Convert between raw, qcow2, and other image formats.
Section: Images and Clones
Convert a virtual disk image
bash
bash
qemu-img convert -O qcow2 disk.raw disk.qcow2Explanation
Convert between raw, qcow2, and other image formats.
Learn the surrounding workflow
Compare similar commands or jump into common fixes when this command is part of a bigger troubleshooting path.
Related commands
Same sheet · prioritizing Images and Clones
Inspect a virtual disk image
Show image format, virtual size, and backing file info.
Compress a raw disk image
Compress large raw images for storage or transfer.
Compress an image with xz
Use stronger compression for cold storage backups.
Compare two images byte-for-byte
Quick equality check for cloned images of the same size.
Write a raw image back to disk
Restore a disk image onto a target device.