When you download an app or a piece of software on your Mac, the file is usually downloaded as a DMG file. DMG files serve as containers for apps in macOS. You just need to double-click the downloaded DMG file, drag the app to the Applications folder, then unmount the installer. This way, the installation process has been simplified and users don’t have to suffer the hassle of installation wizards that are plaguing Windows users.
It may take a while, but eventually the process will end and you will now have a large DMG file that contains the contents of your hard drive. This clone can be used for data recovery operations, or simply stored as a backup of your machine. Clone a Mac with SuperDuper! (Paid) Another tool that you can use to create disk image clones is. Jun 17, 2016 How do I extract the image file from the macOS Sierra when the download is in pieces as rar files Spartan318 April 7, 2019 at 2:41 PM Reply Worked with some considerable effort on my part to get it to work properly, such as using registervm to get the vm recognized, and downloading a newer version of virtual box, running as admin.
Although the installation process sounds simple, it is much more complicated than that. The contents of the DMG goes through a checksum process to verify that the file is 100% intact and that it hasn’t been tampered with. Once the file has been verified, it is then decompressed. DMG files are designed for macOS and you can’t run them on Windows devices.
DMG files make app installations on macOS a lot quicker and easier. However, there have been several reports from users about the .dmg file not opening on Mac. There are different versions to this error, but the end scenario is the same: for some reason, users are unable to open the .dmg file on Mac. This guide will discuss why some users have trouble opening a DMG file and how to resolve this issue.
Unable to Open .DMG File on Mac
Installing a DMG file on Mac should be as easy as double-clicking the file and dragging the app to the Applications folder. However, the process is not as smooth for some Mac users because they are not able to open the DMG file to start with. According to user reports, the download process was completed and there were no issues with unzipping. But when it comes to opening the unzipped files, nothing happens. Some users who encounter this issue get the resource temporarily unavailable error while others noted no activity happening no matter how many times the file is clicked.
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Others encounter this error message when opening the DMG file:
There is no default application specified to open the document.
When the user tries to open it, either the options are grayed out or nothing happens when any of the options are clicked. This error has caused the affected Mac users to be frustrated. The users who encountered this error tried to redownload the file using a different Mac and the DMG file seems to be working fine, which means that the problem lies with the device itself. But what causes DMG files to not open on Mac?
Why Your .DMG File Is Not Opening on Mac
Dmg Files In Windows
Some users noted that they cannot open the .dmg file on Mac after updating to Catalina, but there are also those who encountered this error when running an older version of macOS. This means that the problem is not unique to Catalina but it is something that affects the entire macOS system.
Here are some of the possible reasons why some users are having trouble opening DMG files:
- If your Mac is running Catalina, check the version of the app you are trying to open. Catalina no longer supports 32-bit apps. So if you’re trying to download and install a 32-bit app, then you might not be able to install it on Catalina.
- If you have poor or unstable internet connection, it is possible that the file was not downloaded completely, resulting in errors when accessing the file.
- If you downloaded the file from an untrustworthy source, it might be a fake DMG file or it could be loaded with malware.
- It is also likely that the DMG file you downloaded is corrupted. An interrupted download process and malware infection are the two leading causes of file corruption.
Hence, before you start the troubleshooting process, here are some things you need to consider:
- Download the file once again using a different internet connection. Try using a wired connection if possible.
- Scan the file for malware infection, especially if the file was downloaded from an untrustworthy source.
- Download the file from another source. If the app is not available on the Mac App Store, visit the developer’s website and download the installer from there instead.
- If you’re running macOS Catalina, make sure that you are downloading the 64-bit version of the app.
How to Open .DMG File on Mac
If you’re having trouble opening the DMG file on Mac, here are some of the things you can do:
Method #1. Use DiskImageMounter.
- After downloading the DMG file, right-click or Command + click on the file.
- Choose Open With from the menu, then select DiskImageMounter.
- Depending on the size of your file, you should see the mounted Disk Image appear on your Desktop.
- If you don’t see the Disk Image, choose Other from the right-click menu.
- Navigate to /System/Library/CoreServices/DiskImageMounter.app
- The DMG file should now be mounted.
Method #2. Mount the .DMG File via Terminal
.png "Image not recognized dmg files macbook")
If the right-click menu is grayed out or nothing happens when you click any of the Open With options, you can try mounting the file using Terminal instead. Drag the file to the Desktop and follow the steps below:
- Open the Terminal app by going to Finder > Applications > Utilities.
- In the Terminal window, type in the following command and press Enter: cd ~/Desktop
- Next, type in this command, then press Enter: hdiutil attach filename.dmg
- Replace filename.dmg with the actual .dmg file name.
