⚠️ Archived — superseded by DiskImager-X. This was the original Windows-only build. Development continues at DiskImager-X, a faster, cross-platform rewrite (Windows / macOS / Linux, single-file, no installer). This repo is kept read-only for existing v2.x users; the auto-updater keeps working. → Go to DiskImager-X
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.
- Go to the Releases page and download
DiskImager.exe. - 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.
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.
Copy an entire disk to an image file.
- Choose the source disk.
- Click Browse and pick where to save (or type a path / drag a file in).
- 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. - SHA-256 saves a checksum next to the image. When you later restore it, DiskImager offers to re-check the image first and refuses to write a corrupted one.
- If a backup is interrupted, run it again to the same file and choose Resume to continue where it stopped.
Write an image back onto a disk (e.g. flashing a Raspberry Pi card or a bootable USB).
- Choose the target disk — everything on it will be erased.
- Click Open and pick the image (or drag it onto the window).
- 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.
Open a disk image as a drive letter without writing anything.
- Click Open and pick an
.iso,.vhd, or.vhdxfile. - Click MOUNT IMAGE — it appears as a new drive in Explorer.
- Select it in the list and click DISMOUNT when finished.
Wipe a drive and create a fresh FAT32 volume that works everywhere (Windows, macOS, Linux), with no size limit that Windows’ own formatter imposes.
- Choose the target disk — all data will be erased.
- Optionally set a volume label (up to 11 characters).
- 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.
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).
| 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.
Back up to — or restore from — a network share. Click the network drive button next to Browse / Open to connect:
- Enter the share path, e.g.
\\NAS\backups. - Add a username and password if the share requires them.
- Optionally map it to a drive letter.
- Click Connect — the location is ready to use.
You can also type or paste a UNC path (\\server\share\image.img) straight into the path box.
Because the app runs as administrator, it doesn’t automatically see the drive letters you mapped in Explorer. Use the Connect button (or a full
\\server\sharepath) and DiskImager reaches the share directly.
- Remembers your settings — your last folder and option choices come back next time you open it.
- Drag & drop an image file anywhere onto the window to load it.
- Keyboard:
Enterstarts the current action ·Esccancels a running one ·F5re-scans for disks ·Ctrl+Lopens the operation log. - Live disk list — the list refreshes automatically when you plug in or remove a USB stick or SD card. The ↺ button rescans on demand too.
- When you pick an image, a label tells you the detected format and whether it’s ready to write.
- DiskImager always runs as administrator — raw disk access needs it, so Windows will ask for elevation when you launch it.
- Automatic updates — DiskImager checks for a newer release on launch. When one is available, an Update button appears in the title bar; click it to download and restart on the new version in one step.
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. - Your system disk is protected. The disk Windows runs from is detected, tagged [SYSTEM] in the list, and cannot be formatted or overwritten with a single click — you have to type ERASE to confirm. It’s very hard to wipe the wrong drive by accident.
- 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.