Windows 10 File Explorer says all IMG files are corrupt, but they are not

Question

I have a large library of different IMG files (mostly from archived floppy disks). Whenever I open one with Windows Explorer, I get an error message that reads Could not mount file. The image file is corrupt.

I can confirm that the IMG files are not corrupted. They open just fine in a Windows XP virtual machine (which also means I can extract them to my host via a shared folder).

The virtual floppy disks I was trying to open were MS-DOS 6.22 Supplementary Disk and the Windows 95 (and ME) Boot Disks.

Why don't the files work in Windows 10?

Solution

If you are not using a 3rd party software to open those IMG files then it is very likely the particular file system used in that IMG file is not longer supported by windows 10 but is supported by windows XP. Try utilizing a 3rd party tool like 7zip (if you want to just export the contents) or daemon tools lite if you need to mount it.

Comments

[Lucas BS]

Seriously... no answers to this yet !? The ISOs work well on every third party emulator you tell me to test. And it's not a "different ISO format" issue, since the Windows explorer could easily open the ISO the last time I remember. SFC and DISM don't find errors on the OS files, so it's clearly a configuration...

[Zackary]

I tried 7-zip and it opened the IMG files. Perhaps Windows Explorer doesn't support FAT12 or FAT16 anymore.

[Cory M]

You are correct. Windows stopped supporting those after XP

[Zackary]

That explains it. Mostly why XP could read it.