Windows ISO file too large BootCamp error [Fixed]

If the error message "The Windows ISO file is too large" appears when using Boot Camp Assistant on a Mac computer, this may be because the ISO file size exceeds the limit supported by Boot Camp Assistant. The solution to this problem is to use another tool to compress the ISO file size to ensure it can be processed in Boot Camp Assistant. Boot Camp Assistant is a convenient tool provided by Apple for installing and running Windows operating system on Mac computers. It helps users set up a dual-boot system, allowing them to easily choose to use MacOS or Windows at startup. By correctly solving the problem of excessively large ISO files, you can successfully use Boot Camp Assistant to install Windows systems and enjoy the convenience and flexibility brought by dual systems of Mac and Windows.

However, Boot Camp currently only supports running on Intel-based Mac computers, and Apple silicon-based Mac computers are no longer supported. This resulted in users being unable to get updates from Apple. Some users have been encountering various issues with Boot Camp, such as dealing with Windows 10 installation files, ISO installation errors, and system file issues. Some Mac users have reported a common error message: "Windows ISO file is too large".

Boot Camp Assistant creates a [X]GB installer partition to store the Windows 10 ISO and Boot Camp support software. However, since the provided ISO file is too large, it cannot fit completely into this partition.

Windows ISO file too large BootCamp error [Fixed]

To fix Boot Camp error message The Windows ISO file is too large, use the following solutions:

Release disk space

Split ISO file

Download smaller Windows ISO

Create a bootable USB disk

Let’s look at this in detail.

1]Free up disk space

When preparing a disk installation, Boot Camp will create two partitions, one to store the installer's ISO file and another to install Windows. The installer ISO contains the install.wim file, which is the largest file in it. If the size of the install.wim file exceeds the size of the installer partition created by Boot Camp, it may cause errors.

Make sure there is enough free disk space on your Mac to install Windows. You can first clean up unnecessary files or move them to an external drive to free up space. After uninstalling the Windows ISO file, run Boot Camp Assistant again. Alternatively, you can use your Mac's Disk Utility or a third-party tool to resize the Boot Camp partition to fit the installation.

2]Split ISO file

Another workaround is to split the downloaded ISO into smaller parts. This will help if Boot Camp has formatted the partition as FAT32. The file system used for Windows partitions is usually NTFS; however, Boot Camp on older Macs formats disk partitions as FAT32. FAT32 has file size limitations. The maximum file size supported by the FAT32 file system is 4 GB.

There are many third-party software (such as Boot Camp ISO Converter) that can help you split install.wim into smaller parts. As long as all split files are in the same folder, Windows Installer will recognize them and treat them as a single ISO that can be used with Boot Camp Assistant.

3]Download a smaller Windows ISO

You can try using another ISO with a size smaller than [X]GB (where [X] refers to the size mentioned in the error message). Microsoft provides ISO files containing multiple Windows versions, allowing users to select specific versions and languages ​​during the installation process. The file size of an ISO containing multiple Windows versions may be larger than the file size of an ISO containing fewer versions. You can check the file size of the ISO file before downloading it from the Microsoft website.

4]Create a bootable USB drive

Instead of using the ISO file directly, you can create a bootable USB drive and use Boot Camp Assistant to install Windows from USB. You just need to make sure the USB drive has enough capacity to hold the Windows ISO file.

Plug the USB drive into your Mac. Then open Boot Camp and select the Create a Windows 10 or later installation disk option. Select the Windows ISO image and USB drive and follow the on-screen instructions to create a bootable USB. Once you have your bootable USB ready, you can use it to install Windows on your Mac.

I hope this helps.

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