You in all probability know that , using Disk Utility , you’re able to make a disk ikon from any booklet in OS X. Just as with applications you download , particular on a disk figure of speech wo n’t be operable on your system until you mount the trope . This can be a convenient way to archive older data point , as you may compress the image , making it utilise less space . item in disk images also are n’t indexed by Spotlight , which can be a expert thing if you ’ve bewilder a backup leaflet that hold items with the same name as the original — double - click the faulty one in Spotlight ’s results , and you ’ll be working on your backup copy rather of the original . you could also cypher a disc image , get the data it bear secure from prying eyes .

Personally , I use disk images for quite a few things . Graeco-Roman lives on a compressed disk range of a function on my motorcar , and I make magnetic disc images out of game CDs — some , but not all , game will permit you act as them with the disk image get on alternatively of having the original master CD in the drive . I also keep a FileMaker Pro database of parole and other sensitive information on an encipher disk prototype , so I can travel with it with some arcdegree of security .

Up through OS X 10.2 , there was a standalone program called Disk Copy that endure puff - and - drop platter image founding . Just drag the folder you wanted to win over to a disk persona onto Disk Copy ’s icon , and you ’d get an easy - to - exercise dialogue to set the name and options for your new disk simulacrum . With the release of 10.3 , though , Apple unify Disk Copy into Disk Utility , and this ultra - convenient puff - and - drop tool vanished . Instead , you had to open Disk Utility , then select ikon - > New - > Image from Folder , then navigate to the pamphlet you ’d wish to practice for the image . Ugh .

When 10.4 came out , I did n’t even think to revisit the process to see if anything had changed . Nor , it seems , did anyone else , for I had n’t heard a peep about it since Tiger ’s release . Until recently , that is , when amacosxhintsreader submitted a tip — drag - and - dip disk epitome creation has retort to Disk Utility .

Just drop behind your leaflet onto the Disk Utility lotion ikon — whether that ’s in the Dock , the Sidebar , the Toolbar , or just in the Finder itself . Disk Utility will set up , displaying the image creation dialogue . place the eccentric of image you ’d like to create , and whether you ’d like to encrypt it , and you ’re set . Seldom do we see a feature film removed from OS X make a return in a succeeding interpretation ; it ’s nice to see an exclusion in this case .