Have you downloaded a file in DMG format from the Internet and can’t open it? If you are using a Windows PC this is normal. DMGs are image files, like the very famous ISO, but they are based on the proprietary UDIF format developed by Apple. In a nutshell, these are files designed for Mac systems and not for Windows. To use them on PCs equipped with Microsoft’s operating system, you must necessarily rely on third-party applications, such as the ones I’m about to recommend.
On Mac, however, DMG files should not cause any problems, unless you are dealing with corrupt elements or the association between them and the DMG file reading utility included in macOS is “skipped” . In the first case, not much can be done: you have to get a “healthy” version of the image file you are trying to open. In the second case, instead, to solve the problem and go back to opening the DMGs with a simple double click on them, just act on the macOS settings.
Is everything clear so far? Well, then I’d say you’re ready. Take five minutes of free time and discover, with me, how to open DMG files on your computer, be it a Windows PC or a Mac. I assure you that this is a much simpler operation than you imagine. Enjoy your reading and have fun!
Index
- How to open DMG files on Windows
- 7-Zip
- DMG Extractor
- How to open DMG files on Mac
- How to open DMG files online
- How to open DMG files on Android
- How to open DMG files on iPhone and iPad
How to open DMG files on Windows
Wondering how to open DMG files on Windows ? I’ll settle you immediately. In fact, below you will find some applications that should be right for you.
7-Zip
Perhaps not everyone knows, but 7-Zip , the famous free and open source software that allows you to create and extract compressed archives, also allows you to open DMG files in a very simple way. Unfortunately it does not support those protected by passwords, but otherwise it performs its duty very well.
To download 7-Zip on your computer, connect to its official website and click on the Download link at the top of the page, corresponding to the version of Windows installed on your PC: 32-bit x86 (if you are using a version of 32-bit Windows) or 64-bit x64 (if you’re using a 64-bit version of Windows).
When the download is complete, open the .exe file you just downloaded and, in the window you see appear on the desktop, click first on the Yes button and then on the Install and Close buttons , to complete the 7-Zip installation process.
At this point, start 7-Zip by selecting the relative link that has just been added to the Start menu , wait for the program window to be visible on the desktop, click on the File menu located at the top left, choose the Open item from the latter and select the DMG file of your interest. Next, you will be shown the contents of the DMG file on the 7-Zip screen.
If you want, you can also associate 7-Zip with files in DMG format. To do this, right click on a DMG file icon and select Properties from the menu that appears. In the window that opens, click on the Change button next to the word Open with , select the 7-Zip File Manager item from the list of available applications and you’re done.
If 7-Zip File manager does not appear in the list of available programs, click on the items Other apps and Search for another app on this PC and select the 7-Zip executable (you should find it by reaching this location on Windows: C: \ Program Files \ 7-Zip ).
Mission accomplished! Now you can open DMG files, view their content and extract it to any folder simply by double clicking on their icon or by right clicking on them and selecting the Open item from the context menu.
DMG Extractor
Another tool you can consider turning to to open DMG files on Windows is the DMG Extractor software . As can be easily understood from the name itself, it is a tool specifically intended for opening files in the format covered by this guide. It is free, easy to use and even allows you to preview the contents of DMG files. Eventually it is also available in a paid variant (which costs 9.70 euros) which allows you to extract the encrypted DMG files and unlock other extra functions.
To download the program to your computer, go to its website and click the Download now button .
When the download is complete, open the .exe file obtained and, in the window you see appear on the desktop, press the Yes and I Agree buttons . If during the setup you are offered the installation of the .NET Framework 3.5 , you agree: it is essential for the correct functioning of DMG Extractor.
Now that you see the program window on the desktop, press the Open button located at the top left, select the DMG file you want to open and wait for its contents to be visible.
Later, if you only want to view certain files, select them and press the View button at the top, while if you want to extract, press the Extract button and decide whether to extract all the files in the current location, in another folder or if affect only some files.
How to open DMG files on Mac
Now let’s see how to open DMG files on Mac . As mentioned above, DMG files are designed for macOS and as such can be opened on Apple-branded computers using the operating system’s default functions .
So, to succeed in your intent, just double-click on the icon of the DMG file of your interest and wait for the window with the files contained within it to appear (if the file is protected, also enter the unlock password) . Alternatively, right-click on the file and select the Open item from the context menu.
