How to Mount an .IMG on a Mac
By David Weedmark
Most Mac OS X users are familiar with disk image files ending with the ".dmg" suffix. Files ending with ".img" are called disk copy files, and are another type of disk image. The icon is a picture of a hard drive on a piece of paper with the corner folded up. IMG files were more common with the OS 9 operating system than with OS X, but can still be mounted on modern Mac computers. If double-clicking on the file does not mount the image, opening the image from the Disk Utility application may work. Failing that, the Terminal application may work.
Double-Clicking to Mount
Double-click on the .IMG in the Finder. This will open the image and reveal the file or folder that was used to create the image.
Look for the mounted file or folder on your desktop. It will also be displayed in the Finder, located on the left column.
Eject the disk image by clicking on the "Eject" button next to it in the Finder. You can also eject it by dragging it to the "Trash" in the Dashboard. The "Trash" icon will change to an eject button as you drag the file. The mounted file or folder will also be ejected the next time you shut down or restart the computer.
Using Disk Utility
Open the Finder and click the "Applications" folder. Then click the "Utilities" folder. Double-click the Disk Utility program.
Click the "File" menu. Select "Open Disk Image." Select the IMG file in the navigation window and click "OK."
Locate your mounted file or folder on the Desktop, or in the left column of the Finder window.
Using the Terminal
Open the Finder and move the IMG file to your hard disk on the left of the window. This will place it in the root path so you will not have to type the path when using Terminal.
In the Finder, click the "Applications" folder. Then click the "Utilities" folder. Double-click the Terminal program to launch it.
Type "hdiutil mount sample.img" (without quotation marks) in the text field, replacing "sample.img" with the name of your file.
Open the Finder. The file should be mounted and visible on the Desktop, and on the left column of the Finder window.
References
Writer Bio
A published author and professional speaker, David Weedmark has advised businesses and governments on technology, media and marketing for more than 20 years. He has taught computer science at Algonquin College, has started three successful businesses, and has written hundreds of articles for newspapers and magazines throughout Canada and the United States.