The most common problem that prevents users from opening this file is an incorrectly assigned program. To fix this in Windows OS you need to click right click on the file, in the context menu, hover the mouse over the "Open with" item, and select the "Select program..." item from the drop-down menu. As a result you will see a list installed programs on your computer, and you can choose the appropriate one. We also recommend checking the box next to “Use this application for all IMG files.”

Another problem that our users also encounter quite often is IMG file damaged. This situation can arise in many cases. For example: the file was downloaded incompletely as a result server errors, the file was damaged initially, etc. To fix this problem, use one of the recommendations:

Try finding the file you need in another source on the Internet. You may have luck finding a more suitable version. Example Google search: "File filetype:IMG" . Just replace the word "file" with the name you want;
Ask them to send you source file again, it may have been damaged in transit;

23.03.2017

Sometimes, Windows OS users come across files on their system or on removable media that they cannot open. operating system, if it is not installed necessary programs. This situation can be corrected very quickly - simply by installing the necessary software, which, after integration, will be automatically offered to the user as a means of opening.

IMG files are also a type that the user will not be able to open system means. To open such files, you will need to install a specialized program for opening IMGs.

What is the IMG format and how to open it

In their original form, IMG files are a disk image, the information in which is absolutely identical to the source. That is, the information contained in such a file exactly repeats the source material, regardless of its type.

Windows OS does not support this file format, but when it is detected in the system, it classifies it as a separate CD.

The IMG format is an abbreviation (short for) of a phrase such as "Disk Image File". That is, as if the expansion itself indicates that this document is an image of information from the disk.

At their core, IMG files are created for the purpose of backup any data from a disk source. For this they can be used special programs, which are also the main means of opening such files.

Method 1: Open IMG File via Magic ISO Maker

This is one of the rather old but stable programs created to open and create disk images. Today this software is not widely popular, and there have been no updates for a long time. However, if you have an img file lying around somewhere, then Magic ISO Maker is perfect for studying its contents.

It is also possible to open the IMG format via context menu Windows "Open with", specifying Magic ISO Maker as the program used.
This program has several analogues, in contrast to which it is severely limited by certain factors, for example, slow processing. At the same time, the main thing positive quality This software is that Magic ISO Maker can be used for free.

Unlike its analogues, this program is officially released only on English. Localization into other languages is present, but done poorly.

Method 2: Open IMG file in UltraISO

There are probably no people who have ever encountered disk images in Windows OS but have not heard of the UltraISO program. This software is the most popular and most versatile when working with disk images.

The popularity of the program is also greatly influenced by the fact that the manufacturer constantly updates its creation. Each new version It is characterized by high speed, stability and, most importantly, the availability of high-quality translation into most languages of the world.

If the IMG file you open is not damaged, then in the upper right window of the program you will be able to observe all the files from the disk.

It is recommended to use this particular program to open images of this format, since even trial version provides you with all the functionality. This is especially true for one-time opening of files, such as the case with IMG.

Method 3: Burn to Disc Using CloneCD

The latest most convenient program for opening IMG files is CloneCD, released by SlySoft. Just like the previously mentioned software, this program requires the purchase of a license, but allows you to work with files in trial mode.

CloneCD was one of the first programs to support the IMG format. Moreover, software from SlySoft is designed to a greater extent not just for opening, but also for creating documents of this type.

If the image being written is completely intact, the recording will complete successfully. To view recorded files, go directly to the disc itself.

This program has one extremely big disadvantage - the inability to view files without burning to a CD. Thus, it is best to use one of the first two programs.

There are other programs for opening IMG, but they are not popular, and they are not very different from those named.

What you end up using is up to you to decide.

If you suddenly find an unknown img file on your favorite computer (for example, you copied it from a friend’s flash drive or downloaded it from the Internet), but you don’t know how to open it, don’t be scared or upset. Of course, you can try to find out from a friend how to open img, however, firstly, it is not always possible to find a knowledgeable friend, and secondly, it is better to try to figure it out yourself. And this article will help you in this difficult matter, because it is devoted specifically to the question of how to open an img file.

