Boot Camp not recognizing Windows 10 ISO

Question

Boot Camp not recognizing Windows 10 ISO

My MacBook Pro 2017 had some issues after being upgraded to Catalina, and I was stuck in the "A critical software update is required for your Mac" every time I was trying to log in and wasn't able to go past that. I've only been able to use the SafeBoot mode ever since. Reading community posts and watching videos online, I suspect that it might be problems related to TouchBar. And today I just had the idea to install Windows system on my Mac, hoping that it could bypass the TouchBar issue.

I downloaded Windows 10 ISO file directly from the Microsoft page https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO onto my Mac, but once I started BootCamp Assistant, it gave me this error message that said "Need 64-bit Windows 10 or later ISO file." I was pretty sure that I downloaded the 64-pit Windows 10 file and then redownloaded the file multiple times afterward. But I still wasn't able to proceed with BootCamp installation.

If someone could offer any advice on this, it would be really appreciated! I've only had this Mac for about three years now, and since the breakdown in July, it's become a useless machine that only operates in the Safe Mode....

MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 10.13

Posted on Nov 1, 2020 2:18 PM

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Answer 1

Loner T

Level 9

59,513 points

Nov 1, 2020 4:37 PM in response to SpanishCaravan

SpanishCaravan wrote:

I ran MD5 in the terminal and it gave MD5 (Win10_20H2_English_x64.iso) = e80f6ce987b2bba288469e7379129e12

Your MD5sum appears to match what I have.

openssl md5 Win10_20H2_English_x64.iso 
MD5(Win10_20H2_English_x64.iso)= e80f6ce987b2bba288469e7379129e12

Does macOS Catalina boot properly? If there are issues with Catalina, I do not think you should trust the BC Assistant either.

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Answer 2

Nov 1, 2020 4:43 PM in response to Loner T

I had problems with macOS Catalina and the "critical software update" error, so I had to restore my mac back to the factory setting High Sierra. But that still didn't solve the problem and the Mac still couldn't property start up. So I'm now using High Sierra in the safe boot mode. I was thinking that the touchbar might be causing all these problems and was hoping that by installing a windows system I can bypass the issue since it won't use the touchbar.

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Answer 3

Loner T

Level 9

59,513 points

Nov 1, 2020 6:42 PM in response to SpanishCaravan

SpanishCaravan wrote:

I had problems with macOS Catalina and the "critical software update" error, so I had to restore my mac back to the factory setting High Sierra. But that still didn't solve the problem and the Mac still couldn't property start up. So I'm now using High Sierra in the safe boot mode.

If you have a good backup of all your important files, do you want to consider erasing the whole internal disk and installing a clean copy of macOS Catalina?

I was thinking that the touchbar might be causing all these problems and was hoping that by installing a windows system I can bypass the issue since it won't use the touchbar.

Windows also uses the TouchBar. However, it is not the same dynamic/contextual Touch Bar, as macOS does. It has fixed functions.

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