Install windows on Mac (No bootcamp)

[Sergey_Galan]

 

                                                        Windows Install.app

 

The "Windows Install.app" program allows you to install Windows directly from the Mac OS system.
There is no need to create an installation flash drive.
Suitable for Hackintosh and Macintosh (install drivers yourself). Possibility to make a backup. 
There is a drag and drop support function.
Compatible with Mac OS X 10.13 and up.
The utilities used are wimlib and ntfs-3g and others.
Disk access must be granted (shown in the screenshot)
The user must be an administrator and the password must be from the administrator.

Intel only!

Training video - https://youtu.be/tebSRJhSWcg

Thanks to Joseph P. Zeller and his https://github.com/jpz4085/BCD-SYS project for their tremendous help.

 

 

          

 

 

 1. "Install Windows UEFI"

Disk - GPT partition table, create a partition and format it to FAT32 or exFAT.

Watch the video on how to do this.

Select the volume name.

Drag the ISO or WIM file to the disk. Using the index, select the desired version of Windows.

Click Install.

The partition will be formatted to NTFS and Windows will be installed on the prepared partition and the Windows bootloader will be installed on the EFI partition.

Enabling the "Deactivate Windows ESP" option - Once installed, bootx64.efi renames it to bootx64.efioff. Made at the request of MacPro 4.1/5.1 owners since installing BOOT/bootx64.efi can damage the firmware. 

Links for detailed study:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/healthy-nvram-normal-behaviour-on-4-1-5-1-machines.2333460/       https://github.com/Macschrauber/Macschrauber-s-Rom-Dump

If you don't understand, don't enable this option; it's only needed on some older Macs.

 

 2. "Install Windows legacy boot"

Disk - GPT partition table, create a partition and format it in FAT32 or exFAT.

Select the volume name.

Drag an ISO image or WIM file onto the program. Using the index, select the required version of Windows.

Click "Install".

The program converts the partition scheme from GPT to a hybrid GPT+MBR and makes the prepared partition active.

The partition will be formatted in NTFS and the Windows system and bootloader will be installed on the prepared partition.

Condition: The disk must be able to be turned off, that is, it must not be a system disk. If you are installing Windows on a Mac OS drive, you will need to temporarily install Mac OS on the external drive and install from there.

 

 3. "Install Windows legacy boot"

Disk - MBR partition table, create partition and format exFAT.

Select the volume name.

Drag an ISO image or WIM file onto the program. Using the index, select the required version of Windows.

Click "Install".

The partition will be formatted in NTFS and the Windows system and bootloader will be installed on the prepared partition.

Condition: The disk must be able to be disconnected during installation.

 

1,2,3. Optionally, you can generate an answer file https://schneegans.de/windows/unattend-generator/ autounattend.xml and save it in the Backup folder, which is located on the desktop by default, but you can choose another folder. When the program installs Windows, it will rename the file to unattend.xml and copy it to the root of the NTFS volume.

 

 4. "Windows Backup"

Select the name of the volume that contains the Windows system you want to create an archive from.

Click "Backup".

A file with a WIM extension will appear in the folder (Desktop/Backup folder by default).

Restore the archive through installation.

Watch the video on how to do this.

If you are transferring Windows to another drive from a backup copy, disconnect all other system drives with Windows before starting it for the first time.

 

 5. "Restore EFI bootloader"

Select the name of the volume containing the Windows system whose bootloader you want to restore.

Click "Restore".

By clicking "OpenEFI" you can open the hidden EFI partition to check or remove the Windows bootloader.

This is shown in the tutorial video.

 

 6. "WIM <-> ESD"

Drag a file with a WIM or ESD extension onto the program window.

For example, encoding from WIM to ESD reduces file size by about 15-20%

You can restore the system from a file with the ESD extension, but you cannot add archives. You can add archives to a file with the WIM extension.

 

 7. "Copy file to an NTFS volume"

You can add any file to the root of the NTFS volume, for example, Bootcamp drivers, this allows you not to use a flash drive to transfer drivers. This is also the second way to copy unattend.xml.

 

 

Leave quarantine

In the terminal we paste the command:

sudo xattr -d com.apple.quarantine

Spacebar on the keyboard.

And drag Windows install.app into the terminal window, press Enter.

