Written by
Yvonne Feng
Summary: This post from iBoysoft tells you what UDF (Universal Disk Format) is, how to open and convert UDF files, and UDF vs. NTFS. This article gives you a comprehensive understanding of the Universal Disk Format.
Universal Disk Format (UDF) is a file system standard initially developed by OSTA in 1995, specifically designed to work with optical media such as CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs.
It provides a unified file system format for various storage devices, ensuring compatibility across different devices and operating systems. This allows data to be seamlessly transferred between Windows, macOS, Linux, and other operating systems. Keep reading to learn more about the Universal Disk Format!
What is the UDF file system used for?
The UDF (Universal Disk Format) file system is primarily used for optical discs and other removable storage media, especially digital versatile discs (DVDs), Blu-ray discs, and some rewritable storage devices like USB drives.
Compared to the traditional ISO 9660 file system, Universal Disk Format supports larger file sizes, enabling the storage of larger and more complex data, such as videos, software distribution, and audio files.
Furthermore, Universal Disk Format is the standard file system for DVD-RW and Blu-ray writable discs, allowing users to perform multiple read/write operations on discs. Overall, the UDF file system is widely used for managing optical disk storage devices, particularly in scenarios requiring large file storage, cross-platform compatibility, and writable discs.
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UDF file system vs NTFS
UDF (Universal Disk Format) and NTFS (New Technology File System) are powerful file systems and share several similarities, such as large file storage. UDF is commonly used for optical discs, which can handle files larger than 4GB, while NTFS is widely used for hard drives and solid-state drives, also supporting large file storage.
However, there are significant differences between UDF and NTFS. For example, the Universal Disk Format is designed for optical disk storage and cross-platform compatibility, particularly suited for rewritable media such as optical discs. NTFS is for the Windows operating system and is specifically designed for hard drives, solid-state drives, and other storage devices.
You can compare the differences between UDF and NTFS in the table below:
| File System | Usage | Compatibility | Performance | Data Integrity and Recovery |
| UDF | Used for optical media such as CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs. | It can be read and written by Windows, macOS, and Linux. | The read-and-write operation of the optical media is very efficient but weak in random read-and-write performance. | Lack of many of the advanced data protection features that NTFS offers. |
| NTFS | Mainly used by Windows operating systems for hard drives, SSDs, and other storage devices. | Used by Windows, macOS and Linux can only read NTFS by default. | Known for its high performance and additional features like file encryption, security permissions, etc. | Journaling helps recover data in case of power failures or other disruptions. |
How do I open a UDF (Universal Disk Format) file?
After learning about the definition of Universal Disk Format and UDF file system vs NTFS, you may be wondering how to open it, because it is not like a normal file that only needs to be double-clicked to open, follow us to see!
macOS can natively read UDF-formatted discs, so if the Universal Disk Format file is located on a disc, you simply need to insert the disc into your Mac and it should be mounted automatically. You can then access the files from Finder.
If the UDF file is on an image (such as a .iso file), you can mount it using Disk Utility.
- Open Disk Utility (Applications > Utilities).
- Select File > Open Disk Image.
- Navigate to your .iso file and open it. It should mount on your desktop, allowing you to access the files.
If you need more advanced capabilities, third-party tools like 7-Zip (for extracting content from UDF-formatted ISO files) or PowerISO can help open and extract UDF file contents.
How to convert a UDF file?
If you have a UDF-formatted ISO file (or another disc image format) and wish to convert it to another format, use the following method.
- Open Terminal.
- Use the hdiutil command to convert the UDF image file to another format. The following command converts a UDF-formatted .iso file to another .iso or .cdr image file, depending on your needs:
hdiutil convert /path/to/your/udffile.iso -format UDTO -o /path/to/output.iso
If you want to convert the UDF file system itself to another file system (e.g., from UDF to NTFS, FAT32, or exFAT), you can use Disk Utility (macOS) or Disk Management (Windows) to reformat the disk. This operation will erase all data on the disk, so back up your files first.
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