[OS] macUSB v2.2 - The all in one USB creator for Mac. Now with Linux & Windows support!
Hey! I'm back with another update. Thanks for the reactions to the previous posts, I appreciate the feedback! The new version adds support for creating Linux and Windows USB installers. For Linux, the app automatically detects the distribution, architecture, and system version. For Windows, it identifies the version and architecture, supporting standard and Server editions. The created Windows USB is UEFI only and supports Windows 8 and newer, alongside Windows Server 2012 and newer. The creation process includes automatic .wim file splitting to meet FAT32 limitations using the free wimlib tool*. [PROBLEM] Creating bootable USBs for older macOS versions on Apple Silicon is complicated. Moreover, macOS lacks an intuitive app to smoothly create a Windows installer from start to finish. The lack of a true equivalent to Rufus on macOS became the main inspiration for the development path the app is taking. macUSB solves these issues by uniting all required functions in one native app. [COMPARISON] Mist handles newer Apple systems well but has limitations when preparing older releases like Catalina on Apple Silicon. BalenaEtcher allows flashing Linux but is a heavy Electron app. It also completely omits support for macOS and Windows. [PRICE] Free and open source. Repository: macUSB Repo Download: GitHub Releases *The wimlib tool is not part of the app and requires manual installation. It is needed only when the .wim file exceeds the FAT32 limit and needs splitting. The app automatically checks for its presence in the system.
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windows usb support is the one thing most mac-native tools just skip entirely, nice to see it here
That's exactly why I decided to implement it. Thanks!
Essential tool. I use it since macUSB v1.1.2 . THX!
Awesome to hear, thanks for sticking around since the early versions!
great app! Wish you the best
I remember from last time that this was fully vibe coded. I assume it is still the case?
Windows support is the big one. Nice update.
Ooh, now we’re talking! I remember seeing this back with v.1.0, and though I’ve not needed to reinstall macOS yet, I have been following along with this app. Awesome to see that now it could truly be THE Rufus equivalent to install pretty much any operating system; I’ll be finally adding it to my tech support & recovery toolkit now!
Wow, being called the Rufus equivalent for macOS is the ultimate compliment! That was exactly the goal. Thanks for following the project, and hope it serves you well in your toolkit!
Heck yeah. Thanks for incorporating the community feedback. Will give this a spin on the next USB device I need to create
Honestly the "Rufus for Mac" gap has been embarrassing for like a decade. Any plans to support verifying ISO checksums against known good hashes? Rufus includes a built in feature to calculate md5, sha256 hashes
Windows USB support from macOS is actually the feature I always miss. If it keeps the flow simple and explains UEFI/formatting clearly, this is very useful.
I had to flash win11 from a mac recently and I used WinDiskWriter which worked. Good that we have more alternatives now. Thanks for making this
More options are always better. I believe macUSB will be a great alternative!
would be nice if there was a way to download the windows and linux images as well right from the app like you can macos...
Awesome tool and amazing to have it open source!
Thanks!
Hi there, u/Kruszoneq. We had previously chatted about support for .img files (see here). As you are working in support for Windows, any way to get this on your roadmap? I could submit it as a feature request if that helps.
My pc bit the dust, and I only have a mac laptop, so I've been pulling what hair I have left out trying to create a simple bootable usb to reinstall windows. The ui is straightforward (nice) but some of the permissions are concerning for someone who doesn't fully understand how any of this works. Beyond that if this works, you'll have a coffee coming for saving me.
Just wanted to say thanks so much for this. I am a complete amateur when it comes to computing. I can handle low-level tasks, but not much more. I had been trying to revive my late 2013 Intel iMac for over a year with no success. I finally realised that the hard drive was unsaveable. I went on forums looking how to use an external drive for my Mac and eventually had a days-long thread with Google Gemini. I had figured out how to make a bootable disk with Terminal, but wasn't able to download any old Mac operating systems to my M1 MacBook, to make the bootable disk. I tried Mist with no success, but then Gemini suggested macUSB and this worked perfectly. So easy to use, it was fantastic. It seems that, using an external HDD, the latest OS my iMac will work with is High Sierra (everything else fails to load properly), so I used macUSB 2.2 to make a bootable disk on my partitioned external drive. I'd love to use a later OS, particularly Monterey, but High Sierra will do for now. Anyway, thanks so much for developing this. I was about to recycle my old iMac before discovering macUSB.
Hey! Thanks a lot, I really appreciate your kind words! I'm glad the app worked out for you, as solving exactly these types of issues was my primary motivation for creating it. As for the OS compatibility, your iMac model officially supports up to macOS Catalina. You should be able to install it on your external drive without any issues, so there is no need to limit yourself to the older High Sierra.
App currently not working for macpro6,1 Sequoia via OCLP. It opens and then quickly closes. Any suggestions? Thank you.
Did you install it via Homebrew or directly from GitHub Releases? Do older versions work for you? Let me know! I tested it on a 2015 MacBook Pro running Sonoma via OCLP and it works without any issues.
Can i make windows and linux iso bootable tooo.. is your app similar to rufus...
Yes! As of this version, you can create Windows and Linux USBs on Mac. It's similar to Rufus in concept.