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Need Clarification on converting BIN/CUE files to ISO

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Mochatea396

Experienced Member
Joined
Feb 9, 2021
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Hudson Valley, New York, USA
Good evening fellow members,
I recently got into burning ISO files and I've been coming across a lot of BIN files in my downloads, and I need some clarification on the procedure for converting these files so I can burn them. I'm not sure if I'm doing it correctly. To start off, all the downloads have both a bin file and a small cue file. (usually 1K). I'm using ISObuster and it will only let me import either or, not both. Which makes sense. (I have only general knowledge of the function of these files) If I import the bin file, it tells me the size of the output file. If I import the cue file, the output file is smaller than the bin files output. But I see what it imported is the same. Nevertheless, my question is should I be importing the bin file or the cue file for the conversion. I've converted a few using the bin file, and provided I didn't have other compatibility issues with the OS, the disc seemed to work. Once the ISO is made, I'm using Nero to burn it.
Thanks
 
I think the CUE file will bring in the matching BIN file. Simple disk layouts would have no problem being created from just the BIN. Anything tricky needs the correct CUE to work.
 
A BIN/CUE image may have audio tracks or other stuff that an ISO won't support, so you have to be careful about what you are converting. The CUE file is usually a text file that describes the tracks, so you can view that to have some idea of what it contains.
 
Mochatea396 said:
Good evening fellow members,
I recently got into burning ISO files and I've been coming across a lot of BIN files in my downloads, and I need some clarification on the procedure for converting these files so I can burn them. I'm not sure if I'm doing it correctly. To start off, all the downloads have both a bin file and a small cue file. (usually 1K). I'm using ISObuster and it will only let me import either or, not both. Which makes sense. (I have only general knowledge of the function of these files) If I import the bin file, it tells me the size of the output file. If I import the cue file, the output file is smaller than the bin files output. But I see what it imported is the same. Nevertheless, my question is should I be importing the bin file or the cue file for the conversion. I've converted a few using the bin file, and provided I didn't have other compatibility issues with the OS, the disc seemed to work. Once the ISO is made, I'm using Nero to burn it.
Thanks
Click to expand...
I recommend using a program that can burn cue/bin directly like ImgBurn. ISO files can only contain a single data track, so you may be losing other tracks by converting.
 
I can burn any file with Nero. Just drag it in. But maybe you can walk me through IMGburn as you recommended. Here’s the opening screen. From what I understood your saying don’t make an ISO image? So I’d select write files/folders to disc? Isn’t that going to just write the bin and the cue files as they are to the disc?
 

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Select "Write image file to disc". For the source, select the cue file. For the destination select your burner. Then click the big icon at the bottom to start burning. Once it's complete, it will open and close the drive then verify the disc.
 
Ok I’ll try it tomorrow and let you know. I’m also having trouble with several discs I make from downloaded ISOs after I install the game. It keeps telling me to put the disc in and it never came out from installing the game. Could it be it is looking for an original and it knows it’s a copy? I had this happen with Max Payne and a few others. But then other ISOs like Seruous Sam I had no problem with.
 
Max Payne has copy protection ("SafeDIsc") which can't be reproduced with an ISO file (or even cue/bin). Those types of games need to burned from a format like ccd (CloneCD) or mdf (Alcohol 120%) which perserve sector errors and subchannel data.

Sometimes you will find copy protected games in ISO format with a "crack" that needs to be applied after it's installed, which will remove the copy protection check. Usually it's on the disc somewhere, other times you have to find it online. But use caution, because sometimes those cracks contain viruses.

For old common games like these, its often easier just to buy a used copy. For example, you can get Max Payne for under $10 shipped on ebay.
 
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