This page will tell you about the most common forms of image file types you will encounter on UseNet, and which programs are normally used to work with them (create, burn, etc.) All disc-image file types can be "mounted" by various programs, which will enable you to treat them as though they were already burned. This is an excellent way to determine the nature of the contents, and even to install or run software, even without burning the image to disc.
File Type |
Description |
| BIN & CUE | BIN is a binary-image file type initially used by CDRWin®, now used or usable by many of the image burning programs. The "CUE" file is pure text, and tells the burning program how to deal with the contents of the BIN file- which can contain one-to-many tracks. BIN files can also contain error-correction and sub code information, making them useful for reproducing the original disk very closely . Certain forms of copy-protection, notably SafeDisk II and III and SECUROM, may not be perfectly reproducible by a BIN/CUE combination, but those are rare except in the game groups. It is an excellent all-around file-type for reproducing high-quality disk images of all formats: from normal data images to audio, photo and video disc-images. Many programs can handle burning the BIN file type. In addition to the aforementioned CDRWin, there are Fireburner®, Nero® and Alcohol 120%® If you have a BIN file with no CUE you can create a CUE for it using any plain text editor and a program which can read the structure of the BIN. Such a program is the freeware CDMage, available from the WarezFAQ on the Downloads page. Since June of 2004 the WarezFAQ has carried a tiny program by Lior Chen called CueMaker, which will read a BIN file and automagically create a CUE for it, for most file types. It too is on the downloads page. |
| BWT | BWT is a BlindWrite® image, made by BlindWrite/BlindRead software. It is a proprietary image format for that software and should not be posted to UseNet at all. In the event you download and wish to burn such an image, and neither have, nor wish to get the BlindRead/BlindWrite software, you can either burn or 'mount' the image using Alcohol_120% |
| CDI | CDI is the proprietary image file-type for DiskJuggler® from Padus. Alcohol also handles this file type. |
| CIF | CIF is the proprietary image file-format for Roxio's Easy CD Creator. Easy CD Creator is needed for this file type. |
| IMG + CUE + SUB | IMG is the CloneCD main binary data file type. It is identical to the BIN file-type shown above, and has an accompanying CUE. Where it differs is that it also includes another binary file with the "SUB" extension. This is supposed to contain "sub code data" read from the original CD. There is some question as to the validity of that claim, but it's more or less moot since Elaborate Bytes, the company that made CloneCD, no longer makes it. Alcohol also handles this file type. |
| ISO | ISO (from International Standards Organization Ref. 9660) is the standard disk-image format. It is universally accepted by all operating systems. It's really just a large container-file with a formalized directory structure-a very simple layout, and it can be "opened" with WinRAR allowing files to be extracted from it like it was a big RAR or ZIP. The main difference is that you cannot alter the contents, but you can with other programs, such as WinISO. (Q.V.) Virtually all burning programs can handle the ISO file-type. |
| MDF & MDS | These are Alcohol 120%'s equivalent to "BIN" and "CUE" files, respectively. As with the other proprietary formats, they really shouldn't be posted to UseNet. Unlike the CUE usually accompanying a BIN, the MDS file is binary and not directly editable. |
| PDI |
PDI is a Pinnacle Systems InstantCopy disc image format. It can be mounted or burned with Alcohol. More Information on this file-type can be found at Pinnacle Sytems. |