A DMG disk image file is Apple's container format for capturing entire drives or disks, similar to ISO for other platforms like Windows. It consists of data blocks that represent a physical disc. If you're on a Windows machine, you're limited in what you can do with DMG files. That's why you need third-party utilities to create a bootable DVD from DMG on Windows. This article explains two different methods to burn DMG files to amake bootable macOS installation DVD in Windows.
- Method 1: Create Bootable DVD from DMG Using Command Prompt
- Method 2: Make Bootable DVD for Mac Using DMGGeeker
Method 1: How to Create Bootable DVD from DMG (Command Prompt)
This approach utilizes a tool called DMG2IMG, which converts DMG file into ISO, the universally more compatible archive format. This ISO file is then burned using a command line execution in Command Prompt. You don't really need any experience with disk images or command line work, but it will certainly help should something go wrong. If you're not comfortable with any of this, you can skip to Method 2, which showcases a powerful but user-friendly tool that does it all for you. But first, let's see how the Command Prompt method of creating a bootable DVD from DMG works.
Note: The older version of DMG2IMG is called DMG2ISO. Although the download is available in the link provided in Step 1 below, it is recommended that you use DMG2IMG instead. The utility has the ability to convert DMG into both ISO and IMG, based on your needs.
Step 1. Install DMG2IMG on a Windows PC after downloading the zipped win32 binary from this website. Unzip the file and run the .exe to install the program. You can also download DMG2ISO, but DMG2IMG is the recommended software to use.
Step 2. Open Command Prompt on your PC and execute the following command to convert your DMG into ISO. Be sure to change the file names as appropriate, and include the whole file path from the main directory:
dmg2img.exe c:\downloads\example.dmg c:\downloadsexampleconverted.iso
Step 3. Now that your ISO file is ready, you can use the Windows ISO burning utility or a free application like FreeISOBurner to create a bootable DVD.
This DVD can be used to install macOS in virtual Windows environments with tools like Virtualbox. You can't use ISO files to install software in Mac, so if this is intended for a computer running Mac OS X or macOS, you will need to convert it back to DMG before you can install the program in question. If you're not confident that you can carry out the steps properly, then continue to Method 2.
Method 2: How to Make a Bootable DVD for Mac on Windows (DMGGeeker)
Conversion processes aren't always accurate and success rate is low for the first method. Many DVD are not able to be used to install macOS due to boot errors. Although DMG2IMG is a great tool, you may find that your resulting ISO file is corrupted and therefore useless. That means doing it all over again. Instead, you can try using DMGGeeker, which allows you to directly burn DMG to a DVD in Windows without having to convert the file. Such a disk can be used to boot a Mac computer.
DMGGeeker is an emerging star in the world of disk image file management software. It allows you to edit, add files to, delete content from, rename and do a lot more with DMG files on Windows without any conversion necessary. If you've been searching for the ideal DMG handling tool for Windows, your search has just ended. Let's see how the process works for creating a bootable media from DMG in Windows. It works with all recent versions of Windows.
Step 1Prepare for Installation
You can download it from the official site here. And then install DMGGeeker on a Windows PC.
Step 2Open DMGGeeker in Windows
Launch the application and click on the "Burn" option. You'll see the other tools available for DMG files.
Step 3Create Bootable USB from macOS Install Image
Click "Load DMG" to import your DMG file into the program. Insert a blank DVD and click Burn against the DVD option to write the DMG to the disk.
In three simple steps, your bootable DVD is ready. You won't find that many tools that are so easy to operate. DMGGeeker also has one of the highest burn success rates in its class, which means no wasted DVDs and no wasted time.
Summary
How to choose the rignt tool depends on what the purpose is. If you want to use a DMG file in Windows to mount a version of Mac OS X, then Method 1 will work. However, most of the time, you'll need a DMG to install an OS version on a Mac computer. In those cases, if all you have to work with is a Windows PC, DMGGeeker is the perfect application. It's simple enough for a novice yet robust enough for a professional, it contains all the tools you need to manage DMG files, and it's a life-saver if you only have a Windows PC to work with.
