Windows Media Creation Tool For Mac?

11-05-2021
 |  [RAND-100] - Comments

Whether you are dual-booting your Mac or formatting a new PC, the best way to get Windows 10 is through a fresh installation, not an upgrade. But you’ll need to create a bootable Windows 10 USB drive first. The process is a little more complicated if you’re using a Mac.

Boot Camp Assistant guides you through installing Windows on your Mac. Open this app from the Utilities folder inside the Applications folder. Then follow the onscreen instructions to repartition your startup disk and download related software drivers for Windows. Microsoft offers a simple tool to create a bootable USB on Windows, but there is no such tool for Mac users. Fortunately the process is pretty easy, if you know how. Plus, this is a great opportunity to get Microsoft’s last version of Windows for free.

Microsoft offers a simple tool to create a bootable USB on Windows, but there is no such tool for Mac users. Fortunately the process is pretty easy, if you know how.

Plus, this is a great opportunity to get Microsoft’s last version of Windows for free. Remember, on July 29, Microsoft will end its free upgrade to Windows 10Act NOW to Keep Your Windows 10 Upgrade Free After July 29Act NOW to Keep Your Windows 10 Upgrade Free After July 29Microsoft has confirmed that the free Windows 10 upgrade will expire. After July 29, a Windows 10 license will cost $119. We show you how to become eligible to install Windows 10 for free, even...Read More for existing Windows 7 or 8 users. So if you have an old laptop, you could use that license to activate and dual-boot Windows 10 on your Mac.

What You Will Need

  • An 8GB or larger USB drive whose data you don’t mind losing. You can pick up a new 8GB drive for as little as $5.
  • Your MacBook power adapter should be plugged in. You don’t want the laptop running out of battery in the middle of creating the bootable drive.
  • This method obviously requires a valid Windows 10 license to activate the operating system.
  • An active Internet connection to download any updates required.

1. Download the Windows ISO

Microsoft has free downloadable ISO files for Windows 10 on its official site. There are two things to keep in mind when you download:

  1. Make sure it’s Windows 10 version 1511How to Upgrade to Windows 10 Version 1511 NowHow to Upgrade to Windows 10 Version 1511 NowCan't seem to install the Windows 10 Fall Update? It wouldn't be the Microsoft we know and love, if there wasn't some kind of screw-up along the line. Let us help!Read More—you’ll see the digits 1511 in the file name if it is. Older versions don’t let you use Windows 7 or 8 keys to activate it directly.
  2. Don’t worry about “K”, “N”, “KN”, “Simple Language” or other suffixes. Just download the plain Windows 10. Those suffixes are for lighter versions of Windows made for Europe and South Korea, due to anti-trust litigation against Microsoft.

Download:Official Windows 10 ISO

Once you have downloaded the ISO, keep it in a location you can easily find later, like your desktop or downloads folder.

2. Plug in Your USB Drive

Disconnect any other USB hard drive, optical drive, or other storage media you have connected.

3. Start Boot Camp Assistant

Mac OS X’s built-in Boot Camp Assistant (BCA) is capable of creating the bootable Windows 10 installer USB drive, so you don’t need any third-party apps.

Windows 10 media creation tool for mac

To start BCA, press command+spacebarto bring up SpotlightSearch More Efficiently In Mac OS X With Our Top Spotlight TipsSearch More Efficiently In Mac OS X With Our Top Spotlight TipsSpotlight has been a killer Mac feature for years, with Cupertino regularly schooling Redmond in the art of desktop search. Here are a few tips to help you find more on your Mac.Read More, type “Boot Camp Assistant” (without the quotes), and press Enter.

Click Continue at the introduction dialog box.

4. Configure Boot Camp

Check the box for “Create a Windows 7 or later install disk”.

The other options will probably be greyed out, but in case they aren’t, check the second box for “Download the latest Windows support software from Apple”, and don’t check the third box.

Click Continue when done.

5. Choose Your ISO Image & USB Drive

Browse to and select the Windows 10 ISO file you downloaded.

In Destination Disk, make sure you see your 8GB USB drive.

Click Continue when done.

6. Copy The Image to Disk

BCA will format this USB drive, so again, make sure it has no important data on it that you can’t lose.

All the data will be wiped.Click Continue to proceed. The installation process will now start and you don’t need to interact at all. Just let it run.

If you’re on a MacBook, don’t shut the MacBook’s lid! It’s an instinctive act that several of us do when we aren’t using the laptop, but this will put your Mac to sleep and interrupt the process.

When everything is done, you’ll see a window that says “The Windows support software has been saved.”

Click Quit to finish your procedure, unmount and unplug your USB drive. Congratulations! This is now a bootable Windows 10 installer.

While Booting: USB vs. UEFI

When you go to install Windows 10 on a PC with this USB drive, your motherboard might not boot with it, even if you have set to boot with the USB first. It’s a common problem with a simple solution.

