Mac - How to Create a DMG File from a CD/DVD

Files in .dmg format are easier for Mac users to download and install than other file formats. This document describes how to convert a file saved on a CD or DVD into a .dmg file and how to burn the .dmg file onto another CD/DVD.
  1. Insert the CD or DVD that contains the file you want to convert.
  2. Open Finder.
  3. Click on Applications.
  4. Double-click on the Utilities folder.
  5. Double-click on Disk Utility to open the application.
  6. In the Disk Utility window, find the name of the disc you mounted (see the red outline in the example image below) and click to highlight it.

    Locate the disc you mounted in the left-hand pane

  7. Click on File in the top menu bar.
  8. From the drop-down menu, click New.
  9. Then select Disk Image from [disc name]. Note that the brackets and information inside are only placeholders for these instructions and will not appear in the actual process. In the image below, the example disc is named "Test Files."

    Select "Disk Image from [disc name]" from the New drop-out in the File menu

  10. The following bullet points each correspond to an element in the Save window and how you should set it (see the example image below for a visual of how these elements should be formatted):
    • In the Save As textbox, type in a name for your new file.
    • Set the Where drop-down to Desktop—this will be the location to which your file saves.
    • Set the Image Format drop-down to compressed.

    Save your file

  11. Click Save. You have now saved a .dmg file to your desktop.
  12. To burn the file onto a blank CD or DVD, eject the original disc from the computer, and insert a blank one. 
  13. If you are prompted with a pop-up window, click Ignore.
  14. Return to Disk Utility, and click the Burn icon (a circle divided into alternating yellow and black triangles) at the top of the window.

    Click Burn

  15. Under the PLACES drop-down, click Desktop.
  16. Highlight the .dmg file you saved to the desktop, and click the Burn button at the bottom right of the window. See the highlighted areas of the example image below for visual placements of this step as well as the previous one.

    Highlight your file and click Burn

  17. You will be prompted to click Burn one last time in a new window in order to accept the default settings.

    Click Burn one last time

  18. Once the program finishes burning the disc, the disc will automatically eject. You should then have a burned CD or DVD with a copy of the original file saved in .dmg format to your desktop.

    Keywords:
    MPKG DMG PKG .mpkg .dmg .pkg installer convert conversion burn burning burner DVD formatting format transfer create 
    Doc ID:
    7058
    Owned by:
    Help Desk KB Team in DoIT Help Desk
    Created:
    2008-02-10
    Updated:
    2026-07-29
    Sites:
    DoIT Help Desk