What is a Disk Image Mounter on a Mac?

A disk image mounter is a software utility that enables users to easily mount ISO files. It is primarily associated with earlier versions of macOS, initially introduced in OS X 10.3.

A disk imaging utility makes it easy to open DMG files on your system. The software helps you mount various image files, including .CDR, .ISO, and .IMG files. You can simply double-click the file to mount it on your system.

It has certain features and characteristics, including:

    - Install applications from disc image files - Browse or copy files from within the disc image file - Unmount the disc image file when you're done - Supports standard disc image formats like .iso, .img, .cdr, and more - Integrates with Finder and Disk Utility, and can be used with Terminal commands.

A disk image is a copy of the contents of a storage device. The utility can be used to back up data, create virtual drives, install software, and more.

Here are some advantages of using Disk Utility on your Mac:

    • It takes up less storage space than a physical copy.
    • It's easier and faster to burn CDs with it.
    • A CD drive cannot access files as quickly from it.
    • You can import and export image files in formats like IMG, ISO, and CDR.

There are a few drawbacks to using the disk image mounter on a Mac, including:

    • Extra software might be required to mount certain image formats
    • It may be incompatible with some NTFS external hard drives
    • There's a security risk if the image file is corrupted or contains viruses

Now that you're familiar with disk image mounters, let's look at why Mac uses them and how you can apply them to your scenarios.

Why does macOS use disk images?

A disk image mounting software for Mac enables the operating system to read and access a disk image file. It's similar to inserting a physical disk into a drive. For Mac users, mounting a disk image file can help extract data, install applications, and protect or compress files.

Understanding DMG files is crucial to grasping why Mac uses disk image mounters in the first place. DMG files are disk image files used to distribute software on a Mac. They were previously distributed in IMG format, but now use the new file extension .DMG. They're also easy to mount on the operating system and serve as an installer (compressed) for software.

"Disk Utility" is a good choice for all Mac users, as it's a native app. You can mount .IMG and .ISO disk images without any third-party tools.

How to Use Disk Utility on a Mac

Want to use a disk image mounter on your Mac? Check out the steps listed here.

Step 1. Select the disk image file you want. Right-click on it.

Step 2: Right-clicking it will bring up a menu. Select "Open With."

Select Open

Step 3: Select DiskImageMounter.

There's another way to do this. Let's look at the steps –

Step 1. Launch the Disk Utility app. To do this, click on “Applications” in the Dock.

Step 2. Select the Utilities folder inside the Applications folder.

Next up, just translate this into American English: ![Select the Utilities folder](/images/en/wiki-news/open-the-utilities-folder-in-macos.jpg)

Step 3: Click the “Disk Utility” app in the Tools folder.

Open Disk Utility

Step 4. Click on “File” in the menu bar at the top. A drop-down menu will appear; click “Open Disk Image.”

Open Disk Image Mounter

Step 5: Select the disk image you want to mount.

Conclusions

Older versions of macOS come with great software called "Disk Utility" that allows you to easily mount various image files and make them accessible. There are two ways to use Disk Utility on a Mac. You can use the Disk Utility app, or you can mount the image directly.