Go to your motherboard’s BIOS settingsHow to Enter the BIOS on Windows 10 (And Older Versions)How to Enter the BIOS on Windows 10 (And Older Versions)To get into the BIOS, you usually press a specific key at the right time. Here's how to enter the BIOS on Windows 10.Read More by tapping F2 or Delete as it powers on. In the Boot settings, you will likely see two options for your USB drive that seem similar, titled something like “USB Mass Storage Device” and “UEFI USB Device”.

Choose UEFI instead of USB Mass Storage. Save the new settings, exit BIOS, and restart. This time, your computer should boot into your Windows 10 installer USB drive.

UEFI is a new type of firmware for motherboardsWhat Is UEFI And How Does It Keep You More Secure?What Is UEFI And How Does It Keep You More Secure?Read More instead of the traditional BIOS, and BCA uses it by default when creating USB installation media. It makes no real difference to a regular user, so just change the setting and you’re good to go.

Alternate Method to Create the Installer

The Boot Camp Assistant is the easiest way to make a bootable USB installer for Windows 10, but some users have reported problems with it. El Capitan users, in particular, have noted that BCA does not offer the “Create a Windows 7 or later install disk” option at all. In case you face this problem, there is an alternative to create your bootable drive.

Use VirtualBox to create a virtual Windows machine on MacHow to Use VirtualBox: User's GuideHow to Use VirtualBox: User's GuideWith VirtualBox you can easily install and test multiple operating systems. We'll show you how to set up Windows 10 and Ubuntu Linux as a virtual machine.Read More. Then it’s just a matter of using the Windows Media Creation Tool or any of the other methods to create Windows installation mediaHow to Create Windows 10 Installation MediaHow to Create Windows 10 Installation MediaRegardless of how you arrived at Windows 10, there's a way to create your own installation media. Sooner or later you might need it. Let us show you how to be prepared.Read More. It takes more resources and the process has more steps than BCA, so use this as the last option.

This method will usually not use UEFI firmware, so the BIOS settings change won’t be needed.

Are You Dual-Booting Windows 10?

With all of these options, you should be able to easily make Windows 10 installation media on your Mac. The question is, are you going to use it?

Windows Media Creation Tool Windows 10

As the July 29 deadline approaches, we are curious to know how many of you are dual-booting Mac OS X and Windows 10 already, and how many of you plan to do it in the near future? Is Windows 10 better on a Mac than earlier versions of the operating system?

Explore more about: Install Software, USB Drive, Windows 10.

  1. cool

  2. Will this process work for a Windows PC?
    Is there a simple way to change my BIOS to recognize booting from a flash drive?

  3. You can also just mount the ISO, format the USB as FAT with MBR and just drag and drop the files from the ISO to the USB. It boots fine with EFI :-)

    • Windows 10 is larger than 4 GB. I can't drag it to the USB

Now playing:Watch this: Here's how you install Windows 10 on a Mac

Editors' note: This post was updated on August 12, 2015, with information on how to remove Windows from a dual-boot Mac.

If you haven't already heard, Windows 10 is pretty great and worth installing on your PC. Apple fans won't miss out either, since the new operating system can be installed on your Mac as well.

To install Windows 10 on a Mac, you will need the following:

  • The Mac you plan to install Windows 10 on
  • A thumb drive with at least 5GB of storage space (for reference, I named mine 'WININSTALL')
  • A second computer that already runs Windows
  • A fast Internet connection

Note that you won't need a Windows 10 license for the installation, but you will need to buy one if you want to continue to use it on your Mac after the 30-day trial period.

Following these instructions will install Windows 10 on your Mac in a dual-boot configuration, meaning you'll have the option to choose which operating system (Windows 10 or Mac OS) to use each time you turn on the computer. And, if you later on change your mind, the guide also includes the information on how you can remove Windows afterwords.

This guide is for a Mac that doesn't have already have Windows installed. If yours already has Windows 7 or Windows 8 on your Mac, you can upgrade it to Windows 10 the normal way.

Part 1: Getting the Windows 10 file on your Mac

Step 1: Insert the flash drive into your Windows computer and download Windows 10's media creation tool from Microsoft. There are 32-bit and 64-bit versions, depending on which Windows system you intend to use the tool on. If you're not sure whether your computer is using 64-bit or 32-bit Windows, here's how you can find out. Only the version compatible with your system will actually run.

Step 2: Open the downloaded media creation tool, choose Create installation media for another PC then click Next.


Step 3: Select the Language, Edition and the 64-bitArchitecture for Windows 10, then click Next. It's important that you select the 64-bit Architecture, unless your Mac specifically supports only the 32-bit architecture (very few do). If you select the 32-bit or both option, you may run into problems later on.

As for what edition of Windows to get, check out this chart to find out if Pro or Home fits you best. Keep in mind that you will need to buy a license later when you need to activate Windows and the Pro edition is more expensive than the Home edition. The N edition of Windows 10 is for certain European markets.

Step 4: Choose to save Windows 10 installer as an ISO file then click on Next. Don't worry, you won't need a DVD burner or a DVD at all.

