from Windows, let's check the list of the prerequisites:

• A copy of the macOS installer (DMG file). You will find how to download macOS Or Mac OS X DMG File in the later part.
• UUByte software to create a bootable USB drive. The software is available for both Windows as well as Mac. Download link: https://www.uubyte.com/iso-editor.html
• A high-quality USB flash drive with at least 6 to 8GB of free space.

Step 2. Download macOS Or Mac OS X DMG File

macOS installers are distributed as DMG disk images. Windows can't read the macOS file format, so you need a DMG file to create the bootable USB. Get one from Apple's download portal or use direct links for each macOS version, for instance, Monterey, Big Sur, Catalina, Mojave, High Sierra, and El Capitan.

Step 3. Create a GPT Partition

While trying to create a macOS bootable USB on Windows using the UUByte tool, your USB drive might not work with the software due to a partition issue. This is because the USB drive is formatted to FAT32 by default. Unfortunately, FAT32 only supports OS with legacy BIOS.

To avoid this problem, you need to create a GPT partition on the USB flash drive using the Windows Management Tool or Command Prompt.

To create a GPT partition on a USB drive using Command Prompt, follow the steps below:

1. Press the Windows key + R, type cmd in the box, and click "OK."
2. Type the following commands and press Enter after each line.

diskpart
list disk
select disk X (X = USB flash drive name)
clean
convert gpt
create partition primary

Once done, the GPT partition will be created on your USB drive, and you can now use it to create a bootable USB using the UUBytes software.

Step 4. Create MacOS Bootable USB Installation Media

After all the preparation work is done, let's look into the steps to create a macOS bootable USB on Windows 11/10 via UUByte.

Usually, it is required to format the previously prepared USB firstly to make the USB recognizable to the computer. However, the latest version of the software can format your USB drive automatically before creating a bootable drive. Therefore, you can start the process directly.

Note: please make sure you have removed or backup the data on the USB before you start. Otherwise, after the USB being formatted, the data will be possibly lost.

To create macOS bootable USB installation media using UUByte DMG Editor on Windows, follow these steps in sequence:

1. Download the UUBytes DMG Editor software on your Windows PC and install it. Right-click on the UUBytes application and select "Run as Administrator." Click "Yes" when prompted.
2. Plug in your USB drive on your PC and click "Burn" on the software's home screen.

   

3. Now, click "Browse" and import the DMG file you downloaded earlier. Next, choose the USB drive and set its volume label.

   

4. Click the "Burn" option at the bottom of the screen to start creating a bootable USB drive. An indicator will show you the progress.

   

5. Once the progress bar reaches 100%, a macOS bootable USB drive will be successfully created, and you can use it to install Mac OS X on your Mac system.

2026 Tech Note: Using USB 4.0 for Faster Installation For a faster burn and install, use a USB 4.0 / Thunderbolt-compatible flash drive. Note that burning to USB erases all data on it — if you lose files in the process, you can use data recovery software to get them back.

Possible Trouble while Creating the Bootable USB

When you are using UUbyte to create a bootable USB, there are a few potential troubles that users may experience while trying to download UUbyte or create a USB. We have listed three main common issues and provided solutions:

Bonus Tip: Recover Data from Unbootable Mac

⚠️ Warning: Data Risk During Reinstallation Creating a bootable USB is meant for system repairs or fresh installs. If you haven't backed up your data, proceeding with a macOS reinstallation can lead to permanent data loss. We strongly recommend using Wondershare Recoverit to rescue your files before you attempt to boot from the USB installer.

Above we have explored how to use UUbyte and the possible issues you may discounter. We hope, you can create a bootable USB on Windows successfully with this guidance. However, we would like to recommend another good option to you when you face an unbootable Mac and try to recover your precious data on it – Recoverit.

Recoverit is a popular and powerful data recovery tool that can help you retrieve lost or deleted files from unbootable Macs in just a few simple steps. To know how to use it, please read the guidance below.

Preparations

• A blank USB with 8 to 16 GB of storage space.
• Another working Windows 10 PC.
• Recoverit installed on your working computer.

How to Recover Data Using Wondershare Recoverit?

Here's how you can use Recoverit to retrieve your data from your unbootable or crashed Mac:

1. On your working Windows PC, download and install the Recoverit software and launch it. Next, insert a blank USB drive into your computer and go to "System Crashed Computer" from the left-hand side menu. Next, click "Start" to begin the recovery process.

   

2. Now, select the drive or USB name and click "Start" On the next screen, you will get a warning message while asking to format the USB drive. Click "Format" to start creating a bootable USB drive.

   

3. Once the bootable USB drive is created, unplug it from your working PC and insert it into the USB port on your unbootable Mac. Start the crashed Mac by your model: Intel — hold the Option (Alt) key after the startup chime; Apple silicon — press and hold the Power button until "Loading Startup Options" appears; T2 chip Macs — first allow booting from external media in Startup Security Utility.
4. Choose the Wondershare Recoverit Bootable Media Drive when it appears on the screen.
5. Plug in an external hard disk to your crashed Mac and select a copy of your files in the Wondershare Recoverit Bootable Drive Window. Next, choose the external hard drive as the destination and click the "Start Copy" button.
6. Wait for the process to complete, and you will successfully retrieve your data on the connected external hard drive from your Mac.

More Tip: How to Create a Bootable USB Installer on Mac?

Now you have equipped with the knowledge to create a macOS bootable USB Installer on Windows 10 and know what to do if you hope to recover your data from an unbootable macOS directly. However, you may also wonder how to create a bootable USB on macOS, which is less complicated than on a Windows 10 PC. Here, we have provided the guidance to make a macOS bootable USB and you can check it if you need.

Intel vs. Apple Silicon Boot Keys

Video Tutorial- How to Create a Bootable USB Drive on Windows

The Bottom Line

This guide covered the full flow to create a macOS bootable USB from Windows: prepare a 16 GB USB, download the DMG, convert the USB to GPT if needed, and burn it with UUByte DMG Editor. If your Mac won't boot and holds unbacked-up data, recover it with Wondershare Recoverit before reinstalling.