- After executing the two command lines, your .dmg file will now be mounted on your Mac.
Method #3: Use a Third-Party Tool.
If you cannot open the DMG file using the two methods above, you can try using a third-party utility instead. Here are some of the apps you can try:
Summary
Installing applications on macOS is a lot simpler compared to installing programs on Windows, thanks to the DMG file. However, it is normal to run into errors when opening a DMG file, especially if the file has been corrupted or has not been completely downloaded on your device. If this is the case, you can try any of the three methods listed above to open the problematic DMG file.
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Whether it's a mac or Windows computer, the error occurs sometimes and if you are a Mac user, then definitely you should create a bootable macOS USB installer when the Mac failed to work at that point. The solution is to use the macOS bootable USB to install a fresh OS on your Mac. So the question is how to create such a bootable disk on a Windows PC? Honestly, TransMac is a great tool for this but sometimes brings up several issues such as the USB failed to boot. In here, you will get to know about TransMac, the reasons behind the major issues, and the best alternative of TransMac for creating bootable USB from DMG file.
About TransMac
TransMac is a very popular application to access DMG volume and make bootable USB from macOS DMG file on Windows. Through this application, the users can easily create a macOS bootable USB on Windows by burning the dmg file to USB. In the past, it is the only application for thoese types of tasks and that's why it is a big name in this industry.
Bootable USB Not Working Created by TransMac?
Like we said above, TransMac is a great Windows tools and helped a lot of Mac users to repair their device by a clean reinstall. However, you might come across issues by your own especially on latest Windows 10 because the software has no update for a long time. The most noticable one is that the USB drive created by TransMac not bootable!
Usually, you will see the USB drive name in startup manager on Mac listed as a bootable device when trying to boot Mac from external drives. Below is an example. The volume labe 'Install macOS Catalina' is the name of USB drive burned from Catalina DMG file. If the USB drive name not showing up, it means the USB drive is not working or bootable.
How to fix 'TransMacBootable USB Not Working' issue? First, make sure the macOS dmg file is downloaded from legal sources. Usually, the dmg file wrapped in a torrent file is not safe and the file is broken sometimes. Here is the detailed tutorial for downloading macOS Big Sur, Catalina or Mojave from legit website.
Secondly, make sure the USB drive is large than 16GB. If not, then the storage is not enough to hold all the installation files from a macOS dmg file.
Thirdly, TransMac is not trial mode. You should purchase a license ($59.95) after the free-to-try period.
From our observation, the issue should be fixed after trying out the above suggestions. If the error pops up again, then it has something wrong with the current OS or potential bugs in TransMac software.And the developers are still working on these issues to fix it asap, but till then you can't stop your work. So, there is a powerful alternative tool that can easily create macOS bootable USB on Windows, called UUByte DMG Editor.
TransMac Not Working? Give a Try on UUByte DMG Editor
UUByte DMG Editor is a great replacement of TransMac when it comes to create a macOS bootable USB. It has a much better user interface and the burning speed is faster than TransMac according to our test. Moreover, through this application, you can extract content from DMG file on Windows OS. The developers have done a great job and made the interface so simple that even a mere novice can easily perform the bootable task. Now, you must be more curious to know about the steps to make macOS bootable USB from dmg file. Here is the details.
Step 1: Prepare for Software Installation
Download and Install UUByte DMG Editor on your Windows computer and for your convenience, the official link is listed above that will help you to get the install file effectively.
Step 2: Connect USB and Import DMG File
Once the installation has been done, launch the application and insert an USB drive into the same computer. On the home page of UUByte DMG Editor, you will get the 'Burn' button, click on it.
Step 3: Settings
Soon, a new window will open and click on the 'Browse' button to load the DMG file stored on this computer. Next to the Browse button, you will find your USB drive and the respected volume label where your USB drive is located.
Step 4: Use Bootable USB Drive
Ensure that the dmg file path is correct and further click on the 'Burn; button. Thereafter, the burning process will start and the progress bar will show the status of the process. The burning process will take a few minutes and once it is completed, you will get a successful message on your computer screen. Now, eject the USB and insert it on your Mac to install the OS from USB drive created by UUByte DMG Editor.
As you can see the steps are so simple and most of the task is performed by UUByte DMG Editor and the only tricky part is to download the DMG file in advance. This application reduces the human effort and stress and gives the utmost result in a short period.
Summary
Image Not Recognized Dmg Files Mac Os
TransMac is a nice tool to make bootable USB from macOS DMG file on Windows PC. But there are many flaws in TransMac as mentioned above. If the bootable USB not working and this issue could not be fixed, then you can go with UUByte DMG Editor as it has higher success rate and much easy to use. Through this tool, you can save your time and energy.