Alex Ruben
How To Create a macOS Bootable USB Drive Using Windows 11 24H2 with TransMac
Making a bootable macOS USB on a Windows 11 machine is kind of a pain point for a lot of folks. Usually, Apple’s tools are all about macOS, so trying to do this from Windows feels like you’re working against the grain. But honestly, with the right tools—like TransMac—and knowing where to click, it’s doable. This process is+ super useful if you want to install macOS on a Mac or Hackintosh without fussing with a Mac. The goal here is that, after following these steps, you’ll have a proper USB drive ready to go, and you can skip the hassle of hunting down a Mac just to prepare the installer.
How to Fix a Bootable macOS USB in Windows 11
Prepare the USB Drive and Your Environment
This step helps because you want a clean, formatted USB that’s ready for the image. It applies if your USB isn’t blank or has old data that might mess things up. Expect to wipe your drive, so backup anything important. Usually, this part is straightforward, but sometimes Windows doesn’t want to cooperate, especially with disks that have weird partitions or if you’re not running as admin.
- Make sure your USB drive is at least 16GB. Anything smaller probably won’t hold the macOS installer.
- Plug in the USB, then open Command Prompt as an administrator (search “cmd” in Start, right-click, hit Run as administrator).
- Type
diskpartand hit Enter. This opens the disk management tool in the terminal. - Run
list disk. Look for your USB—probably around 16 to 64 GB. Make sure you pick the right disk. Usually, it’s the one with the size that matches. - Type
select disk Xreplacing X with your USB disk number (like 2). Double-check because wiping the wrong disk is bad. - Now, run
cleanto wipe the drive completely. Don’t panic—this just deletes everything on that drive.
Format the USB Drive Properly
This is kinda the “setting the foundation” step—Windows Disk Management makes it easy, but can be picky. You want to create a simple, clean partition formatted as NTFS and prepare it to be converted to GPT later.
- In File Explorer, right-click This PC and choose Manage.
- Go to Disk Management under Storage.
- Find your USB drive—probably shows as unallocated space. Right-click on the unallocated area and pick New Simple Volume.
- Follow the prompts, assign a drive letter, and choose NTFS as the file system. Quick format usually works fine.
- Finish up and close Disk Management.
Convert the Drive to GPT Format
This is key since macOS prefers GPT partition scheme. If you skip that, your installer might not boot properly. Sometimes, Windows won’t let you convert easily, but using diskpart again helps. Also, on some setups, this command fails at first, so patience is key.
- Open Command Prompt as admin again and run
diskpart. - Type
list disk. Verify your USB drive. - Type
select disk Xjust like before. - If the disk isn’t already GPT, run
convert gpt. Note: this will only work if the drive isn’t formatted as MBR.
Download macOS DMG File
This part is kind of weird because Apple doesn’t make it easy to grab the DMG outside of a Mac. You might have to find it on Apple’s support site (here) or from other trusted sources. Just be cautious with where you download from—a corrupted file can ruin the process.
Once downloaded, give it some time; depending on your internet, it can take a few minutes up to quarter of an hour. Don’t rush this step, or you get a corrupted image.
Use TransMac to Write the Installer to USB
Here’s where things get real. TransMac is a Windows app that knows how to handle macOS images. Most people say it’s the best bet because it supports DMG files directly. You could try other tools, but frankly, TransMac just works better for this use case.
- Download TransMac from their official website. Install it, preferably with admin rights.
- Run TransMac as administrator (right-click, “Run as administrator”).
- Locate your USB in the left pane—right-click it.
- Select Restore with Disk Image. Confirm your disk selection—this will erase everything.
- When prompted, browse to the downloaded DMG file, select it, and click Open.
- Hit OK and wait. The process could take around 30 minutes or more depending on the USB speed. Sit tight and don’t unplug it!
Finish Up and Boot from USB
After the restoration finishes, don’t just yank the drive out right away. Eject it safely from Windows (using the “Safely Remove Hardware” icon). Then, plug it into your Mac or Hackintosh and try booting from it—usually by holding the Option (Alt) key during startup and selecting the USB as the boot drive.
Extra Tips & Common Problems
- Backing up is crucial—everything on the USB will be wiped. Make sure you don’t have anything irreplaceable there.
- If the conversion to GPT fails or the drive isn’t recognized properly, double-check you’re selecting the right disk. It’s easy to pick the wrong one, especially with multiple disks plugged in.
- Sometimes, the restoration pauses or errors out—just be patient, and make sure the DMG isn’t corrupted. Redownload if needed.
- If you hit roadblocks with TransMac, trying the utility in compatibility mode or running as admin often helps.
Wrap-up
This isn’t the most straightforward thing to do, but after getting it set up, creating a bootable macOS USB on Windows becomes quite manageable. Typically, these steps work across different setups, though some quirks are normal. Just remember, patience and backups are your friends here. Once finished, you’ll have a solid installer ready to go, which can save a trip to a Mac or make Hackintoshing a lot less painful.
Summary
- Use Command Prompt with diskpart to clean and convert USB to GPT
- Download the macOS DMG from trusted sources
- Use TransMac to write the DMG onto the USB
- Always eject properly and test it on your Mac or Hackintosh
Conclusion
Following this process should get the job done in most cases. Not exactly a one-click thing, but it’s better than trying to find a Mac on short notice. The tools involved are decent, and once you get used to the workflow, it’s kind of a relief. Fingers crossed this helps someone save a few hours or more—worked on multiple setups for me, so hoping it does the same for others.