If you have a file in the folder in img format that you have no idea how to open, first of all you should figure out what kind of format it is.

Img, contrary to the opinion of many users, is not an image or picture at all. Of course, many people associate img with image, but in this case the word is translated as “image”. That is, the IMG file is a disk image, a kind of ISO analogue, only with slightly different algorithms for reading and, accordingly, writing the image. It should be noted that often simply changing the img file extension to iso makes it possible to open files in programs that do not support img formats.

This format was widely used to create disk images in the Macintosh environment, but is also quite common in Windows applications.

In Mac OS X, the .img format was replaced by the .dmg extension. And if in Mac OS this format can be both image and image hard drive, then in Windows OS it is used only for emulating CD/DVD media. Typically, in the OS Windows files of this format are created by the CloneCD program. And the full image will be supplemented with .ccd and .sub files with similar names.

But still, we will try to directly answer the question of how to open img. The most popular programs for working with this format are NERO, Daemon Tools and UltraISO.

First, let's figure out exactly how to work with files of this format. As with any other disk images, you can emulate the operation of img in a virtual drive on your computer. In addition, the image can be written to a real laser disk and then used in a regular drive.

UltraISO disk image program

To download the distribution of this program to your computer, just type its name in any search engine and follow the link provided. This program installs and works quite simply. Install the UltraISO program on your computer, following all the prompts, then restart the computer. Everything is ready to go. To simply solve the problem of opening img, you don’t need to open the program at all. It is enough just to find a disk image of this format in the folder, right-click on it and thereby call up the “UltraIso” line in the menu, where in the drop-down menu select the appropriate type of action. You can immediately mount the disk image into a virtual DVD drive or burn the image to a real disk.

To burn an image to a disk, you need to insert a blank disk into the drive and click on “burn”. Just be sure to check whether your DVD-ROM or CD-ROM is recordable. If the device does not have such a function, then, accordingly, you will not be able to burn the image to disk. But don't despair, because run the disc in virtual disk drive it will still work. The UltraIso program will help you not only open an img file, but also burn it to a real disk - easily and universally!

We will not consider working with the NERO and Daemon Tools programs, since these programs will require you to purchase a license. And the free versions are not convenient.

Now you know how to open img on your computer. I hope that files of this format will not cause you any inconvenience. If you also have iso images on your computer, they open in the same way.

Sometimes, during the next audit for unnecessary files your computer, you may come across extension files that you have never worked with before. Most often these are quite rare formats used for specific tasks. For example, an IMG file. If you have no idea what and how to open it, and why these files are needed at all, you have come to the right address. After all, of course, you can try to clarify the information with your closest acquaintances and friends, but even if there are experienced users among them, not every one of them will be able to tell exactly what this extension is. In addition, it is always more interesting to understand the issue yourself. And our article will help you with this - it is devoted to how and how to open an IMG file, what kind of format it is and what it is used for. And, of course, which program to open the img file, because this is precisely the purpose for which everything is started. First of all, let's deal with general questions regarding the IMG extension.

What is the IMG format for?

Although many users will assume from the format abbreviation that this is a picture or image file, in reality everything is somewhat more complicated. Many more or less experienced users associate the abbreviation “img” with the word “image”. And in this case, the IMG file represents a disk image. A parallel can be drawn with some other commonly used disk image extensions – . But in the case of IMG, the image reading-writing algorithms were slightly modified.

However, you can try to change the extension from IMG to ISO - in some cases it will be possible to open the desired file in this way using a program that does not support the format.

Some time ago, the format was also widely in demand in the context of the Apple Macintosh environment. Later, in Mac OS X, the IMG format was changed to, which was the subject of one of our reviews. You can also encounter it quite often in applications. There are some differences in use for the two environments mentioned - for Mac file extension.IMG can be either a CD/DVD image or an HDD image. In MS Windows, the format was used only for the purpose of emulating optical media. One of the programs that can create such images for Windows is CloneCD, and the resulting file will be supplemented with two additional service ones - with extensions .ccd, .sub and the same names.

