Files with qcow2 extension can be found as one of the default disk image file types from QEMU.

Detailed description

Software that open qcow2 file

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QCOW2 file extension - QEMU Copy-On-Write data

What is qcow2 file? How to open qcow2 files?

File type specification:

Virtual machine, virtualization software related file type icon Virtual machine, virtualization software related file type

The qcow2 file extension was used from version 0.9 of QEMU for one of its disk image format.

QCOW image format is one of the disk image formats supported by the QEMU processor emulator. It is a representation of a fixed size block device in a file. Benefits it offers over using raw dump representation include:

  • Smaller file size, even on filesystems which don't support holes (i.e. sparse files)
  • Copy-on-write support, where the image only represents changes made to an underlying disk image
  • Snapshot support, where the image can contain multiple snapshots of the images history
  • Optional zlib based compression
  • Optional AES encryption

The default software associated to open qcow2 file:

Qemu Manager picture or screenshot

Qemu Manager  Microsoft Windows software

Company or developer:
David T Reynolds

Qemu Manager, is an easy to use management tool for the QEMU emulator.  It has a wealth of features for creating, managing and running multiple virtual machines.

QEMU icon

QEMU  Linux/Unix software

Company or developer:
Fabrice Bellard

QEMU is a generic and open source machine emulator and virtualizer. When used as a machine emulator, QEMU can run OSes and programs made for one machine (e.g. an ARM board) on a different machine (e.g. your own PC). By using dynamic translation, it achieves very good performances.

Help how to open:

You can work with these files in QEMU.

How to convert:

As far as we know, this .qcow2 file type can't be converted to any other file format. This is usually the case of system, configuration, temporary, or data files containing data exclusive to only one software and used for its own purposes. Also some proprietary or closed file formats cannot be converted to more common file types in order to protect the intellectual property of the developer, which is for example the case of some DRM-protected multimedia files.

List of software applications associated to the .qcow2 file extension

Recommended software programs are sorted by OS platform (Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android etc.)
and possible program actions that can be done with the file: like open qcow2 file, edit qcow2 file, convert qcow2 file, view qcow2 file, play qcow2 file etc. (if exist software for corresponding action in File-Extensions.org's database).

Hint:
Click on the tab below to simply browse between the application actions, to quickly get a list of recommended software, which is able to perform the specified software action, such as opening, editing or converting qcow2 files.

Software that open qcow2 file - QEMU Copy-On-Write data

Programs supporting the exension qcow2 on the main platforms Windows, Mac, Linux or mobile. Click on the link to get more information about listed programs for open qcow2 file action.

Microsoft Windows:

Linux/Unix:

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