*.bin file opening method

Edited by Maniac, Genius_knight, Sianie, Savannah and 8 others

If you’ve downloaded an old image file of some forgotten game or program, you may be wondering how to open it on your computer. The BIN format is an older file type that contains all of the information from the CD or DVD it originated from. In order to use it, you will need to either burn it to a disc or mount it to a virtual drive. Follow this guide to learn how.

Method 1 of 2: Burning the File

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   Find your files. If you are trying to burn the BIN file to a CD or DVD, you will also need the CUE file to go with it. If you have the BIN file but can’t find the CUE file, you can create one. Open Notepad and enter the following lines: FILE "filename.bin" BINARY
TRACK 01 MODE1/2352
INDEX 01 00:00:00
   • Change “filename.bin” to the filename of the BIN file you are trying to burn. Keep the quotation marks.
   • Save the file to the same folder as the BIN file. The CUE file should be named exactly the same as the BIN file, except with the CUE extension. Click File and then select Save As. Click the “Save as type” pulldown and select All Files. Give the file a .CUE extension.
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   Open your burning program. As BIN is an outdated format, only older programs fully support it, especially when it comes to multitrack BIN files.. Popular programs include CDRWIN, Alcohol 120%, and Nero.
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   Load the image file. Depending on the program, you may need to load the CUE file or it may ask for the BIN file. Once the image file is loaded, you should see a readout showing how much space the image will take on the disc.
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   Start burning. Once you’ve verified that the image has loaded correctly, insert a blank disc and start burning. The time it takes to burn will depend on the size of the image, your burner’s speed, and your computer’s performance.
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   Test the disc. Once the burn is complete, test the disc by inserting it into the device you burned it for. Ensure that everything loads correctly, and that any tracks are in the right spot.^[1]

Method 2 of 2: Mounting the Image

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   Install virtual drive software. A virtual drive will emulate a physical optical drive in your computer, and will allow you to “mount” the image file in it. This tricks your computer into thinking a disc has been inserted, and the image is loaded just as if it was running from a disc.
   • There are several virtual drive options available. DaemonTools is one of the most popular ones available for free. Be careful when installing it, as there are several times where it tries to install browser toolbars and extra software you probably don’t need.
   • Mounting the image will only work if the image is designed to run on a computer. For example, mounting an image of an old console game will not load anything, because the disc originally only works on that console.
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   Mount the image. Programs such as DaemonTools will place an icon in your System Tray. Right-click on this icon, hover over one of the fake drives, and then select Mount Image.
   • Browse for the CUE file on your hard drive. Remember that the BIN and CUE files need to be in the same folder. Once you’ve found the CUE file, load it to mount the image.
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   Open the disc. Once the image is mounted, your computer will act as if a physical disc has just been inserted. This means Autoplay might open, or you might be asked what you want to do with the disc. The messages you receive depend on the contents of the disc as well as your system settings.
   • Use the image file just as you would a CD or DVD that you inserted in your computer.^[2]