How to create Windows boot disks on Linux without special tools

A simple 3-step method using NTFS that works for Windows Server and desktop installations.

Creating Windows boot disks is a common task, even for those of us who run Linux full-time. In one case, I needed to create Windows Server 2022 and Windows Server 2025 bootable drives to install the operating system on physical hardware. Microsoft has a media creation tool that works very well if you have a Windows host system to make the media on. My daily driver is a Linux Mint 22.2 system, so I needed a different approach.

The challenge: Traditional tools don’t work

I’ve tried several methods over the years with mixed results. WoeUSB-ng has worked for me in the past, but for whatever reason I couldn’t get it to work properly this time. The dd command, which works great for many assignments, doesn’t work well when creating bootable media for Windows. Even Etcher, one of my favorite tools for creating bootable media, won’t create USB boot drives for Windows systems.

That’s when I discovered a simpler solution that worked perfectly.

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The solution: Format as NTFS and copy files

The answer turned out to be straightforward and didn’t require any special tools beyond what’s already available on Linux.

Step 1: Format the USB drive as NTFS

The first thing you need to do is open the Disk tool on Linux Mint (or Gnome Disks on other distributions). Attach the USB drive to your computer and open Gnome Disks. Choose the disk to be prepared and format it.

Click on the “Gear” icon to configure how the drive will be formatted and select “Format Partition” at the top of the options box. Give the volume a name and then be sure that “For use with Windows (NTFS)” is selected and finish formatting the drive.

Step 2: Mount the Windows ISO

Now your USB is ready to accept the files from the ISO you downloaded from Microsoft. Mount the Windows ISO by right-clicking on it and choosing “Open with Disk Image Mounter.”

Step 3: Copy all files to the USB drive

Once the disk image is mounted, copy all the files to the newly NTFS-formatted drive. That’s it—you’re ready to use the drive to install Windows on physical hardware.

Why this works

The solution was refreshingly simple: format the USB with NTFS, mount the ISO, copy the files, and you’re ready to roll. Microsoft makes their installation media rock-solid, and with a little Linux ingenuity, you can create Windows boot drives without ever leaving your desk—no Windows machine required.

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This article is adapted from “Creating a Windows Boot Disk with Linux” by Don Watkins, and is republished with permission from the author.