Or you can do this:

 

 

 

 

Download App - https://sourceforge.net/projects/windows-install/

 

Edited July 31, 2025 by Sergey_Galan

[Ellybz]

@Sergey_Galan

 

Nice app however it's throwing the following error with a legit Windows 10 ISO Installer ( From Microsoft web page ) 

 

On OS 10.14.6:

 

"unable to obtain configuration from file:///Library/Preferences/com.apple.ViewBridge.plist due to Error Domain=NSCocoaErrorDomain Code=260 "The file “com.apple.ViewBridge.plist” couldn’t be opened because there is no such file." UserInfo={NSFilePath=/Library/Preferences/com.apple.ViewBridge.plist, NSUnderlyingError=0x7fd7ca61dac0 {Error Domain=NSPOSIXErrorDomain Code=2 "No such file or directory"}} "

 

Still trying to install...

Edited January 27, 2022 by Ellybz

[RobertX]

...I know, but I got bored... tried using this...10 hours + and still was only 34% complete...the usb i was trying to install to was capable of 5gb/sec...the process was way too slow... so I aborted and will reformat usb drive ...oh well

 

...tried again with an hdd, much faster install...now running monterey on ssd and windows 11 on hdd   🦉

Edited March 23, 2022 by RobertX
...to say this works...

[Sergey_Galan]

On 1/27/2022 at 11:53 PM, Ellybz said:

@Sergey_Galan

 

Nice app however it's throwing the following error with a legit Windows 10 ISO Installer ( From Microsoft web page ) 

 

On OS 10.14.6:

 

"unable to obtain configuration from file:///Library/Preferences/com.apple.ViewBridge.plist due to Error Domain=NSCocoaErrorDomain Code=260 "The file “com.apple.ViewBridge.plist” couldn’t be opened because there is no such file." UserInfo={NSFilePath=/Library/Preferences/com.apple.ViewBridge.plist, NSUnderlyingError=0x7fd7ca61dac0 {Error Domain=NSPOSIXErrorDomain Code=2 "No such file or directory"}} "

 

Still trying to install...

Sorry, I was gone for a long time))) Did everything work out for you?

Edited July 19, 2022 by Sergey_Galan

[Ellybz]

2 hours ago, Sergey_Galan said:

Sorry, I was gone for a long time))) Did everything work out for you?

No friend, I couldn't make it work. The installer took forever. If i remember correctly the original Win10 ISO Installer was on NMVe.

I end up using Rufus USB iInstaller thru VM Windows.  Worked like a charm.

 

PS: Glad you're okay.

Edited July 19, 2022 by Ellybz

[Sergey_Galan]

16 hours ago, Ellybz said:

No friend, I couldn't make it work. The installer took forever. If i remember correctly the original Win10 ISO Installer was on NMVe.

I end up using Rufus USB iInstaller thru VM Windows.  Worked like a charm.

 

PS: Glad you're okay.

Have you tried to install Windows on USB? This program does not create an installation USB, the program itself installs Windows. Use partition on HDD or SSD. There is a link to the video above.

[Ellybz]

6 hours ago, Sergey_Galan said:

Have you tried to install Windows on USB? This program does not create an installation USB, the program itself installs Windows. Use partition on HDD or SSD. There is a link to the video above.

Aaaaaaaaaa!!!!😀

 

Makes sense, Thanks for the clarification. Will try again with windows 11.

Edited July 20, 2022 by Ellybz

[surenmunoo]

Would be good to have something to install on a M2 Mac 

[niknod]

1+

[cankiulascmnfye]

A couple of days ago, I've tested booting Window from an SSD via an Exteral USB enclosure using OpenCore on my iMac11,3. It booted without any issues. Windows update even found drivers for it.

 

So no need to use Boot Camp Assistant, etc.. This was just a test in my case, but you could install Windows on a disk on the PC, mount the EFI add the OC folder put in the drive into the mac and boot it. This eleminates all the prep work with Boot Camp Assistant and then just run Brigardier from within Windows to download and installe the relevant Bootcamp/Device drivers. Of course this only workson macs that support removable drives.

Edited August 17, 2023 by cankiulascmnfye

[janny_thomas]

Can I use the windows app on mac?

[cankiulascmnfye]

@janny_thomas Yes. It's a mac app.

 

@Sergey_Galan This tool is great. I couldn't get Windows installed on the disk before because it wasn't in the GPT format. In order to convert it to GPT I would have to format the whole disk again which I didn't want to do. With your tool it installed Windows regarless. Thanks for sharing!

