Image Files

Open MDF File

The .mdf extension format files are included as the CD Image files. They are generally related to the &qout;Alcohol 120%&qout; software:&qout; which is created by the Alcohol Software. The full form of an .mdf file is media Descriptor File. As the name of the format very clearly says, the contents of these files include a disc image, in addition to the contents which are put into an optical disc. Technically, there is always a pair of extension formats which works in such a file.

What’s the use of this file format?

In the case of the MDF, the second extension which forms a pair with the mdf extension is the .MDS format. Both these file formats, together form the proprietary file which is made for the Alcohol Software. Out of the two file extensions, the MDF files may contain the disc image of the data, including the core and original contents of the optical discs such as the CDs or the DVDs. On the other hand, the files with the MDS extension format are optional and are actually the descriptor files which carry the metadata information about the original media. Another difference of data handling between the two is that while the actual data in the disc is saved in the .mdf files, the MDS files may only contain the header an d track information of the file.

When implemented in practice, the format of the MDF is very similar to that of the .bin files in the CUE/BIN format and also to the IMG format in the CCD/IMG format. Technically speaking, all these files are actually the raw disc images of the basic binary contents of a particular optical disc. The files saved as the disc images on Alcohol 120% are just like the .ISO files. The only difference is that the .iso files are saved in a different format.

So, how to open this type of file format safely?

The best softwares or programs to create, modify and access the files with the MDF are Alcohol 120% and the Daemon Tools. The other application which are also related to the .mdf files are the SQL Server (the Master Database File) by Microsoft, Capture Classic by Accelio, Fldigi by Dave Freese, Insight II by Accelrys Software Inc. and ProWORX Nxt by Schneider Electric.

Open MDF File on Windows OS

  • Look for an MDF file you need to open in Windows Explorer and double-click on it
  • If the file doesn’t open automatically and you see a “Windows can’t open a file” message then you should search for a program which can open MDF file
  • If you have a program which can open MDF file installed on your computer then launch that program and select “File” and then “Open” or similar options from its menu to open the MDF file
  • If you don’t have the program installed then you need to try searching for “MDF wiki”, “how to open MDF file” in the search engine.
  • Once you find the application, install it on your computer
  • After the program is installed double-click on the MDF file to open it

File extensions are used by Windows operating system to specify what kind of information is stored in the file. Every file in Windows OS needs to have file extension and file extensions are used by Windows to determine which application it should use to open the file. Every application installed on Windows OS places information about which extensions it could open into the Windows registry and Windows uses this information to determine which application it should launch when user double-clicks on the file. If application which can open MDF file is not installed, then Windows will show ‘Windows can’t open MDF file’ message and buttons to either select an application on the computer which can open the file or to search the web for the application which can open MDF file.

Open ISO File

ISO files are disk image files that are supported across all major operating systems including Mac OS, Windows and Linux. It is compliant with ISO-9660 standard and is supposed to contain an exact duplicate of the original data on the disk along with file system information.

Open ISO File on Windows OS

  • Look for an ISO file you need to open in Windows Explorer and double-click on it
  • If the file doesn’t open automatically and you see a “Windows can’t open a file” message then you should search for a program which can open ISO file
  • If you have a program which can open ISO file installed on your computer then launch that program and select “File” and then “Open” or similar options from its menu to open the ISO file
  • If you don’t have the program installed then you need to try searching for “ISO wiki”, “how to open ISO file” in the search engine.
  • Once you find the application, install it on your computer
  • After the program is installed double-click on the ISO file to open it

File extensions are used by Windows operating system to specify what kind of information is stored in the file. Every file in Windows OS needs to have file extension and file extensions are used by Windows to determine which application it should use to open the file. Every application installed on Windows OS places information about which extensions it could open into the Windows registry and Windows uses this information to determine which application it should launch when user double-clicks on the file. If application which can open ISO file is not installed, then Windows will show ‘Windows can’t open ISO file’ message and buttons to either select an application on the computer which can open the file or to search the web for the application which can open ISO file.

Open IMG File

IMG files are disk image files used in Macintosh computers (Mac OS). These images are treated like discs and external drives and are mounted similarly on the system even though they are stored on the hard disk or even other removable media like a thumb drive. IMG files were replaced by DMG files OS X (10) onwards.

