[9] Despite the benefits of disk imaging the storage costs can be high,[3] management can be difficult[6] and they can be time consuming to create.
For example, RawWrite and WinImage create floppy disk image files for MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows.
Authoring software for CDs/DVDs such as Nero Burning ROM can generate and load disk images for optical media.
[19] Forensic imaging is the process of creating a bit-by-bit copy of the data on the drive, including files, metadata, volume information, filesystems and their structure.
The purposes of imaging the disk is to not only discover evidence preserved in digital information but also to examine the drive to gather clues of how the crime was committed.
[24] This is usually used in conjunction with a DHCP server to automate the configuration of network parameters including IP addresses.
Imaging is also easier than automated setup methods because an administrator does not need to have knowledge of the prior configuration to copy it.
[25] Libraries and museums are typically required to archive and digitally preserve information without altering it in any manner.
This is usually simpler to program than accessing a real floppy drive (particularly if the disks are in a format not supported by the host operating system), and allows a large library of software to be managed.
[27][28] When imaging multiple computers with only minor differences, much data is duplicated unnecessarily, wasting space.
In some cases, disk imaging can fail due to bad sectors or physical wear and tear on the source device.
[13] Unix utilities (such as dd) are not designed to cope with failures, causing the disk image creation process to fail.