As well as as I just indicated, you can open DMG files using Disk Utility , the utility for managing disks and partitions included “standard” in macOS. To use it, start the application by accessing the Launchpad and selecting the relative icon (the one with the hard disk and the stethoscope ) that you find in the Other folder .
Once the Disk Utility window is displayed, click on the File menu at the top left, then on the Open disk image item in it and select the DMG file you want to open. Subsequently, open the Finder by clicking on its icon (the one with the smiling face ) that you find on the Dock bar , select the name of the DMG file from the menu on the left that you find in the window that appears and you will be able to access the contents of the file.
If in carrying out the operations I have just described you are still unable to open the DMG files or they are opened with a software other than the solutions officially provided by Apple, it is because the association has been removed . To remedy this, right-click on any file in DMG format and select the item Get information from the menu that appears, then expand the Open with box in the window that opens, select the DiskImageMounter item from the drop-down menu below and first click on Edit All button and then the Continue button .
If in the drop-down menu for the selection of applications you do not find DiskImageMounter, choose the Other item and select “manually” the executable /Sistema/Libreria/CoreServices/DiskImageMounter.app .
If, on the other hand, your problem is that you cannot open a single DMG file, it is probably corrupt and cannot be read by macOS because it was not downloaded completely or it was not generated correctly. In that case, the only thing you can do is re-download the damaged DMG file and / or search for a “healthy” version.
How to open DMG files online
In addition to using the special tools available for Windows and macOS, it is possible to open DMG files online , acting directly from the browser window , without having to download and install absolutely anything on your computer. There are, in fact, several useful services for this purpose.
Among the various available on the square I recommend 123apps archive extractor which is free, easy to use, works without registration and, apart from DMG files, allows you to extract over 70 types of compressed files, such as 7Z, ZIPX, RAR, TAR , EXE, and many more, including password-protected and multi-volume ones. Note, however, that it allows you to act on a maximum of 10 files per day, each of which must have a size not exceeding 700 MB. To get around this limit and unlock other extra functions, you need to subscribe to a paid subscription (at a cost of 5 euros / month).
In order to use this tool, go to its home page and click on the Choose file from computer button to select the DMG file you wish to act on from your PC. If the file is online, you can also download it from Google Drive , Dropbox or by indicating the URL, by selecting the appropriate links .
Then wait for the file upload to be completed and for the list with all the files contained in the DMG file to be shown, then click on the name of each of them to download to your computer. If you want, you can also download all the files at the same time, in the form of a ZIP archive , by clicking on the appropriate button .
How to open DMG files on Android
Now let’s move on to the mobile world and find out how to open DMG files on Android . To do this, just use a file manager with support for the format in question or you can turn to one of the many apps for managing compressed archives that also allow you to interface with DMG files.
Among the different solutions of this type, I recommend you to try ZArchiver , which is a simple file management app that also allows you to open archives and image files, as well as extract the data contained in them. Aside from DMG, tons of formats are supported, including 7z, ZIP and RAR.
To download and install the app on your device, go to the relevant section of the Play Store and press the Install button (if you are using a device that does not have Google services, you can download the app from alternative stores ). Then, start ZArchiver by selecting the relative icon that has been added to the home screen and / or to the Android drawer.
Now that you see the main screen of the app, grant the required permissions , then locate the location where your DMG file is located, tap on its name and view its contents by selecting the item View that you find in the menu that appears.
Also through the menu visible after selecting the name of the DMG file, I point out that you can also decide to extract the data contained within it, check if it is damaged or compress it within an archive.
How to open DMG files on iPhone and iPad
Did you end up on this guide of mine because eager to find out how to open DMG files on iPhone and iPad ? Sorry to disappoint you, but this is not feasible. In fact, although iPhone and iPad are Apple-branded products and, therefore, in some way linked to the Mac, unfortunately they do not support files in the format in question and there are not even apps through which to do this.
Taking into account what has just been stated, if you have downloaded DMG files on iOS / iPadOS, in order to view their contents the only thing you can do is to start the browser you usually use on iPhone and iPad (eg Safari ), access through the latter to a Web service for extracting DMG files such as the one I reported to you in the previous lines and use it to perform the operation covered by the tutorial.
Alternatively, you can transfer the DMG files present on iPhone and iPad to your computer , proceeding as I explained in my guide on how to transfer data from iPhone to PC and open them from there as I explained to you in the steps at the beginning of the Windows tutorial and macOS .
