[SOLVED] Remove MacOS completely from a 2016 - 2020 Macbook Pro and only have Windows 10 on it?

[toshibitsu]

UPDATE: I figured it out.

In case anyone else wants to know how to do it:

From MacOS, launch Boot Camp and tell it to download "Windows Supported Software".

1. 
   
   • Use RUFUS to create a bootable Windows 10 USB drive(I did this from a Windows PC) and set it to GPT.
   
   
   • Once done, copy the "Windows Support" folder from the Mac to the root of the Windows USB installer
   
   
   • From the Mac, boot into "Recovery Mode"(COMMAND+R)
   
   
   • Go to "Utilities > Startup Security Utility"
   
   
   • Disable "Secure Boot" and Enable "External Boot"
   
   
   • Now go to "Utilities > Disk Utility"
   
   
   • Erase the Mac SSD as "Master Boot Record" > "MS_DOS(FAT)"
   
   
   • Reboot the Mac and hold down OPTION
   
   
   • Now you can select the Windows 10 installer - ENJOY!

As the title says....

I've tried Bootcamp Assistant, but it refuses to accept a Windows image larger than 10GB. I need to install a specific custom Windows 10 image(work related) that is 29GB. I don't want to use VMWare or Parellels, etc. Want the entire MacOS removed completely and just have Windows 10 on it. I did find a piece of software called "Bootcamp ISO Converter"(which supposedly splits up the ISO so that Bootcamp will accept it... but unfortunately, that did not work either.
I also tried making a bootable Windows 10 USB drive and tried disabling secure boot & specified to allow bootable media... but even then, when I booted holding down OPTION, the bootable USB did not show up.

Does anyone know of any other way to get this to work?

thanks!

 

[LordVile]

As the title says....

I've tried Bootcamp Assistant, but it refuses to accept a Windows image larger than 10GB. I need to install a specific custom Windows 10 image(work related) that is 29GB. I don't want to use VMWare or Parellels, etc. Want the entire MacOS removed completely and just have Windows 10 on it. I did find a piece of software called "Bootcamp ISO Converter"(which supposedly splits up the ISO so that Bootcamp will accept it... but unfortunately, that did not work either.
I also tried making a bootable Windows 10 USB drive and tried disabling secure boot & specified to allow bootable media... but even then, when I booted holding down OPTION, the bootable USB did not show up.

Does anyone know of any other way to get this to work?

thanks!

No you can’t remove MacOS without bricking the Mac. Just use Parallels. Why get a Mac to turn it into a windows machine? Not only are you making everything worse they don’t even run well on windows.

 

[toshibitsu]

No you can’t remove MacOS without bricking the Mac. Just use Parallels. Why get a Mac to turn it into a windows machine? Not only are you making everything worse they don’t even run well on windows.

As the initial post stated, it's a work related task. "We" are running a few applications that are exclusive to Windows. That and everyone who is currently using these applications are PC users. We are in the process of upgrading(replacing) our current laptops with newer models. Unfortunately, the new models we want to upgrade to are on backorder.... yet we have on hand various Macbooks that are not being used(mostly 2019-2020, non M1 chip models). Basically, my boss had the idea "Let's just wipe the Mac OS and put Windows on those!", and then I've been tasked with "making it happen".
He showed me a video of someone doing this with a 2014 Macbook Air. Granted, back in those days I also tinkered with installing Windows on a few Macs and was successful doing so. Yet of course this was pre T2 chip era. He's insistant that the MacOS gets wiped and does not want to use VMWare, Parallels, etc.

 

[USAFRet]

You want only Windows on this system?

Create a Win 10 install USB, boot from that.
Delete ALL existing partitions on the drive and continue on.

How To - Windows 10 clean install tutorial

If you are looking for the Windows 11 Clean install tutorial, you can find that here: Windows 11 Clean install tutorial (Click here) Otherwise, welcome to the Windows 10 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows...

forums.tomshardware.com

However...
"a specific custom Windows 10 image " may be problematic.

 

[toshibitsu]

I did try just downloading a regular Windows 10 image from Microsoft and making a bootable USB with it. On the Mac, made sure Secure Boot was disabled and External Boot enabled.. but even then, it did not recognize the drive. This particular test was on a 2020 13" Macbook Pro i5 model.

The "custom Windows 10 image" we use is basically a modified image that includes extra security features/patches and required software that we have to run on our laptops. For the hell of it, I also tested that image on one of my personal laptops[which is a Windows laptop] to see if it would even boot up to it(it did, I just cancelled out of the installation).

 

[LordVile]

As the initial post stated, it's a work related task. "We" are running a few applications that are exclusive to Windows. That and everyone who is currently using these applications are PC users. We are in the process of upgrading(replacing) our current laptops with newer models. Unfortunately, the new models we want to upgrade to are on backorder.... yet we have on hand various Macbooks that are not being used(mostly 2019-2020, non M1 chip models). Basically, my boss had the idea "Let's just wipe the Mac OS and put Windows on those!", and then I've been tasked with "making it happen".
He showed me a video of someone doing this with a 2014 Macbook Air. Granted, back in those days I also tinkered with installing Windows on a few Macs and was successful doing so. Yet of course this was pre T2 chip era. He's insistant that the MacOS gets wiped and does not want to use VMWare, Parallels, etc.

Can you explain that the T2 chip is a thing and wiping MacOS will brick the system?

Parallels is easily the best option. It’s better than bootcamp in my opinion.