Jan 15, 2020 A DMG file is a Mac OS X system disk image file. Just as the ISO file use in Windows system installations, the files with DMG extension also use on Mac systems. Apple Mac OS X uses the files with.dmg extensions to install a software. They can be accessed through the Mac OS Finder application by either launching the DMG file or mounting it as a drive. DMG is also referred to as the Apple’s equivalent to MSI files in Windows PC. Non-Macintosh systems may access DMG files and extract or convert them to ISO image files for burning.

If you are an avid Mac user using a Windows PC, and suddenly find a DMG file in your windows system, you would definitely want to open it up to see what it contains. Though the installation files or compressed files it contains will not be compatible with your windows PC, yet there are some ways you can check out what it withholds. But before proceeding with the ways to open or view a DMG file, it is better if we have a thorough knowledge of what a DMG file exactly is. DMG files are actually Mac OS disk image files. It is very similar to ISO files in windows, or rather a counterpart of ISO files.

The images usually comprise installation files of softwares and operating systems and sometimes, compressed files. Since you are using a windows PC, surely you won't be able to run it on your Window OS, but at least there are ways by which you can have a look at its contents. And that is what we are going to discuss in this article - ways to view the DMG files on Windows 10/7/8.

Way #1: Open DMG Files on Windows with 7-ZIP

7-ZIP is a lightweight freeware which is easily available on the internet market. It not only extracts DMG files but all other of compressed files, such as ZIP, CAB, ISO, RAR, WIM, etc. But we would restrict our discussion here only upto DMG. Read the steps below to know the tool's usage:

Step 1. Download the 7-ZIP program file in any of your working computer and install it.

Step 2. After installation is done, locate the DMG file that you wish to open or view in your directory or desktop, and right-click on it.

Step 3. From the context menu, click on '7-ZIP' which will not appear as a part of your system since installed.

Step 4. From the next sub-menu that follows click on 'Open archive' and your DMG file will be opened and you can view the contents inside.

Cons:

You cannot view or extract files bigger than 4 GB.
You cannot view or extract encrypted files.
You are only allowed to extract 5 DMG files at a time.

Way #2: Open DMG Files with DMG Extractor

DMG Extractor is another professional tool to open and extract .dmg files without first converting them into .iso or .img files. It's interface is very user-friendly and even a beginner can use it without any difficulty. Just go through the steps below to pull off the task:

Step 1. First of all, download the DMG extractor program file from the internet and install it in your personal Windows PC.

Step 2. Run the application with admin rights and in the main UI of the tool's screen, click on 'open' button in the upper menu bar to browse the required DMG file. The file will be loaded into the software's screen.

Step 3. After the file is loaded, you will be displayed all the contents contained within the DMG file.

Open Mac Dmg Files In Windows Xp

Cons:

You cannot view or extract files bigger than 4 GB.
You cannot view or extract encrypted files.
You are only allowed to extract 5 DMG files at a time.

Way #3: View DMG files on Windows with PowerISO

PowerISO is yet another very powerful professional tool which can open, burn, extract, create, edit, convert, any kind of disk image files. It can process every kind of image files, be it BIN, DMG, ISO, DAA, etc. Here we would burn the image file into a CD/DVD or USB and then will open it from the disk storage to check out what it contains. But before you head on the tool's usage, better have a look at its specifications to use it in a better way.

Step 1. Get the program file downloaded from the official website and install it in your Windows computer.

Step 2. Launch the utility with admin privileges and then insert a empty Disk (CD/DVD or USB) in your computer.

Step 3. Click on 'Tools' button from the menu bar and then click on 'Burn' option from the drop-down menu.

Step 4. Now the 'DMG Burner' option will be shown in the PowerISO Window's screen.

Open Dmg File In Vista

Step 5. Click on 'Browse' button to fetch the required DMG files from your computer's directory.

Step 6. Select the burning speed from the dialog box and then finally click on 'Burn' button to start the burning process.

Step 7. Once the image is burnt in your disk, open the disk from 'My computer' and click on the DMG file to view what it contains.

Open Mac Dmg Files In Windows 7

Conclusion:

After going through all the methods mentioned above, you must have realized by now that the first two tools implemented have got several demerits and thus can be not relied upon fully. So in order to have all the facilities with disk images, better stick to way 3 for a guarantee result.

Mar.13 2018 15:17 PM / Posted by Elva Xiao to Windows

File TypeApple Disk Image

Developer	Apple
Popularity
Category	Disk Image Files
Format	Binary

What is a DMG file?

A DMG file is a mountable disk image used to distribute software to the macOS operating system. The file is typically downloaded from the Internet by a Mac user, then double-clicked to install an application on the computer.

Today, software developers typically build and distribute applications for Mac users as DMG, .APP, or .PKG files. DMG files are especially common since their contents can be verified upon installation to ensure they have not been tampered with and they can also be compressed to reduce the size of the installer.

When a Mac user downloads a DMG file, he can simply double-click it to open it with the DiskImageMounter utility that comes with macOS. When the DMG file is opened, it mounts a virtual disk on the desktop and in an Apple Finder window as if it was a CD or a USB flash drive that was just inserted into the computer.

In the Finder window, the Mac user can double-click the program icon, which is an APP file, to run the app. Or the Mac user can drag the program icon to the 'Applications' folder icon to move it to the 'Applications' directory in macOS.

After the software stored in the DMG file is installed, the DMG file is no longer needed. Therefore, DMG files can be deleted after installing the software.

While DMG files are Mac-specific and not intended for use in Windows, there are several Windows programs that can extract their contents or convert them to other formats. Some programs include 7-Zip, PeaZip, and DMG2IMG.

NOTE: The DMG format replaced the .IMG file format, which was previously used in Mac OS Classic.

Unknown files on your Mac? Try File Viewer.

Programs that open DMG files

Mac

Apple Disk Utility

Roxio Toast 18

Incredible Bee Archiver

Catacombae HFSExplorer

Windows

File Viewer Plus

7-Zip

PeaZip

Catacombae HFSExplorer

Reincubate DMG Extractor

DMG2IMG

DMG2ISO

Linux

Catacombae HFSExplorer

Way #1: Open DMG Files on Windows with 7-ZIP

Way #2: Open DMG Files with DMG Extractor

Open Mac Dmg Files In Windows Xp

Way #3: View DMG files on Windows with PowerISO

Open Dmg File In Vista

Open Mac Dmg Files In Windows 7

Conclusion:

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File TypeApple Disk Image

What is a DMG file?