Open IMG File on Windows OS

  • Look for an IMG file you need to open in Windows Explorer and double-click on it
  • If the file doesn’t open automatically and you see a “Windows can’t open a file” message then you should search for a program which can open IMG file
  • If you have a program which can open IMG file installed on your computer then launch that program and select “File” and then “Open” or similar options from its menu to open the IMG file
  • If you don’t have the program installed then you need to try searching for “IMG wiki”, “how to open IMG file” in the search engine.
  • Once you find the application, install it on your computer
  • After the program is installed double-click on the IMG file to open it

File extensions are used by Windows operating system to specify what kind of information is stored in the file. Every file in Windows OS needs to have file extension and file extensions are used by Windows to determine which application it should use to open the file. Every application installed on Windows OS places information about which extensions it could open into the Windows registry and Windows uses this information to determine which application it should launch when user double-clicks on the file. If application which can open IMG file is not installed, then Windows will show ‘Windows can’t open IMG file’ message and buttons to either select an application on the computer which can open the file or to search the web for the application which can open IMG file.

Open IFO File

IFO files are used on DVD standard discs to store the information about the contents of the DVD. It contains headers that is read by the DVD player in order to know information like which file to play at start up and where chapters start and the audio is located.

Open IFO File on Windows OS

  • Look for an IFO file you need to open in Windows Explorer and double-click on it
  • If the file doesn’t open automatically and you see a “Windows can’t open a file” message then you should search for a program which can open IFO file
  • If you have a program which can open IFO file installed on your computer then launch that program and select “File” and then “Open” or similar options from its menu to open the IFO file
  • If you don’t have the program installed then you need to try searching for “IFO wiki”, “how to open IFO file” in the search engine.
  • Once you find the application, install it on your computer
  • After the program is installed double-click on the IFO file to open it

File extensions are used by Windows operating system to specify what kind of information is stored in the file. Every file in Windows OS needs to have file extension and file extensions are used by Windows to determine which application it should use to open the file. Every application installed on Windows OS places information about which extensions it could open into the Windows registry and Windows uses this information to determine which application it should launch when user double-clicks on the file. If application which can open IFO file is not installed, then Windows will show ‘Windows can’t open IFO file’ message and buttons to either select an application on the computer which can open the file or to search the web for the application which can open IFO file.

Open ID File

ID most probably refers to file extension ID.

There are several uses of file extension ID. These include:

  • Domino Server
  • Lotus Notes ID file
  • DVD or CD Disk Identification Files
  • AOL Instant Messenger Buddy identification file.

In case of DVD or CD Disk Identification File the information contained in a file with ID extension is just a textual information which could be used to identify specific disk in a library of disks. For example, if one application is distributed on multiple disks then each of the disks in the distribution package will have an ID file with information about disk number or another useful information identifying the disk.

If you think ID file was created by Domino Server or Lotus Notes make sure that you have one of these applications installed before opening the file. If you don’t have them then you probably won’t be able to open ID file since information contained there could be only interpreted by corresponding applications.

If ID file was created by AOL Instant Messenger and you think it is used as Buddy identification file then the easiest way to open it is to try renaming it by changing its extension to JPG or PNG. This could enable you to open it in image viewer application. Alternatively you can try open such ID file using any graphics editing application. Many such applications automatically determine what type of image you’re opening.

If you think that your file with ID is not created by any of the applications above then you can try opening it using applications typically used to view textual or binary files and see if you can infer some useful information from there.

For more information on how to open files which were created by unknown application please refer to our Knowledge Base.

Open ID File on Windows OS

  • Look for an ID file you need to open in Windows Explorer and double-click on it
  • If the file doesn’t open automatically and you see a “Windows can’t open a file” message then you should search for a program which can open ID file
  • If you have a program which can open ID file installed on your computer then launch that program and select “File” and then “Open” or similar options from its menu to open the ID file
  • If you don’t have the program installed then you need to try searching for “ID wiki”, “how to open ID file” in the search engine.
  • Once you find the application, install it on your computer
  • After the program is installed double-click on the ID file to open it

File extensions are used by Windows operating system to specify what kind of information is stored in the file. Every file in Windows OS needs to have file extension and file extensions are used by Windows to determine which application it should use to open the file. Every application installed on Windows OS places information about which extensions it could open into the Windows registry and Windows uses this information to determine which application it should launch when user double-clicks on the file. If application which can open ID file is not installed, then Windows will show ‘Windows can’t open ID file’ message and buttons to either select an application on the computer which can open the file or to search the web for the application which can open ID file.

Open GBC File

GBC files are color supporting ROM images for the Game Boy Gaming consoler and may contain up to 32,768 colors. However, only 56 colors are displayable at any given time. These game ROM images can be played on both Macs and PCs using a Game Boy Emulation app.

