There are also instances when macOS says that the DMG file can’t be mounted because it is still being downloaded, but the file has been downloaded completely on the device. The files seemed to be downloaded successfully, but when they try to mount the DMG file, they get a notification that the disk image can’t be opened because macOS can’t recognize the file. Other Mac users encountered the error when downloading files from the internet, such as app installers or software updates. Unfortunately, once his Mac was back up and running again, the DMG files he created were not recognized by the freshly installed operating system. The user had to do a clean install of the entire operating system, so he saved the important data in a DMG format. For example, one user posted on Apple’s support website about his Mac not being able to recognize the DMG files he created as a backup. Some app installers also come in DMG format and the Mac user just needs to mount the file to extract the installer and run the package.īut for some reason, several Mac users have been experiencing issues with DMG files. exe files to execute programs while macOS uses a. One of the major differences between Windows and macOS is the way they read, write, and install files and applications.