HFS files are disc images created by Macintosh computers. However, the term "HFS" can be easily confused with an early Macintosh file system, referred to as the "Hierarchical File System." HFS files, or files ending in ".hfs," are files that contain an exact replica of a CD or DVD. This allows the computer user to create a disc image using the Macintosh operating system.
HFS File System
- HFS, or "Hierarchical File System," is a file system that was used on Mac OS before OS 8.1. All hard drives formatted for the Macintosh on these operating systems were created using this file system. HFS created the standard for how Macintosh systems named, stored and organized files. HFS is a proprietary file system used only on Macintosh operating systems and isn't compatible with PC systems. In OS 8.1, HFS was replaced with a new file system, called HFS+, that allows later Macintosh operating systems to use larger file names and handle larger files.
HFS as a File Extension
- Files that end in the extension HFS are disc images of a CD-ROM created in the HFS file system. Macintosh operating systems allow the user to create such disc images directly from the computer's operating system, a function handled by third-party systems on Windows-based computers. Using the disk utility, Macintosh computer users are able to create an image of an optical disc, burn that disc directly onto a disc or "mount" the image as if it were a real optical disc.
Definition of a Disc Image
- Disc images are computer files that function as exact replicas of a media disc, such as a DVD or a CD. This preserves the file structure within the disc. In doing so, the user of a disc image can "mount" the image, meaning that it will load the image onto a virtual disc drive as if it is a physical optical disc without putting the information onto an optical disc. Furthermore, this allows the user to create an unlimited number of copies of the CD or DVD.
Opening HFS Files on a PC
- HFS files can be opened on a PC in one of two ways. Disc images function primarily to compress data in a way that can be read by an optical drive. Thus, an unpacking program, such as 7-Zip, can decompress the data on an HFS file to allow the information to be viewed on a PC. The file can also be opened with a program called "MacDisk" that allows the PC user to open the HFS file as a disc image.
