┌─ FILE ANALYSIS ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── ┐
│ DEVELOPER : Apple Inc.
│ CATEGORY : Executable
│ MIME TYPE : application/x-apple-diskimage
│ MAGIC BYTES : 7801730D626260
└ ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── ┘
What is a DMG file?
DMG (Disk Image) is Apple’s proprietary disk image format used primarily for distributing macOS software. A DMG file acts as a mountable virtual disk, commonly containing an application bundle (.app) that users drag to the Applications folder.
How to open DMG files
- macOS — Double-click to mount (native)
- 7-Zip (Windows) — Extract contents
- HFSExplorer (Windows, Linux) — Browse HFS+ images
- dmg2img (Linux) — Convert to IMG format
Technical specifications
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Format | UDIF (Universal Disk Image Format) |
| Compression | zlib, bzip2, LZFSE, ADC |
| Encryption | AES-128, AES-256 |
| Filesystem | HFS+, APFS |
| License | Can include license agreement prompts |
Programs that open DMG files
- macOS Finder — Native mounting
- Disk Utility — macOS disk management
- 7-Zip — Windows extraction
- TransMac — Windows DMG tool
Common use cases
- macOS software: Application distribution
- OS installers: macOS installer images
- Encrypted storage: Password-protected disk images
- Software deployment: Enterprise app distribution