Open GBC File on Windows OS

  • Look for an GBC file you need to open in Windows Explorer and double-click on it
  • If the file doesn’t open automatically and you see a “Windows can’t open a file” message then you should search for a program which can open GBC file
  • If you have a program which can open GBC file installed on your computer then launch that program and select “File” and then “Open” or similar options from its menu to open the GBC file
  • If you don’t have the program installed then you need to try searching for “GBC wiki”, “how to open GBC file” in the search engine.
  • Once you find the application, install it on your computer
  • After the program is installed double-click on the GBC file to open it

File extensions are used by Windows operating system to specify what kind of information is stored in the file. Every file in Windows OS needs to have file extension and file extensions are used by Windows to determine which application it should use to open the file. Every application installed on Windows OS places information about which extensions it could open into the Windows registry and Windows uses this information to determine which application it should launch when user double-clicks on the file. If application which can open GBC file is not installed, then Windows will show ‘Windows can’t open GBC file’ message and buttons to either select an application on the computer which can open the file or to search the web for the application which can open GBC file.

Open GBA File

GBA stands for Game Boy Advanced and is a ROM image format for the handheld gaming device. This image represent a Game Boy Advanced video game and it can be played on the actual Game Boy device or on computers through emulators.

Open GBA File on Windows OS

  • Look for an GBA file you need to open in Windows Explorer and double-click on it
  • If the file doesn’t open automatically and you see a “Windows can’t open a file” message then you should search for a program which can open GBA file
  • If you have a program which can open GBA file installed on your computer then launch that program and select “File” and then “Open” or similar options from its menu to open the GBA file
  • If you don’t have the program installed then you need to try searching for “GBA wiki”, “how to open GBA file” in the search engine.
  • Once you find the application, install it on your computer
  • After the program is installed double-click on the GBA file to open it

File extensions are used by Windows operating system to specify what kind of information is stored in the file. Every file in Windows OS needs to have file extension and file extensions are used by Windows to determine which application it should use to open the file. Every application installed on Windows OS places information about which extensions it could open into the Windows registry and Windows uses this information to determine which application it should launch when user double-clicks on the file. If application which can open GBA file is not installed, then Windows will show ‘Windows can’t open GBA file’ message and buttons to either select an application on the computer which can open the file or to search the web for the application which can open GBA file.

Open DMG File

The files with the .dmg extension are actually the Disk Copy Disk Image Files used by Apple Macintosh OS X . On the Macintosh operating system, they play the same role as a real disk. These files can be burnt to CD or can be played like normal audio files. As far as the Windows users are concerned, they might not come to know the contents of a .dmg file as it only works in the Macintosh Operating System.

A bit more about DMG

There are various disk image formats from Apple which can be used to create the files of the .dmg extension. They include the Universal Disk Image Format (UDIF) and New Disk Image Format (NDIF). These files with the .dmg extension can be kept very safely as the Apple Macintosh OS X allows to secure them with password protection. The distribution of these files is also extremely easy as the option of compression is also available with these files. As far as the Apple Operating Systems are concerned, then these are the most common files to collect and transfer data from one user to the other.

So, how can you access this type of file?

For the time being, the only way of accessing the DMG disk image files in Macintosh is by using the developer version of the Disk Copy (version 6.4) or by using the beta copy of the version 6.5 which is unreleased currently. But, even with these, there is a limitation that they can only open those disk image files which are not compressed in nature. The compressed disk image files with the DMGcan still not be opened and accessed through Apple Macintosh.

There are a few licensed programs which can be used by the Non-Macintosh users to gain access to the .dmg disk image files. They are dmg2img, DMGEXtractor, Peazip and 7Zip. In the Windows operating system, most of these files can be accessed with programs like Acute Systems TransMac, HFSExplorer, 7-zip, UltraSO and IsoBuster. TransMac provides the facility to both create and open the DMG files on the system. While the programs like IsoBuster have the capability to interpret these files directly from their source. Thus, they can be very efficient and helpful, especially for the Non-Macintosh users.

