Win32DiskImager
Win32DiskImager is an open-source Windows utility designed to write raw disk image files directly to removable storage media such as USB flash drives and SD cards. It also allows users to create exact byte-for-byte image backups of physical media to a file.
sourceforge.net · Official website
- ✓ Official source (winget)
- ✓ SHA256 taken from the official repository
- ✓ Last checked: Nov. 4, 2026
- This is not a virus scan. Check on VirusTotal
- Version
- 1.0.0
- License
- GPLv2
- Installer type
- inno
How do I use this?
Type Terminal in the Start menu and open it, paste the command (Ctrl+V or right-click) and press Enter. It uses winget, Windows' own package manager, to install the program from its official source.
winget install --id Win32diskimager.win32diskimager -eSHA256 (file verification)
a51c9fc75c9caa44df03502838f229a70d484963f54675c241799093a59d8874We couldn't find a macOS version of Win32DiskImager in the official repositories; check the publisher's website.
We couldn't find a Linux version of Win32DiskImager in the official repositories; check the publisher's website.
You can try these instead:
We couldn't find a Android version of Win32DiskImager in the official repositories; check the publisher's website.
Win32DiskImager 1.0.0: what's new?
Highlights
- Writes raw image files (.img) directly to USB flash drives and SD or CF memory cards
- Reads physical removable drives to produce raw backup disk image files
- Calculates MD5 and SHA-256 hashes to verify image file integrity
- Minimalist interface focused purely on disk read and write operations
Who is it for?
It is intended for makers, developers, and system administrators who need to flash operating system images to SD cards for single-board computers or create raw backups of removable media.
Good to know before installing
- Only available on the Windows platform.
- Writing an image completely overwrites all existing data on the selected removable drive.
- Does not provide advanced partition resizing or multi-boot drive creation tools.
How to install
Windows
- Click the official download button on this page to download the setup installer, or run 'winget install --id Win32diskimager.win32diskimager -e' in a terminal.
- Launch the downloaded setup executable and complete the installation wizard.
- Run Win32DiskImager with administrative privileges to access physical disk drives.
Alternatives
Frequently asked questions
Is Win32DiskImager free to use?
Yes, Win32DiskImager is completely free and released under the GNU General Public License v2 (GPLv2).
Can Win32DiskImager create ISO files from removable drives?
Win32DiskImager is designed for raw sector-by-sector disk images (.img) rather than optical disc image files (.iso).
Why does Win32DiskImager require administrator permissions?
Administrator permissions are required in Windows to directly read from and write raw sectors to physical storage drives.