Using Boot Camp to install W10 on High Sierra 10.13.6

[tommy2k25]

I have been asked to install Windows 10 alongside Mac OS High Sierra 10.13.6 on an iMac 21.6" (2013 or later). I am using Boot Camp to do it, but even though I've formatted the USB drive correctly, and tried different formatting methods (exFAT, FAT32) (after downloading the correct version of Windows and pointing it to the right destination), it always tells me there is not enough space on the drive. I have used different capacities between 8GB and 128GB, but still the same message appears! I am running out of ideas. I have checked whether the computer is compatible and it is. Any ideas?

 

[MacsBug]

Boot Camp will not allow you to install Windows on a USB drive. It only allows for installing on the internal drive in your iMac.

The Boot Camp app will partition your drive, then setup the installer.

Will need a disk image of Windows 10 though before you start the process of setting up Boot Camp.

 

[tommy2k25]

Sorry, I should have made it clearer! I'm not installing Windows on the USB drive, I am installing it on the internal drive.
But it always says the USB drive (with the ISO files) on it is not big enough

 

[MacsBug]

Have you tried installing Windows 7 with Boot Camp and then inside of Windows upgrade Windows to Windows 10?

I am wondering if Boot Camp in High Sierra may not with Windows 10 since it was sealed several years after High Sierra was,

 

[tommy2k25]

No, I haven't got a W7 product code.
If it doesn't work with W10, how come when I go into Boot Camp help, it says W10 is supported?

 

[MacsBug]

2 things to try..

1. When you format the USB drive in Disk Utility make sure that Show all Devices is selected under the View menu and then select the Drive, not the volume and erase it using MS-DOS FAT and using aMaster Boot Record scheme.

2, if you want to try and install win7 1st, and then upgrade to 10 you can use all 1's as the product key. This will let you install it and give you a few days to use Win7 and do the upgrade to 10 before it requires a valid Win 7 product key.

 

[tommy2k25]

Thankyou for your help! I did it! But, I downloaded the Win 10 ISO using my Windows computer onto a USB flash drive, and transferred the ISO on to internal Mac drive. I used another USB flash drive to download the Windows support software, in Boot Camp, only left the option checked to Install W7 or later, and then did everything else. Worked a treat! Thankyou!

 

[rebeccaNelson]

It could be an issue with the USB drive’s format or partition scheme. Try reformatting it to Mac OS Extended (Journaled) with a GUID Partition Map in Disk Utility. Then, use Boot Camp Assistant to do the rest. Also, make sure the Windows ISO file isn’t too big for your USB drive.

 

[tommy2k25]

I've done it, thankyou for all your help. But now, I cannot get the mac to recognise the keyboard!