Open DMG File on Windows OS

  • Look for an DMG file you need to open in Windows Explorer and double-click on it
  • If the file doesn’t open automatically and you see a “Windows can’t open a file” message then you should search for a program which can open DMG file
  • If you have a program which can open DMG file installed on your computer then launch that program and select “File” and then “Open” or similar options from its menu to open the DMG file
  • If you don’t have the program installed then you need to try searching for “DMG wiki”, “how to open DMG file” in the search engine.
  • Once you find the application, install it on your computer
  • After the program is installed double-click on the DMG file to open it

File extensions are used by Windows operating system to specify what kind of information is stored in the file. Every file in Windows OS needs to have file extension and file extensions are used by Windows to determine which application it should use to open the file. Every application installed on Windows OS places information about which extensions it could open into the Windows registry and Windows uses this information to determine which application it should launch when user double-clicks on the file. If application which can open DMG file is not installed, then Windows will show ‘Windows can’t open DMG file’ message and buttons to either select an application on the computer which can open the file or to search the web for the application which can open DMG file.

Open DAA File

DAA is a proprietary disk image format used by the disk imaging program PowerISO. It stands for \”Direct Access Archive\” and it can be encrypted with password protection and also split across multiple volumes. It is often used to store file systems, backups and to protect files.

Open DAA File on Windows OS

  • Look for an DAA file you need to open in Windows Explorer and double-click on it
  • If the file doesn’t open automatically and you see a “Windows can’t open a file” message then you should search for a program which can open DAA file
  • If you have a program which can open DAA file installed on your computer then launch that program and select “File” and then “Open” or similar options from its menu to open the DAA file
  • If you don’t have the program installed then you need to try searching for “DAA wiki”, “how to open DAA file” in the search engine.
  • Once you find the application, install it on your computer
  • After the program is installed double-click on the DAA file to open it

File extensions are used by Windows operating system to specify what kind of information is stored in the file. Every file in Windows OS needs to have file extension and file extensions are used by Windows to determine which application it should use to open the file. Every application installed on Windows OS places information about which extensions it could open into the Windows registry and Windows uses this information to determine which application it should launch when user double-clicks on the file. If application which can open DAA file is not installed, then Windows will show ‘Windows can’t open DAA file’ message and buttons to either select an application on the computer which can open the file or to search the web for the application which can open DAA file.

Open DAT File

The files with the .dat extension are normally associated with &qout;data&qout;. These files are data files with no specific format or structure. A .dat file may include anything, from text and graphics to the general binary language data. Thus, when you see a file with a .dat extension on your system, it simply means that the file contains something related to the computer data. The only problem with these files is that the data contained by them cannot be determined by any way until they are opened.

A bit more about the DAT

The files with the .dat extension are very generic in nature. This is the reason why they can be used by many different types of programs. Although, many .dat files can be opened directly, but some of them contain some amount of data which is specifically in reference to a certain program. Such files can only be accessed if that particular program is opened. Because multiple programs use the .dat extension files, it becomes difficult to determine the contents of these files. However, if a .dat file is saved in a text format, then its contents can be seen by opening the file in a text editor program like notepad or WordPad. Many of you might have seen DAT in a movie CD of yesteryear – it was quite common before.

So, how does DAT fare today?

The files with the .dat extension format are the most common ones in the directory of a computer system. They are generally used to save those attachment files which are sent from an Outlook email client. There can be many types of applications related to the .dat file extension. Some of them are Allegro (Generic Packfile Data), AVG (6 Integrity Database), Bluewave File, Chuzzle, Clarion (DOS Database), Commodore 64 (Audio program) and Daqarta (Extended Audio Data program). Moreover, other files like the VCD Video files also use the .dat file extension. As an example, the game Minecraft uses such types of files for a number of actions.

It is always recommended to open the files with DAT in text editors like WordPad. Generally, these files are text-only files containing details about the data in them. Thus, a text editor can be the most suitable to access such files as it can exactly display the file’s contents.

Open DAT File on Windows OS

  • Look for an DAT file you need to open in Windows Explorer and double-click on it
  • If the file doesn’t open automatically and you see a “Windows can’t open a file” message then you should search for a program which can open DAT file
  • If you have a program which can open DAT file installed on your computer then launch that program and select “File” and then “Open” or similar options from its menu to open the DAT file
  • If you don’t have the program installed then you need to try searching for “DAT wiki”, “how to open DAT file” in the search engine.
  • Once you find the application, install it on your computer
  • After the program is installed double-click on the DAT file to open it

File extensions are used by Windows operating system to specify what kind of information is stored in the file. Every file in Windows OS needs to have file extension and file extensions are used by Windows to determine which application it should use to open the file. Every application installed on Windows OS places information about which extensions it could open into the Windows registry and Windows uses this information to determine which application it should launch when user double-clicks on the file. If application which can open DAT file is not installed, then Windows will show ‘Windows can’t open DAT file’ message and buttons to either select an application on the computer which can open the file or to search the web for the application which can open DAT file.