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A disk image is a compressed file containing an exact copy of a computer's storage device, such as a hard drive, SSD, or optical disc. It preserves the original disk's structure, including the operating system, applications, files, and settings, making it a comprehensive tool for backups, system deployment, and disaster recovery. Disk images can be mounted to access the data within them, appearing as a virtual disk.

Key features and uses

Comprehensive backup: A disk image provides a complete snapshot of a drive, including the OS, programs, and all files.

Disaster recovery: It allows for the restoration of an entire drive, which is ideal if the original drive is damaged or fails.

System deployment: Disk images can be used to copy a configured system to multiple machines, simplifying the process of setting up new computers.

Virtualization: Disk images are fundamental to creating virtual machines, as they serve as the virtual hard drives for the virtual computers.

Storage efficiency: By being compressed, disk images take up less storage space than a full drive copy and can be stored on a single device.

Accessibility: To access the contents of a disk image, you must first "mount" it, which makes it appear as a virtual volume or drive on your computer.

Common formats: Popular formats include .ISO (for optical discs), .DMG (for macOS), and .VHD or .VMDK (for virtual machines).