If you’re using Windows, it’s always a good idea to have a Windows 10 bootable USB around. My new Windows configuration crashed and I had no way to use advanced recovery. So I had two options: find another Windows 10 computer or use a macOS to create a bootable USB drive. Fortunately, I got the latest. In no time, I was able to create a Windows 10 bootable USB key using macOS to fix my main computer.
Create Windows 10 Startup USB Key on Mac for PC
macOS offers an integrated tool – Boot Camp Assistant – which not only allows you to install Windows on the MacBook but also to create the installer for Windows 10. We will use the same tool to create one and use it to repair Windows 10 computers. The procedure involved is as follows:
- Download ISO Windows 10
- Create an installation program with Boot Camp Assistant
You will need a USB stick with at least 8 GB of storage space. You can still right-click the player after logging into any computer and check the properties to find out the size of the player.
1]Download ISO Windows 10
The best part of downloading ISO is that you don’t have to play tricks. When you use Windows to download ISO, you have to deceive it. On macOS and Safari, Microsoft offers a direct download link once you have chosen the version.
- Go to the Windows 10 ISO download section on Microsoft website
- Select Windows 10, then select the version
- It will download the ISO file, which should be around 5 GB.
2]Create an installation program with Boot Camp Assistant
Connect the USB sticke on the MacBook port. All data on the USB stick will be lost during this process. So be sure to make a backup if there is a file inside.
Then start the Spotlight search by pressing the command key and the space bar. Type training camp assistant, and when it appears, press enter to start the application. Click the Continue button, then it might do some cleaning up to make room for the second operating system. It took about 20 minutes.
Then check the box that says: “Create a Windows 10 or later version of the installation disc. »Deselect if there is no option to install Windows. When you click Next, Boot Camp Assistant will automatically locate the ISO file if it is in your Downloads folder. Otherwise, you can still browse and point to the correct ISO file.
Then point it at the USB drive, which will be the bootable USB drive. Click the Continue button again and wait until the bootable drive is ready. It may take around 20-25 minutes for it to become available.
When the process is complete, note that the name of the USB drive is now WININSTALL. Eject it and you’re ready to use it to recover or install Windows on any computer.
That’s it. I find the process much faster and more convenient when you don’t have access to the Windows machine.
Windows 10 also offers a similar recovery tool – which lets you create a rescue disk in Windows. Make sure you are always near your computer.