{"id":50915389,"url":"https://github.com/kreasteve/win2usb","last_synced_at":"2026-06-16T14:03:15.541Z","repository":{"id":348321735,"uuid":"1197522501","full_name":"kreasteve/win2usb","owner":"kreasteve","description":"Create bootable Windows USB sticks from ISO files (macOS + Linux). 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win2usb\n\n**Create bootable Windows USB drives from ISO files — on macOS and Linux.**\n\n---\n\n## Why?\n\nMaking a Windows USB on macOS or Linux is more painful than it should be:\n\n- **Rufus** is Windows-only.\n- **balenaEtcher** doesn't handle Windows ISOs correctly — the result often won't boot.\n- Doing it manually means juggling `diskutil`, `hdiutil`, `wimlib-imagex`, and `rsync`, while also working around the FAT32 4 GB file size limit that trips up every Windows 11 ISO.\n\n`win2usb` automates the entire process in a single command.\n\n---\n\n## Features\n\n- Works on **macOS** (Intel + Apple Silicon) and **Linux** (apt, pacman, dnf)\n- Auto-detects the OS and uses the right native tools\n- Handles the **FAT32 4 GB limit** — splits `install.wim` automatically when needed\n- **Installs missing dependencies** (wimlib, rsync) without manual steps\n- Safety checks prevent accidentally formatting a system disk\n- Includes a simple **GUI** (tkinter — no extra dependencies)\n\n---\n\n## Quick Start\n\n### CLI\n\n```bash\n# macOS\n./win2usb.sh ~/Downloads/Win11.iso /dev/disk5\n\n# Linux\n./win2usb.sh ~/Downloads/Win11.iso /dev/sdb\n\n# Skip confirmation prompt (useful in scripts)\n./win2usb.sh --yes ~/Downloads/Win11.iso /dev/disk5\n```\n\n### GUI\n\n```bash\npython3 win2usb_gui.py\n```\n\nSelect your ISO, pick the USB drive from the dropdown, and click **Create Bootable USB**.\n\n---\n\n## What It Looks Like\n\n```\n$ ./win2usb.sh ~/Downloads/Win11.iso /dev/disk5\n\nwin2usb — Windows Bootable USB Creator\n\n[+] Detected OS: macos\n==\u003e Checking dependencies\n[+] All dependencies OK.\n==\u003e Formatting /dev/disk5 as GPT + FAT32\n[+] USB mounted at: /Volumes/WINUSB\n==\u003e Mounting ISO\n==\u003e Copying files to USB (excluding install.wim)\n==\u003e install.wim is 6500MB (\u003e4GB) — splitting into chunks\n[+] install.wim split complete.\n==\u003e Syncing and ejecting USB\n\nDone! Your Windows USB drive is ready.\n```\n\n---\n\n## Installation\n\n**Clone and run directly:**\n\n```bash\ngit clone https://github.com/kreasteve/win2usb.git\ncd win2usb\n./win2usb.sh ~/Downloads/Win11.iso /dev/diskN\n```\n\n**Homebrew:**\n\n```bash\nbrew install kreasteve/tap/win2usb\n```\n\n---\n\n## How It Works\n\n1. **Format** — Wipes the target USB and creates a GPT partition table with a FAT32 partition.\n2. **Mount** — Mounts the Windows ISO.\n3. **Copy** — Copies all files to the USB, skipping `install.wim` if it exceeds 4 GB.\n4. **Split** — If needed, uses `wimlib-imagex` to split `install.wim` into FAT32-compatible chunks.\n5. **Eject** — Syncs and safely unmounts the drive.\n\n---\n\n## Requirements\n\n| Requirement | Notes |\n|---|---|\n| macOS or Linux | macOS requires Homebrew for dependency installation |\n| Python 3 | Only needed for the GUI |\n| wimlib | Installed automatically if missing |\n| rsync | Installed automatically if missing |\n\n---\n\n## Status\n\nThis project is in **early release**. It works, but hasn't been tested on every combination yet.\n\n### Tested\n\n| What | Result |\n|---|---|\n| macOS (Apple Silicon) + Win11 25H2 German ISO | Boots and installs successfully |\n| GUI on macOS | Working (dark theme, progress bars, drive detection) |\n| CLI on macOS | Working |\n| `install.wim` \u003e 4 GB (auto-split) | Working |\n\n### Not yet tested\n\n- **Linux** (CLI and GUI) — the code is there but needs real-world testing\n- **Windows 10** ISOs\n- **ISOs with `install.esd`** instead of `install.wim`\n- **`install.wim` \u003c 4 GB** (no split needed — different code path)\n- **Intel Macs**\n- **Legacy BIOS boot** — we use GPT (UEFI only), which is fine for Win11 but may not work on older machines\n- **Secure Boot**\n\n### Known limitations\n\n- **UEFI only** — the USB is formatted with GPT, so it won't boot on legacy BIOS systems\n- **macOS ships rsync 2.6.9** — ancient but works; edge cases possible\n- **tkinter on Linux** may need to be installed separately (`sudo apt install python3-tk`)\n\nIf you test on a setup not listed above, please open an issue and let us know how it went!\n\n---\n\n## License\n\nMIT — see [LICENSE](LICENSE).\n","project_url":"https://awesome.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/projects/github.com%2Fkreasteve%2Fwin2usb","html_url":"https://awesome.ecosyste.ms/projects/github.com%2Fkreasteve%2Fwin2usb","lists_url":"https://awesome.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/projects/github.com%2Fkreasteve%2Fwin2usb/lists"}