What is an .MDS file?
I get this question asked of me a lot recently via e-mail: What is an .MDS file when I download a game? How do I use it? Is it important, and so on.
This file is used by several different programs (such as DVD decrypter) . It generally is found with an .ISO CD image file and is the equivalent of what a .CUE file is to a .BIN image.
Wait, what is a .CUE file and a .BIN file? 😛 Ok, way back when when you needed to write a CD image file correctly, you would need to point your CD writing program to the .CUE file, so the program would know how to burn the .BIN file correctly. Think of it as a pointer, or table of contents that lays out how the .BIN file contents needs to be burn onto the blank media.
The .MDS file is similar to functionality to the .CUE file in that it lays out the table of contents so the .ISO or the .MDF (which is like an .ISO but different extension) can be burned correctly.
What does this all boil down to? Programs like Nero or DVD decrypter can burn the .ISO or .MDF file directly and you don’t need to worry about making a .CUE or a .MDS file. In all seriousness though, you don’t have to worry about it. By the time you tell nero to open up the .ISO file, you are almost done burning your data file. 😛
Posted on January 2, 2008, in Tech Knowledge and tagged .ISO, .MDF, .MDS file, DVD decrypter, Nero, What is .MDS file. Bookmark the permalink. 9 Comments.
Welcome to the Underground. 
Thank you for the information i got ps2 games that got iso and MDS and didnt now what to do with MDS but ur information was very helfull.
One more thing to note, if you have an MDF file and it cannot be burnt, use Alcohol 120%. This will fix the issue.
Hi, I just downloaded a game that came in a folder with both .iso and .mds files. I am totally familiar with burning .iso files onto a blank DVD but I have no clue what I should do with the .mds. Would everything be resolved by itself if I burned only the .iso onto the DVD with DVD Decrypter?
Yes, that is correct. Burn the ISO with DVD decrypter. The .mds file is a cue file of sorts for DVD decrypter.
Sorry but i also downloaded a game that came with both .mds and .iso file and i burned only the iso file and the game didn’t work on ps2, what should i do? is it possible to burn the two files in to the dvd?
What modchip or method you using? Try USB.
oh I’m sorry, it turns out that the last file i tried was corrupted, no wonder why it didn’t work.. i just burned the iso with decrypter and it works perfectly now.. Many thanks anyway! but talking about modchips.. is it possible that my modchip doesn’t save the set up I choose? it doesnt force pal or anything anymore..!
Contact the modchip manufacturer.
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