Popular backup file formats

When backing up media of any sort, it is important to use an image format that is widely accepted to ensure the greatest chance of success when you need to restore it.

One of the most widely accepted formats is the ISO format which can be used by almost every burning software as well as many backup creation softwares. Further, not only is it a widely accepted format among software vendors, but it is also one of the most popular distribution formats for images on the internet. Since the ISO format is actually an archive, it is able to be viewed and used by more than just burning and creation softwares. Common software that uses this format may include PowerISO, MagicISO, Alcohol 120%, and Nero.

Also widely accepted is the BIN, or binary, format, which compresses the file down to a form that is mostly unusable by anything that is not a burning software. This format is mainly used for operating system CDs such as Linux distributions or the Windows CD. It is not wildly popular for file distribution. Common software that may use this format include MagicISO, PowerISO, and Nero.

The IMG file, however, while accepted by some burning softwares, is not widely used by anyone. It has roughly the same level of compression as the ISO format, but lacks support from many of the software vendors that made the ISO archive format popular. This can be used in Nero and MagicISO.

Other backup file formats that may be used are the tar.gz format, which is only widely used in Linux and Unix systems and the ZIP format which is already widely used and accepted as an archiving format, especially on the Windows system which has had it built in since Windows XP. Though both of these share some popularity, they are not often used as a backup format though they have the ability to be used if necessary. These formats cannot be used by any standard burning or creation software.

So if confusion on the formats has kept you from backing up your files, remember to stick to one of the major three: ISO, BIN, or IMG, and then rest easy knowing that your choice will likely not become outdated for some time and will remain supported for years to come.