What is an MDF File?

MDF file extensions can denote various types of files. MDF files can often mean a type of Microsoft Database SQL file. Its most common use is that of an image backup file. .MDF and .MDS files are very similar to each other and are both used as image copies of DVDs or CDs. An image file means that it is an archive file which is exact copy byte-to-byte like an "image". So for instance if you have a CD with lots of files on it, you can simply archive all those files into one large file with file extension MDF. You should think of MDF, ISO, BIN, and CUE files as archive files like .ZIP files without the compression. Compression means that it reduces the size of a certain file/s on disk by using mathematical algorithms to store it in compressed format, most usually .ZIP or .RAR.
How to open and extract the contents of MDF files?
MDF files generally differ from the other types of image files out there (ISOs and BINs), however you can easily convert from one to another because they are distant relatives. There are various free tools which can help you create or open MDF files including MagicISO and Alcohol 120%. Both of these tools are CD/DVD utility applications.
MagicISO Maker can directly create, edit, extract, and burn ISO/MDF files. It also can convert almost all CD/DVD image formats to one another. With MagicISO, you can handle DVD images up to 10GB, create CD image files directly from CD/DVD-ROM and also can burn ISO files and other CD/DVD image files to CD-R/RW.
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By Jon Buchanon