Note that you'll want to avoid using the USB flash drive option here since, in my experience, the Windows 10 USB installer drive created using Windows has trouble working on certain Macs.

Step 5: Choose a location to save the Windows ISO file. For this guide, I chose to save that file on the flash drive, but you can save it anywhere on the computer and then copy it onto the flash drive later.

Depending on your Internet connection, this will take between a few minutes and several hours. Once the file has been saved on the flash drive, remove it from your Windows computer and insert it into your Mac.

You will not need the Windows computer again for the rest of the process.

Part 2: Getting the flash drive and your Mac's partition ready

Note: At times you'll be prompted to type in the password for your Mac's admin account. Make sure you have that ready.

Step 1: Insert and then open the flash drive. Copy the Windows ISO file onto the Mac's desktop. Leave the flash drive connected to the Mac for the rest of job. Make sure there are no other flash drives or external hard drives connected to the Mac.

Step 2: Run Boot Camp Assistant, then click on Continue. Boot Camp Assistant is located in ApplicationsUtilities folder. You can also quickly search for it using Spotlight.

Step 3: Make sure all three tasks Create a Windows 7 or later version install disk, Download the latest Windows support software from Apple and Install windows 7 or later version are checked. Then click Continue.

Step 4: If you've copied the Windows ISO file to the Mac's desktop, it will be automatically located. If you put it elsewhere on the computer, you'll need click on Choose and browse for it. The flash drive will be automatically chosen as the install disk if it's the only flash drive plugged in.

Verify everything then click on Continue. Boot Camp Assistant will then confirm the erasing of the flash drive before turning it into a Windows 10 install disk (make sure you have no important information on the flash drive.) After that it will also download the latest Windows support software onto the flash drive.

Step 5: Boot Camp Assistant will prompt you to choose the size of the partition that you'll use for Windows. Use the slider to select the size. Windows 10 itself requires at least 20GB to install, so you'll want more than that to make room for software and data. Note that this is the only time you can pick the partition size for Windows so make sure you make up your mind before continue.

Once done, without removing the flash drive, click on Install. The partitioning will takes place and then the Mac will restart. This is the end of part 2. Make sure the flash drive remained plugged in for the entire part 3.

Part 3: Installing Windows 10


Step 1: The Mac will automatically boot up from the flash drive and start the Windows Setup process. You'll be prompted to choose the Language, Time and currency format, and Keyboard settings for Windows. Do this, then click on Next.

Note: If somehow the Mac doesn't boot from the flash drive, just restart it, hold down the Option key after the Apple startup sound for available boot options, use the left/right keys to pick the flash drive -- which will likely appears as 'Windows' -- and press Enter to boot from it.

Step 2: Enter the Windows 10 product key if you have it, then click on Next, or click on Skip. The installation process will then ask you to confirm the Windows edition you want to install, and ask you to agree to the terms and conditions.

Windows media creation tool for mac

Step 3: Eventually, you will be presented with the all existing partitions, one of which is marked as BOOTCAMP. This is the partition you want to install Windows 10 on. Select it then click on Format. Do not do anything about the rest of the partitions.

Step 4: Windows Setup will then ask you to confirm, click on OK and then click on Next.

Step 5: Windows Setup will continue the rest of the setup process by itself. This should take about about 10 to 30 minutes, depending on the speed of your Mac. After that, the Mac will start up with Windows 10. You will be asked to go through with the normal steps of setting up a new Windows computer, including creating an user account.

Step 6: As you log in for the first time, you will be greeted with this Boot Camp installation message. Click on Next and follow the rest of the installation, reboot the computer, and you're done!

If you don't see this message, open the flash drive, and double-click on the Setup file inside the BootCamp folder. Once Boot Camp is done installing, you can remove the flash drive from the computer. It's no longer needed.

Windows Media Creation Tool For Mac

While you have both Mac OS and Windows 10 on the same machine, you can only run one of them at a time. To manually select which operating system to run, during the startup, hold down the Option key after the Apple startup sound and then use the left and right keys to select which one you want to boot into, then press Enter. To set which operating system to boot up as default, use the Boot Camp control panel (Windows) or Startup Disk in System Preferences (Mac).

Removing Windows

Download Windows 10 Media Creation Tool For 64-bit Machines

If for some reason, you don't want to have Windows 10 (or any version of Windows for that matter) on your Mac anymore, you can permanently remove it and regain the disk space the Mac OS. Here are the steps.

Windows 7 Media Creation Tool For Mac

1. Boot into Mac OS, run Boot Camp Assistant and click Continue.

2. Pick the third option that reads Remove Windows 7 or later version then click on Continue.

Windows Media Creation Tool Not Working

3. In this step, just click on Restore; you will be prompted for the Mac's admin password to confirm. After a short process, Windows will be removed like it had never been installed. Note that removing Windows also means that all data, including software and files, stored on the Windows partition will be permanently erased.

Windows 10 Media Creation Tool For Mac

Microsoft Windows 10 Home (OEM)

Windows 10 Usb Mac

  • Review
    Windows 10 review: Microsoft gets it right