How to Use .Bin & .Cue Files

.Bin and .cue files work together to "image" a CD. They are quite common on the internet and can be used with CD-burning software such as Nero, MagicISO, Blindwrite, Fireburner, CloneCD and more. The process for using .bin and .cue files might seem mysterious, but it is simple once you have the tools and understanding. The .bin file contains all the CD "image" or ISO data, and the .cue file shows the program how to organize the files when writing, so you end up with an exact copy of the original disk.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Verify that the .cue file is correct. You can open .cue with notepad. It should read something like this: FILE "image-name.BIN" BINARY TRACK 01 MODE1/2352 INDEX 01 00:00:00If the .bin name is incorrect, replace if with the corrected name.

2. Open up your CD-burning software that supports CD images, also referred to as .iso files.

3. Select "write CD" from your software menu and choose browse to select the .cue file. If you use Nero, a popular image-burning software suite, choose File, Burn Image and then Browse to the .cue file.

4. Select the writing speed and click on start writing or "burn" to begin the disk creation. The resulting disk should work like a copy of the original "ripped" CD.

5. Load the file on a daemon or virtual-CD drive. Using a Daemon is another option if you don't want to create a CD. Virtual drives are programs that emulate CD-ROMs on your computer, and CD images in the form of bin/cue files can be loaded on them. See the additional resources for a free daemon tool.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not try to burn the .cue and .bin files on a CD as a data CD and expect it to work. These files will only work in the method described above to create a usable CD-ROM.

Resources

• Nero File Burning Suite
• Daemon Tools - For virtual drives
• Magic Iso - CD Image burning