Question

Create an ISO file on Mac

Answer 1

How to create an ISO image on Mac
1. Connect the CD or DVD drive to the Mac and insert the CD / DVD
2. Open Disk Utility
3. Select the image type
4. Select the storage location
5. Create a CD or DVD image
6. Finish
7. Eject the CD and examine the image
8. Convert CDR to ISO
9. Convert CDR to ISO
10. Convert CDR to ISO
What is ISO files for?

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Sometimes it is necessary to create an ISO file on macOS. For example, to archive a CD or DVD on the hard drive..

Macs have been shipping without CD or DVD drives for a long time. This is particularly annoying because it means that you can no longer use your old CD-ROMs or games so easily. You can of course buy an external USB DVD drive, but these things are quite loud and prone to failure in everyday use. It is better to use such a device to archive old CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs in the form of ISO files and to store them on a USB stick or an external hard drive, for example. Or you can create an ISO file from an operating system such as Windows, which you can then use in Bootcamp or a virtual machine such as Parallels. You can use the CD / DVD as a virtual CD / DVD on the Mac at any time - and the loud DVD drive does not have to be running. In addition, this solution is faster. The procedure is very simple.

• Instructions: How to create an ISO image
• Background: What is ISO files for?

How to create an ISO image on Mac

1. Connect the CD or DVD drive to the Mac and insert the CD / DVD

If you still have a Mac with a DVD drive, you can skip this step. Otherwise, you can simply plug a USB DVD drive into an available USB port on your Mac. Press the eject button on the device or on the Mac keyboard and insert the data carrier that you want to archive as an ISO into the drive .

2. Open Disk Utility

Now start the hard disk utility from the folder / Applications / Utilities / or via the Spotlight search. This is where your CD or DVD is displayed alongside the other hard drives in the system. Click on this .

3. Select the image type

Now click on the data carrier with the right mouse button . In the context menu there is the option " Image from (CD name) ". Select this option.

4. Select the storage location

You can now choose a storage location . However, it is very important that you select the " DVD / CD-Master " option as " Format " in the save dialog . Then click on “ Save ”.

5. Create a CD or DVD image

Disk Utility will now start creating the image file. Depending on the MacOS version, you may have to enter your administrator password . Then the image of the disk is created. This may take a while depending on the size of the DVD / CD, the amount of files, and the speed of the DVD drive.

6. Finish

Once the image is complete, Disk Utility will report again. Click “ Done ” to complete the process. You can then exit Disk Utility .

7. Eject the CD and examine the image

The best way to eject the CD / DVD now is to drag it to the trash. You can then take a look at the CD / DVD image that is in the location you selected in step 4: It is a file that has the same name as the original disk and ends with .cdr . You can now use this CDR file like a normal CD : Double-click it to "insert" it - you no longer need a CD / DVD drive. Everything should work as if you had the original disk in the drive. If you just want to archive a Mac DVD or CD, you're done here.

8. Convert CDR to ISO

However, if you want an ISO file for an operating system , there is one small final step you need to take. "Convert CDR to ISO" now sounds complicated, but it is super simple: First, eject the image again .

9. Convert CDR to ISO

Then click on the .cdr file with the right mouse button and select the entry " Rename " in the context menu . This will highlight the file name.

10. Convert CDR to ISO

Now change the file extension from .cdr to .iso . MacOS will now ask you if you want to use ISO. Confirm this by clicking on ". Use iso ". You can now use this ISO file in Bootcamp, Parallels or Virtualbox, for example.

What is ISO files for?

The whole point of the exercise is of course that you can use the ISO file on PC and Mac like a virtual CD in the future . In this way, you can archive your old multimedia programs on the hard drive or put a Windows Startup CD somewhere so that you can have it at hand later. Unlike a DVD or CD, you can of course store this ISO file somewhere in the cloud or copy it to a USB stick . In addition, these files are much faster and easier to back up than the original data carriers. They are also protected - and can stay in the pack.

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