Creating Disk Images

Learn how to create disk images using the Disk Utility app. Disk images can be used to archive old projects or combine sets of files to send to others. You can also encrypt disk images to keep the files inside them secure.

Comments: 13 Responses to “Creating Disk Images”

    Dan
    9 years ago

    Very helpful, indeed. Thanks for another great how-to

    Max
    9 years ago

    Nice. I always learn new things from your videos. Thanks!

    Dennis
    9 years ago

    So an encrypted sparse image seems to be the native OS X equivalent to Boxcryptor?

    Scott Beattie
    9 years ago

    Thanks Gary - Very useful video. In your examples you used Sparse disk images vs the newer Sparse Bundle images. People may question image format to choose - Sparse or Sparse Bundle. Can you explain the difference between the two formats. I have a general understanding - but I find conflicting explanations when Googling. Disk Utility Help actually does not explain the differences - at least not that I can find.

      Gary
      9 years ago

      Bundles are seen by the file system as a group of separate files and folders, even though you see it as a single unit. Sparse images are seen by the file system as a single unit. In most cases you can use either. In some situations, like copying and backing up, bundles work better for the system.

    Anthony
    9 years ago

    What's the difference between creating a Disk Image vs Zipping a file using programs like 7Zip?

      9 years ago

      Not familiar with that particular one, but zip files are usually created, transported, and then decompressed to get the files out. Disk images can be altered -- adding new files, removing others, updating others. You can even work with the files while they are inside.

    Scott Beattie
    9 years ago

    Disk Utility is also useful for making a complete compressed image backup of your Mac's internal hard drive to an external drive. This is not a bootable clone - rather a disk image to use in case you need to restore your Mac quickly. Gary can you create a video on how to do this?

      9 years ago

      Clones aren't as useful as they used to be. All new Macs have the restore partition. And if you use that, plus your Time Machine backup, you can get back to work quickly. More importantly, you can get back to work without losing much. With a clone, you would lose everything after the last time you cloned. That would typically be a week or more. Time Machine backs up every hour.

    Matt
    9 years ago

    Gary: wonderful tutorial. will this disk image be useable for people using windows? this would be a wonderful way to email recpts to accountant, but he only uses windows. is there a way to do this across platforms? thx

      Gary
      9 years ago

      Only if you format the disk image to ExFAT or another format that Windows can understand.

    cake rose
    9 years ago

    How the disk image is made bootable to a cd or a pendrive?

      9 years ago

      You wouldn't use a disk image for that. You would just make the whole drive a bootable disk. To do so, you have to create a special type of disk and how to do so depends on which Mac you have and which version of OS X you are using. Search on those things and you may find it. But newer Macs don't need this as they have a bootable partition for problems.

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