To create a bootable USB drive from a DMG file on Windows, you will need to have the right utility. That's because DMG is not native on Windows. It is the Mac equivalent of an ISO file that has been in use since Apple transitioned from the IMG format with Mac OS X. A DMG file, like ISO, can be used to install macOS operating system or Mac apps. If the Mac computer was broken or crashed and couln't get into the system, but you only have access to a Windows PC, there's still a way to make a bootable macOS install USB on Windows.
This article looks at three applications that you can use to create a bootable USB drive from a DMG file in Windows. All of them have their advantages and disadvantages, which we have highlighted. You can make the best choice for you based on the information provided below. They are in no particular order of preference.
Create Bootable Usb From Dmg Mac Catalina
DMG Editor - Make Bootable USB from DMG File on Windows
It is not easy to find an user-friendly application when it comes to make bootable macOS Install USB. That's the reason why we spent months to develop such an app. Our latest product, DMG Editor, is a fairly robust application for creating bootable USB from a DMG file. And it works well on both Windows and Mac platforms.
Is a DMG file bootable? DMG file is a compressed file format being used widely on Mac computer. Windows OS doesn't natively support DMG disk image files, so if you need to create a bootable USB drive from a DMG file, mostly for bootable Mac OS X or macOS installation USB, you need a special utility to help you complete the task.
It is packed with modern UI and the steps are very step to follow. After several mouse clicks and wait a couple of minutes, a bootable macOS USB is ready for OS installation or system repair. You won't find any other applications on Windows that is better than UUByte DMG Editor!
Step 1: Download UUByte DMG Editor setup.exe from this website and follow the prompt to install the software on a Windows PC. Currently, it works well on Windows 10, Windows 8 and Windows 7.
Step 2: After installation, UUByte DMG Editor will be opened automatically. And you will see three options on the main screen. At this time, click 'Burn' tab And you will be lead to a new window.
But if you are creating this bootable USB installer drive for Mountain Lion on OS X Maverics (Ver. 10.9) or below then you need to go to the restore tab on the right pane and just drag and drop the BaseSystem.dmg in source field and USB drive icon to the destination field as shown in the picture below. Can I make a bootable dvd usb drive with.dmg file. Make Bootable USB. Jul 20, 2011 So if you create a bootable Lion-installer drive using the current version of the Lion installer—which, as of 2/10/2012, installs OS X 10.7.3—that drive will work with all current Lion-capable. To create a bootable USB drive from a DMG file on Windows, you will need to have the right utility. That's because DMG is not native on Windows. It is the Mac equivalent of an ISO file that has been in use since Apple transitioned from the IMG format with Mac OS X. Use the bootable installer.
Step 3: Insert an USB drive to Windows PC and the name will show up at the right side of USB icon. If the drive name was wrong, you can click 'Change' button to pick up the right device. Next, click 'Browse' button to add the .dmg file into the program.
Step 4: When the dmg file is loaded from local hard drive, click 'Burn' button to start burning dmg to USB drive. This process will be finished in less than 10 minutes and you have to wait before you can do anything with the device.
You will be notified when the burning task is completed. Now follow the link listed on the screen to start installing macOS from USB drive
.Convert DMG to ISO and Create macOS Boot USB from Windows
Since ISO is a better format for Windows, you can also convert the DMG to the ISO format and then use the ISO disk image to create the bootable USB. Please note that you can't boot your Mac from bootable USB made from an ISO file, which means you'll have to convert it back to DMG prior to that. Still, it's an effective way to create bootable media for a Mac computer. Here's how it works:
Step 1: Once you have the macOS install DMG file on a Windows PC, click on Windows + R to open the run dialog box, and type in CMD, then hit Enter. When the Command Prompt opens up, use the following command to convert the file to ISO:
hdiutil convert /path/sourceimagefile.dmg -format UDTO -o /path/targetmage.iso
Step 2: Download and install UUByte ISO Editor on your PC, insert the USB drive and launch the application.
Step 3: Click Burn button on the main screen and point to the converted ISO file. The drive will be automatically detected and click on Burn icon to burn the ISO to the USB drive.
Once the ISO is burned to the file, you can insert it into a Mac and convert it back into the DMG format. Since you're converting the file twice, there's a chance that the file could get corrupted in the process. If that happens repeatedly, then try this next method.
PowerISO: Make Bootable Mac Install USB on Windows 10/8/7
This Windows utility allows you do create bootable USB from DMG on a PC. You can also edit the DMG or extract the contents, and there's also an option to copy it to a disk. For this particular exercise, we'll show you how to use PowerISO to create a bootable USB drive on Windows without having to convert the disk image into another format like ISO.
Step 1: Download and install the application on your PC.
Step 2: Insert your USB drive and launch PowerISO.
Step 3: In the Tools menu, select 'Create Bootable USB Drive… '. You will need to give admin privileges to the software. Alternatively, you can run the program as admin when you launch it.
Step 4: Select the USB drive in the section called Destination USB Drive.
Step 5: Leave all other default as they are and click on 'Start' to burn DMG to the USB drive.
You should be able to see the progress, and a new popup will appear when the bootable media is ready. You can now eject the media and use it to run the DMG on a Mac computer.
Conclusion:
All of these methods are workable, so select the right one for you based on your level of knowledge and your preference.
Table of Contents
Is a DMG file bootable?
DMG file is a compressed file format being used widely on Mac computer. Windows OS doesn't natively support DMG disk image files, so if you need to create a bootable USB drive from a DMG file, mostly for bootable Mac OS X or macOS installation USB, you need a special utility to help you complete the task.
Can you open DMG files on Windows?
To use the same program in Windows, you need to download the Windows version, not the Mac DMG version. Windows can open a DMG file with any compression/decompression program that supports the format. PeaZip and 7-Zip, both free, support opening DMG files in Windows.
How can I make a DMG file bootable?
After installing 7-Zip, you can simply double-click a DMG file to open it and browse its contents. If you'd like to extract the files from the DMG so they're easier to work with, right-click the DMG file, point to the “7-Zip” menu, and then choose one of the extraction options.
How do I open a DMG file on my PC?
DMG files are macOS disk image files. They are much like ISO files—their Windows-based counterpart. These disk images normally contain program installation files for macOS apps, but they can also be used to hold compressed files. You can't open DMG files directly in Windows, though.
How do I burn a DMG file to DVD?
Step 1. First of all, download the DMG extractor program file from the internet and install it in your personal Windows PC. Step 2. Run the application with admin rights and in the main UI of the tool's screen, click on 'open' button in the upper menu bar to browse the required DMG file.
How do I burn a DMG file to USB on Mac?
Now open a Finder window and drag your DMG file into Disk Utility. Drop it in the blank area below the drive names on the left panel. Step 3: You can now insert your USB drive and wait for it to appear in the drives list. Next, click on your mounted DMG file on the left panel and click on 'Burn' in the top toolbar.
Create Bootable Usb From Dmg Mac High Sierra
How do I recover DMG files on Mac?
In the Disk Utility app on your Mac, select the volume that you want to restore in the sidebar, then click the Restore button . This is the volume that is erased and becomes the exact copy. Click the Restore pop-up menu, then choose the volume you want to copy.
Can you install macOS on a PC?
Firstly, you'll need a compatible PC. The general rule is you'll need a machine with a 64bit Intel processor. You'll also need a separate hard drive on which to install macOS, one which has never had Windows installed on it. Any Mac capable of running Mojave, the latest version of macOS, will do.