Edited August 18, 2023 by cankiulascmnfye

[Sergey_Galan]

On 8/16/2023 at 10:09 PM, surenmunoo said:

Would be good to have something to install on a M2 Mac 

This program simply deploys Windows to a disk partition. When there is support for Windows modern Macs, then perhaps the program will cope.

[bisdak4920]

I have a 2014 MacBook Air with 4GB of RAM. It runs Sonoma with OCLP, but due to the 4GB RAM limitation, I decided to delete the internal SSD and perform a clean installation of Windows 11 23H2 22635.2484 using a thumb drive with VENTOY installed. Everything went well, and all drivers work, including the keyboard backlit and SD card reader. In other words, what works in macOS Big Sur, Ventura or Sonoma also works in Windows 11, and it’s lightning fast. My MBA now runs like a Windows machine, and I am very satisfied with it compared to running Big Sur, Ventura or Sonoma

[Sergey_Galan]

Added recompression of WIM to ESD or ESD to WIM.

 

[Anto65]

Impeccable as always 👌 

Nice new interface

Lightning fast in preinstalling on nvme 2min12s 

 

Spoiler

 

I know that the app is suitable for working on SSDs
Testing on a USB stick the time is 1 hour and something
It would be nice to be able to create a "Win to go" USB

 

The backup function completed in 12m17s was very useful

 

Spoiler

 

I was wondering if it was possible to develop apps for Win too, in order to insert for example it into a live ISO (like Strelec) to restore the system in case of problems
Thank you

[Max.1974]

@Antonuccio always ahead from Vanguard !!! Thanks for share @Sergey_Galan 

 

Would explain if is good for Magic Keyboard users get works drivers on Windows? Im not use Windows too much but is very nice if works fine....

 

Im have been used Clonezilla to copy perfectly my SSD Win installer (backup) just for some emergency. But this program is interesting ! 

[Sergey_Galan]

39 minutes ago, Max.1974 said:

@Antonuccio always ahead from Vanguard !!! Thanks for share @Sergey_Galan 

 

Would explain if is good for Magic Keyboard users get works drivers on Windows? Im not use Windows too much but is very nice if works fine....

 

Im have been used Clonezilla to copy perfectly my SSD Win installer (backup) just for some emergency. But this program is interesting ! 

I don’t know how well these drivers work in Windows, but all drivers are installed manually after installing the system. To do this, you need to first download them from Bootcamp.

[Sergey_Galan]

3 hours ago, Antonuccio said:

It would be nice to be able to create a "Win to go" USB

I was wondering if it was possible to develop apps for Win too, in order to insert for example it into a live ISO (like Strelec) to restore the system in case of problems
Thank you

The program runs the script for wimlib. Creating "Win to go" USB is not provided in wimlib. https://wimlib.net

wimlib is a cross-platform open source library. I think something similar already exists for Windows.

[Anto65]

thanks, it was just my curiosity... clearly other apps already exist ,not really essential anyway

 

 

But is it not possible to go back from the .Vim file (Backup)?
Backup < --- > Restore

 

 

Spoiler

 

[Sergey_Galan]

24 minutes ago, Antonuccio said:

 

But is it not possible to go back from the .Vim file (Backup)?
Backup < --- > Restore

 

 

  Hide contents

 

Drag the Backup file onto the program and look at the index. Most likely index 1 if you only made one backup. You can save the system many times in one wim file, or you can save it each time in a separate file.

Spoiler

 

Edited March 16, 2024 by Sergey_Galan

[Anto65]

I had it before my eyes ... yes index 1

 

Works ! Thank you ... Everything seems in its place

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 16, 2024 by Antonuccio

[Sergey_Galan]

Interestingly. You can install any X64 custom build of Windows. In the event that the custom assembly does not have the standard path or name of the wim/esd file. Mount the .iso, find the .wim or .esd file and drag it onto the program window. After installing the system, restore the bootloader.

[Anto65]

Yes, most of the time I extract the .Vim file and use that to make changes
... I'm anxiously awaiting the app running under Windows 😅 ... Thank you ( like WinNTSetup app )

Edited March 16, 2024 by Antonuccio

[Anto65]

3 hours ago, Max.1974 said:

But this program is interesting ! 

Yes, I found out about it a few years ago and it was love at first sight 😆

It was useful for AMD users who could not, for example, start the Win installation via classic USB

 

Clonezilla I used it a couple of times and didn't like it that much
I currently rely on R-Drive which I enjoy launching through VENTOY 

A real recovery unit... I launch any ISO, Clover, Opencore... Who knows one day maybe even Windows Install.app 🙏