Disk images

VDI → IMG

Learn about the formats: What is VDI? What is IMG?

At a glance

ConvertX.am converts VDI files to IMG online, for free and without signing up. Upload a file of up to 500 MB and download the IMG result; uploaded and converted files are deleted automatically within about an hour.

Input:: VDI
Output:: IMG
Price:: Free, no sign-up
File size:: Up to 500 MB
Your files:: Deleted automatically within about an hour

Convert your VirtualBox disk image (VDI) to a raw disk image (IMG) instantly using ConvertX. This tool is designed for system administrators and developers who need to transition virtual machine storage to physical media or alternative hypervisors.

The VirtualBox Disk Image (VDI) format is natively optimized for Oracle VM VirtualBox snapshots and dynamic allocation. In contrast, the IMG format represents a raw, sector-by-sector binary copy of a storage device without built-in container metadata or proprietary headers. When you convert VDI to IMG, the underlying file system structure, partition tables, and master boot records are translated into a flat byte stream that low-level disk utilities can easily interpret and write.

Because both formats store raw sector data, the conversion from VDI to IMG is entirely lossless. The file quality and data integrity are preserved 100%, and the resulting file size changes only negligibly due to the removal of VirtualBox container headers.

Tips

Ensure you have sufficient free disk space on your host machine, as the output IMG file may expand if the VDI used dynamic allocation.
Verify your partition table using disk management tools after conversion to ensure the raw layout is correctly recognized.
Unmount or detach the virtual drive in VirtualBox before uploading or processing the VDI file to prevent file lock errors.

Common use cases

Flashing a VirtualBox virtual machine OS directly onto a physical USB drive or solid-state drive.
Preparing custom OS builds created in VirtualBox for deployment on alternative hypervisors that require raw disk formats.
Performing low-level forensic analysis or data recovery on a virtual machine disk using specialized sector-based tools.

Why ConvertX stays free — forever

We built this project so anyone can convert files without paywalls, accounts, or hidden limits. Here is what that promise means in practice.

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Free tools today — and always

Every converter on ConvertX is free to use: no trials, no premium tiers, and no credit packs. We will never put core conversion features behind a subscription. Whether you convert one photo or a hundred files a week, the price stays zero.

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Privacy-first processing

Many image, audio, and video conversions run entirely in your browser. Your files never leave your device for those jobs. When server processing is required for documents or specialized formats, uploads are handled securely and removed automatically — typically within one hour.

File formats: what to choose

A quick guide to strengths and trade-offs of popular formats — so you pick the right one before converting.

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Disk images

Virtual disks and raw drive images.

Common extensions: ISO, IMG, VHD, VMDK, QCOW2

Advantages

+ ISO is standard for installers and OS images
+ VM formats bundle entire systems
+ Preserves exact byte-level copies

Disadvantages

− Images are often several gigabytes
− Conversion between VM formats can be slow
− Boot sectors may break if format changes

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Images

Raster and vector graphics for web, print, and photography.

Common extensions: PNG, JPG, WebP, AVIF, GIF, SVG, HEIC, TIFF

Advantages

+ WebP and AVIF offer excellent compression for the web
+ PNG keeps transparency and sharp edges
+ SVG scales without quality loss

Disadvantages

− RAW and TIFF files are large and slow to share
− JPEG loses quality on every re-save
− Some formats are not supported in older browsers

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Documents

Office files, PDFs, ebooks, and plain text.

Common extensions: PDF, DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, ODT, EPUB, TXT

Advantages

+ PDF locks layout for printing and sharing
+ DOCX and ODT are easy to edit collaboratively
+ Plain text works on any device

Disadvantages

− PDF is hard to edit without special tools
− Complex layouts may shift after conversion
− Scanned PDFs need OCR for editable text

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Video

Clips, streams, screen recordings, and movies.

Common extensions: MP4, WebM, MOV, MKV, AVI, MPEG

Advantages

+ MP4 (H.264/H.265) plays almost everywhere
+ WebM is efficient for web embedding
+ MKV can hold multiple audio and subtitle tracks

Disadvantages

− High-resolution video needs lots of storage and bandwidth
− Re-encoding always takes time and may reduce quality
− Some codecs require licensing for commercial use

Frequently asked questions

No, the core data remains uncompressed. The output file size changes only negligibly based on the metadata container differences between the two formats.

Yes, an IMG file contains a raw sector-by-sector copy, making it bootable if the original VDI contained a valid operating system and bootloader.

No, the conversion is completely lossless and preserves all sectors, partitions, and files exactly as they were in the original virtual disk.

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