.IMG File Extension

IMG files created by different disk imaging programs may use different formats. For example, IMG files created by SlySoft CloneCD must be paired with an associated .CCD and .SUB file before they can be used to create a disc. Before using an IMG file to create a new disc, you should attempt to determine what program created the IMG file and check whether your disc-authoring program can burn files saved in that format.

You can use IMG files to create discs in several Windows programs, including:

• H+H Software Virtual CD
• Lightning UK ImgBurn
• MagicISO

When using a CloneCD IMG file to create a disc, you must also supply the CCD and SUB files associated with the CloneCD IMG file.

IMG files have three different file format versions:

• GTA III and GTA: Vice City: Stored with a separate ".dir" file
• GTA: San Andreas: Combines the .img and .dir files into a single archive
• GTA IV: Supports encrypted game data

GTA III, GTA: Vice City, and GTA: San Andreas use the file gta3.img to save game data. This file type can be "modded" using the program IMG Tool. GTA IV IMG files can be edited using SparkIV or OpenIV.

You can open IMG files with SparkIV (Windows), OpenIV (Windows), or IMG Tool (Windows). Note that each tool can open only some games' IMG files. IMG Tool can open GTA III, GTA: Vice City, and GTA: San Andreas IMG files, while SparkIV and OpenIV can open GTA IV IMG files.

IMG files were used by Mac OS 9 and earlier versions of the Mac OS. They can still be opened on macOS, but they have been replaced by the newer .DMG disk image format.

NOTE: In some cases, renaming an IMG file's extension from .img to .iso allows other programs to open the file.

Floppy disk image files are not commonly used anymore since floppy disk drives are no longer included with most new computer systems.

You can view the contents of an IMG file using DiskCopy (Windows), and you can install an IMG-based operating system within a virtual machine using Oracle VM VirtualBox (cross-platform).

IMG files may contain additional information, such as statistics, ground control points, map information, and image metadata. They also support subsampled raster layers, called pyramid layers, for faster screen display within GIS applications.

IMAGINE images use the ERDAS Hierarchal File Format (HFA) to store raster data.

You can open an IMG file with XnViewMP (multiplatform), Netpbm (multiplatform), or Logipole Konvertor (Windows). For example, to open an IMG file with XnViewMP, select File → Open... from the program's menu bar, and then navigate to and open your IMG file.

You can use Logipole Konvertor (Windows), Netpbm (multiplatform), or XnViewMP (multiplatform) to convert IMG files to other image formats. For example, XnViewMP can convert IMG files to the following formats (and many others):

• .JPG - JPEG Image
• .GIF - Graphical Interchange Format
• .PNG - Portable Network Graphic
• .TIFF - Tagged Image File Format
• .BMP - Bitmap Image
• .PCX - Paintbrush Bitmap Image
• .TGA - Targa Graphic
• .JP2 - JPEG 2000 Core Image
• .JXR - JPEG XR Image
• .WEBP - WebP Image