How to Mount MDF & MDS Files

Techwalla may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. Learn more about our affiliate and product review process here.

.MDS and .MDF files are created using Alcohol 120% or Alcohol 52%. They are both disc image files. The .mdf file works similarly to a .bin image and the .mds works similarly to a .cue sheet track, holding extra information about a disc's structure. Disc images recreate the files, function and structure of a CD or DVD-ROM. To mount the Alcohol-created disc images, you only need the .mdf disc image. While Alcohol Soft created the format, there are multiple programs you can use to mount a .mdf disc image.

Advertisement

Mounting the .mdf with MagicISO

Video of the Day

Step 1

Download, install and open MagicISO (see Resources).

Video of the Day

Step 2

Restart your computer.

Advertisement

Step 3

Right-click the MagicISO icon in the bottom right of the task bar (the icon of a hand holding a disc).

Step 4

Click "Virtual CD/DVD-ROM."

Step 5

Choose one of the empty virtual drives and click "Mount."

Advertisement

Step 6

Locate your .mdf file on your computer and double-click it to mount the disc. The disc will now be loaded to your virtual drive.

Mounting the .mdf with Alcohol

Step 1

Download, install and open Alcohol 52% (see Resources).

Advertisement

Step 2

Click "File" and then "Open." Locate your .mdf file on your computer and double-click it to import it to Alcohol.

Step 3

Right-click the .mdf image in the image browser in the right of Alcohol. Click "Mount Image" to mount the image to a virtual drive. You can now access the disc in your virtual drive.

Advertisement

Mounting the .mdf with WinMount

Step 1

Download, install and open WinMount (see Resources).

Step 2

Click the "Mount File" button on the WinMount toolbar.

Advertisement

Step 3

Locate your .mds and .mdf files, hold "Ctrl" and click on both to select both simultaneously. Click "OK" to mount the .mdf to a new virtual drive.

Advertisement

Advertisement

references & resources