IMG as a hardware firmware file

The IMG format is also used by many manufacturers of various hardware, to distribute firmware updates. If your IMG file is small and you have reason to believe that it is not a floppy image, then this is the case. In this case, information on how to open the IMG firmware file for each specific case should be found on the official website of the equipment manufacturer.

When updating IMG firmware of equipment, you should strictly adhere to the official instructions of the manufacturer - in the worst case, if they are not followed, you will have to go to a service center. Therefore, you should not trust instructions on hardware firmware on third-party sites.

What programs exist for opening IMGs?

Finally, let's move on to the main part of our review - we'll choose which program can open the IMG file with minimal difficulty. How do you generally work with this format? As with other disk images, there are two options:

Burn the image to a CD/DVD and subsequently read it on a regular drive.
Use one of the virtual drive emulator programs below.

Let's consider the second option in more detail. To open an IMG file, you can use the following programs:

Nero Burning ROM is a well-known software product, most often used to work with images of another format - .nrg. Free version not available, you must purchase a license;
Daemon Tools Lite – free lightweight version can be used to open IMG;
UltraISO – there should be no problems finding and downloading the utility. The program is easy to install on your computer, but without purchasing a license it can only work with files less than 200MB. Using this utility, you can not only open an img file on a virtual drive, but also burn a CD/DVD (subject to the stated limitations).

Now you know exactly how and with what to open img on your computer. We hope that the information provided was useful and that working with this format will not cause you any difficulties in the future.

IMG is a format for mounting images of optical and hard drives. Today there are more than 10 popular programs available that work with IMG, but mounting utilities are limited. A virtual disk emulator or an archiver can open files for use and viewing. In this article, read how to open an IMG file on your computer.

General description

IMG was used to create virtual disk images. It is now considered obsolete and is not used. IMG extension files, like other similar formats (iso, mdx, mdf), were used to make copies from optical media or to backup information from hard drives. When files of this extension were placed on the computer, the PC perceived them as a disk or external media inserted into the drive. The peculiarity of the format is that it is similar in structure to an archive - the information is placed in one file.

When copying installation disks, this format became a complete analogy of the source, preserving the content and file system. So, when copying content from the installation disk to another disk without an emulator program, the copy did not become installation disk. However, if a virtual disk emulator was used that created an IMG extension file that was burned to a CD or DVD, then the copy became a complete analogue of the source.

IMG was developed for Mac OS and was used by this system until Mac versions OS 9. In later builds the format was replaced with dmg.

A virtual disk is not the only type of IMG format. There are also:

Raster images - graphic editors such as, etc. work with such files;

Game files – IMG files are specific to the GTA game. Ordinary users are unlikely to encounter this type of IMG extension. The program is capable of opening this.

How and with what to open an IMG extension file

To work with IMG, open or view such a file, you need archivers or disk emulators. The difference is that the archiver can only download the contents and place them in a separate folder, while the emulator will create a full-fledged image of the optical disk, which will be one file on the computer. They will not differ in the amount of space they occupy, but the archiver will create many files, and the emulator will create one.

Open on computer

How to open an IMG file on a computer:

– a popular emulator program that works with 40 formats;

– emulator program for mounting, editing and viewing virtual disks;

– archiver, not capable of mounting images, but suitable for viewing IMGs;

The interface of these programs is similar to each other, with the exception of the archiver. In emulators, in order to open this format, you need to either drag it to the program’s work panel, or find it through the “File” - “Open” tab, pointing to address bar. The key responsible for creating an image in different programs has different names and may be indicated by a “+” sign, or called “mount”, “create image” or similar variations of this phrase.

On windows 7

On the seventh windows versions There are no standard programs for working with IMG. This format can only be opened using the utilities listed above.

On windows 10

Probably due to the fact that IMG is a Mac OS format, and an outdated one at that, Windows developers did not create standard services for working with even the latest version of their OS, unlike the iso format. As with early OS builds, the file will not work without the help of emulators or archivers. The situation is similar with Mac OS; without the help of third-party services it will not work.