disk image
noun
: a compressed copy of the contents (such as installed programs, settings, and other data) of an optical disc, hard drive, or other digital storage device
By developing and using a standard disk image, information technology managers don't have to separately install all of a PC's programs. The disk image is copied onto each new PC's disk drive, and it's ready to go.—
Shawn McCarthy
Shawn McCarthyExamples of disk image in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Backup applications that rely on this driver may experience failures when attempting to mount or manage disk images.
—Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 1 May 2026
For example, Arcserve ShadowProtect SPX Desktop, another top pick, excels at creating full-disk images of Windows and Linux systems.
—Justin Pot, PC Magazine, 12 Mar. 2026
The upshot is that disk images should be capable of better performance in Tahoe, which will especially benefit virtual machines that rely on disk images.
—ArsTechnica, 15 Sep. 2025
A number of disk images are available in the software bundle, including one with the CP/M operating system.
—Stephen Cass, IEEE Spectrum, 23 Feb. 2018
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Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 1 May 2026
For example, Arcserve ShadowProtect SPX Desktop, another top pick, excels at creating full-disk images of Windows and Linux systems.
—Justin Pot, PC Magazine, 12 Mar. 2026
The upshot is that disk images should be capable of better performance in Tahoe, which will especially benefit virtual machines that rely on disk images.
—ArsTechnica, 15 Sep. 2025
A number of disk images are available in the software bundle, including one with the CP/M operating system.
—Stephen Cass, IEEE Spectrum, 23 Feb. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Disk image.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disk%20image. Accessed 29 May. 2026.
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