DiskImager v3.0

DiskImager v3.0 — cross-platform (beta)

The first cross-platform DiskImager: one app, a standalone single-file binary per OS. No installer, no .NET to install — download, make executable, run elevated.

Downloads

OS	File	How to run
Windows x64	DiskImager-windows-x64.exe	right-click → Run as administrator
macOS (Apple Silicon)	DiskImager-macos-arm64	chmod +x DiskImager-macos-arm64 then sudo ./DiskImager-macos-arm64
macOS (Intel)	DiskImager-macos-x64	chmod +x … then sudo ./…
Linux x64	DiskImager-linux-x64	chmod +x DiskImager-linux-x64 then sudo ./DiskImager-linux-x64

Verify your download against SHA256SUMS.txt.

Modes

Backup · Restore · Verify · Format (FAT32) · Mount. The disk that runs your OS is auto-detected, tagged [SYSTEM], and can only be erased after you type ERASE.

Status

• Windows raw read/write is validated end-to-end (byte-for-byte backup→restore→verify against a physical drive).
• macOS & Linux backends are beta — not yet validated on real hardware. Please try them on a spare USB stick / SD card first and report any issues before trusting them with important data.

⚠️ This writes directly to physical disks. Double-check the target device — Restore and Format erase it permanently.

DiskImager v2.3

DiskImager v2.3

• System-disk safeguard — the disk running Windows is detected, tagged [SYSTEM] in the list, and can no longer be formatted or overwritten with a single click: you must type ERASE to confirm.
• Live disk list — the list refreshes automatically when you plug in or remove a USB stick or SD card.
• Operation-log viewer — press Ctrl+L to view the operation history in-app.
• Fluid transitions — switching modes now slides smoothly with no hitch.
• Verified updates — the in-app updater checks the download's SHA-256 before installing it.
• Reliability fixes — correct smart backup of very large (multi-terabyte) volumes, safer handling of oversized compressed images, and assorted edge-case fixes.

Download DiskImager.exe below and run it as administrator. No installer.

DiskImager v2.2

Automated build of DiskImager v2.2.

DiskImager v2.1

DiskImager v2.1

New

• Automatic updates. DiskImager now checks for a newer release when it starts. When one is available, an Update button appears in the title bar — click it and the app downloads the new version, swaps itself, and restarts. The current version is shown next to the title.

From this release on, future updates install themselves, so you won't need to come back here to download them.

Download

Grab DiskImager.exe below — a single file, nothing to install. Right-click → Run as administrator. Windows 7 and later.

DiskImager v2.0

DiskImager v2.0

A complete redesign, plus network support.

New

• Network shares (NAS / SMB) — back up to, or restore from, a network share. Connect with a username and password (and optionally map a drive letter), or just paste a \\server\share path.
• Brand-new interface — a calmer, faster dark "instrument" look with a live progress bar, transfer speed, time remaining, and a real-time speed graph.
• Drag & drop an image onto the window, and Enter / Esc / F5 shortcuts.

Improved

• Smart backup, smart restore, verify-after-write, resume, safe-eject and auto-expand are all clearer and easier to reach.
• Stronger, unmistakable warnings before anything is erased — each names the exact disk.

Fixed

• Several display glitches, and a rare crash that could happen when formatting before any other operation.

Download

Grab DiskImager.exe below — a single file, nothing to install. Right-click → Run as administrator (raw disk access needs it). Works on Windows 7 and later.

DiskImager v1.0

Fast, safe disk imaging for Windows. Back up a USB stick or SD card to a file, write an image back to a disk, mount ISO/VHD files, or format a drive to FAT32 — all from one small app. No installer, no clutter.

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Download

1. Go to the Releases page and download DiskImager.exe.
2. Right-click → Run as administrator. Raw disk access requires it — the app will tell you if it isn’t elevated.

It’s a single file. Nothing is installed, and nothing is left behind. Works on Windows 7 and later.

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The four modes

Pick a mode from the bar at the top of the window. The disk you choose is shown as \\.\PhysicalDriveN with its size and model, and removable drives are tagged [USB/SD] so they’re easy to spot.

💾 Backup — disk → image

Copy an entire disk to an image file.

1. Choose the source disk.
2. Click Browse and pick where to save (or type a path / drag a file in).
3. Click START BACKUP.

• Smart backup (on by default) copies only the parts of the disk that actually contain data and skips empty space, so the image is much smaller and faster to make. On an NTFS save drive the file is sparse — skipped areas take up no real space.
• Compress wraps the image in gzip (.img.gz) for an even smaller file.
• If a backup is interrupted, run it again to the same file and choose Resume to continue where it stopped.

⬇️ Restore — image → disk

Write an image back onto a disk (e.g. flashing a Raspberry Pi card or a bootable USB).

1. Choose the target disk — everything on it will be erased.
2. Click Open and pick the image (or drag it onto the window).
3. Click WRITE TO DISK and confirm.

• Verify after write re-reads every byte and compares it to the image, so you know the write was perfect.
• Smart restore skips the empty regions of a smart backup, so only real data is written.
• If the image is smaller than the disk, DiskImager can expand the last partition to fill the free space afterwards. Removable drives can be safely ejected when it’s done.

💿 Mount — ISO / VHD / VHDX

Open a disk image as a drive letter without writing anything.

1. Click Open and pick an .iso, .vhd, or .vhdx file.
2. Click MOUNT IMAGE — it appears as a new drive in Explorer.
3. Select it in the list and click DISMOUNT when finished.

🗑️ Format — FAT32

Wipe a drive and create a fresh FAT32 volume that works everywhere (Windows, macOS, Linux), with no size limit that Windows’ own formatter imposes.

1. Choose the target disk — all data will be erased.
2. Optionally set a volume label (up to 11 characters).
3. Click FORMAT DISK and confirm.

• Quick format (default) writes the filesystem structures in seconds. Turn it off for a full format that also zeroes the whole drive.

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While it runs

The progress bar shows the live percentage, and below it you get the transfer speed, time elapsed, estimated time remaining, and a real-time speed graph. Hit Cancel any time (already-written data is not rolled back).

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Supported image formats

Format	Extension	Read (restore / mount)	Write (backup)
Raw image	.img .bin .raw	✅	✅
ISO 9660	.iso	✅	—
gzip	.gz	✅	✅
XZ	.xz	✅¹	—
bzip2	.bz2	✅¹	—
Zstandard	.zst	✅¹	—
ZIP	.zip	✅ (first file)	—
VHD (fixed)	.vhd	✅	—
VHDX	.vhdx	mount only	—

¹ XZ, bzip2 and Zstandard images need 7-Zip installed. The format label warns you if it’s missing.

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Handy to know

• Drag & drop an image file anywhere onto the window to load it.
• Keyboard: Enter starts the current action · Esc cancels a running one · F5 re-scans for disks.
• The ↺ button rescans after you plug in a new drive.
• When you pick an image, a label tells you the detected format and whether it’s ready to write.

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Safety

DiskImager writes directly to physical disks, so a wrong choice can erase the wrong drive. A few things keep you safe:

• Restore and Format always pop up a confirmation that names the exact disk (\\.\PhysicalDriveN), its size, and its model. Read it before clicking Yes.
• Removable drives are tagged [USB/SD] in the list so you can tell a memory card from a hard drive at a glance.
• Empty/zero-size drives are hidden, and the app never picks a disk for you — you’re always in control of the target.

⚠️ Backing up is harmless. Restore and Format permanently erase the selected disk and cannot be undone. Double-check the disk number, size, and model first.