How to Create a Windows 10 Flash Drive Installer on a Mac

August 31, 2015 / By

This quick guide will show you how to create a Windows 10 “bootable” USB thumb/flash drive from within OS X.

  1. First up, you’ll need a Windows 10 .iso file. This is the exact type of file that Microsoft provides when you download Windows 10 from them. If you obtained your copy of Windows 10 elsewhere that’s fine, as long as the file is in the .iso format.

  2. The other item you’ll need is a USB usb flash/thumb drive. Depending on the version of Windows that you’re installing, you may be able use a flash drive as small as 4GB. The instructions that came with the Windows 10 .iso file you have will probably tell you. If in doubt, an 8GB drive will suffice for every version of Windows 10. Please note: this process involves completely erasing all of the data on that thumb drive, so if you have files on it – make sure to back them up first, as they will be deleted.

  3. To create a bootable (installation) Windows 10 USB flash drive we’re actually going to use the Boot Camp Utility App, even though we are not going to install Windows 10 on your Mac (at least in this tutorial). Launch it by selecting Applications then Utilities and then double-click Boot Camp Assistant

    4. boot camp assistant in Finder
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  4. Click Continue to move on from the ‘Introduction’ screen.

    5. the Introduction screen of the Boot Camp Utility
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  5. Make sure that Create a Windows 7 or later version install disk is selected, and Install Windows 7 or later version is NOT selected. Then click Continue.

    6. creating a bootable USB drive on your mac using boot camp assistant
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  6. Now it’s time to select your Windows 10 ISO file. Click the Choose… button.

    7. selecting an iso to use to create a bootable flash drive
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  7. Navigate to the Windows 10 .iso file, select it by clicking on it once, and then click the Open button.

    8. a windows 10 iso file in finder
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  8. Now in the Destination Disk: section select your USB thumb drive. Make sure to select the correct one – especially if you have other USB drives plugged into your Mac. Remember, any and all files on this USB flash drive will be erased, so double-check. Then click Continue.


    9. click to enlarge

  9. A scary This drive will be erased confirmation message will appear. Since you so diligently made sure to select the correct drive in the previous step, you can click Continue with no fear :)

    10. the window to select the destination drive for your windows 10 bootable thumb drive
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  10. Now the boring part. This can take a while, you may want to go grab yourself a coffee or tea.

    11. boot camp utility warning message
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  11. Towards the end of the process, you’ll be prompted to enter your Mac’s password. Do so, then click the Add Helper button.

    12. osx password request window
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  12. Click Quit when the final screen appears.

    13. final screen of boot camp assistant
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  13. The USB flash drive will now be named WININSTALL (and is safe to eject) – you’re done!

    14. a mounted windows 10 usb thumb drive in osx

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2 thoughts on “How to Create a Windows 10 Flash Drive Installer on a Mac”

  2. awesomedreams

    I got a “Boot Camp only supports Windows 7 or later installation on this platform. Please use an ISO file for Windows 7 or later installation.” uh it’s a windows 10 iso straight from microsoft. wtf

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