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Virtual machine disk image format used by QEMU and compatible hypervisors.
File type: Virtual machine, virtualization software related file
The .qcow2 file extension represents the QEMU Copy-On-Write version 2 disk image format. It is primarily used by the QEMU emulator and other virtualization platforms to store virtual machine data. These files function as virtual hard disks, allowing multiple virtual machines to run on a host system.
File type category:
Virtual machine, virtualization software related file
Date updated: July 9, 2026
The .qcow2 format is an advanced disk image format developed for QEMU, an open-source machine emulator and virtualizer. It is designed to provide features such as copy-on-write (COW), snapshots, compression, and encryption, making it a flexible choice for virtual machine storage solutions. Introduced as an enhancement over the original QCOW format, qcow2 has become the default disk image format in many virtualization environments.
Technically, .qcow2 files store the virtual disk data along with metadata and features like snapshot management, allowing for efficient storage and version control. This format supports large virtual disks, often exceeding several terabytes, and is compatible across major platforms including Linux, Windows, and macOS through various virtualization tools.
Popular virtualization platforms such as QEMU, Virt-Manager, oVirt, and others support .qcow2 images, integrating seamlessly into virtual machine management workflows. Its open-source nature allows developers to extend and optimize the format for specific use cases, making it a versatile choice for both personal and enterprise virtualization deployments.
To open and work with .qcow2 files, users can utilize virtualization software that supports this format. QEMU is the primary tool for creating, modifying, and running virtual machines with .qcow2 images. Additionally, management interfaces such as Virt-Manager provide graphical options for handling these disk images on Linux systems.
On Windows, tools like QEMU and third-party virtualization software such as Virtual Machine Manager can be used to open and operate .qcow2 files. For macOS users, QEMU or virtualization platforms like VMware Fusion (with some conversion) can handle .qcow2 images, though native support may vary.
Converting other disk image formats to .qcow2 or vice versa can be achieved using command-line utilities provided by QEMU, such as qemu-img. This tool supports a wide range of formats, including RAW, VMDK, VDI, and VHD, allowing easy conversion between different virtual disk types.
Various desktop and online tools also facilitate disk image conversion. Users can find GUI applications with built-in format support or online conversion services, though using qemu-img remains the most reliable method for precise and efficient conversions in a professional environment.
Software applications that can open qcow2 files:
Microsoft Windows
Linux/Unix
Software apps that create qcow2 files:
Microsoft Windows
Linux/Unix
Software applications that handle other tasks involving qcow2 files:
Microsoft Windows
Linux/Unix
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