are .mds files necessary with .iso that contains data?

[ajfudge]

Hi. I have read from many posts here that the .mds files are created by ImgBurn to ensure that the layer break of .iso files are properly executed once they're burned to DL discs. But mostly the users' concern deals with .iso files created directly from media discs. So pardon me if I seem stupid to be asking this.

 

I create .iso files that contain data--various files from pictures to docs to programs I extracted from damaged CD installers. I'm planning to burn my .iso files on a single-layer dvd. Other times, I copy many .iso files in a single dvd which I can simply just mount when I need them (I burn those multiple .iso files via Windows DVD burner with the option to use the disc like a USB drive [to save dvd space and to spare my laptop from indexing too many files]). So I'd like to know if it's safe to delete those .mds files.

 

Remember: I am not planning to burn them to a double-layer disc. My worry basically is once I burned those multiple iso files on a single disc, will they be read on other computers even without the .mds files.

[LIGHTNING UK!]

If you (can) have multiple ISO files on a single disc, it's unlikely they're double layer DVD images (which is where you'd perhaps want the MDS files) - unless you're burning to Blu-ray media of course.

 

As such, the MDS is probably being created so you can mount the ISO (which must have been under 1GB in size) in the likes of DAEMON Tools and have it emulate a DVD-ROM disc rather than a CD-ROM.

[ajfudge]

Lightning UK,

 

Wow, quick response. You truly are a lightning!

Anyway,let me dismantle what you said so I can absorb the information much more clearly. Also to give you more details, those multiple iso images are created from scratch, except the ones I extracted from my CD installers. I will burn them to an ordinary single-layer DVD+R and I am planning to put many iso images in a single disk as most of them are below 4gb in size. So based on what you said, I can safely delete those .mds files unless I use a Blu Ray disc?

 

I use WinCDEmu to mount my iso files. I mounted my .iso file with and without the .mds file, and it was recognized as a CD disc (eventhough the description below is 'UDF'). I assume this is only normal because the iso file is around 300MB. So I guess based on this testing, I can safely delete the .mds file?

UPDATE: I also tried mounting a 4GB iso file which I created with a diff. software, and WinCDEmu recognized it as a CD disk also. I guess it's WinCDEmu's thing to recognize everything as a CD disc.

 

(I think the obvious answers to my inquiries are both 'yes', but I don't want to assume as I am not an expert on these matters. )

Edited May 18, 2012 by ajfudge

[Chris123]

Hi,

 

I also have a question regarding the necessity of MDS files - I've created an ISO image out of an original game disc. The game comes on a single-layer pressed (I assume) DVD with around 3GB of data. It seems completely unprotected.

 

After extracting the ISO image, an MDS file appeared, which usually doesn't appear when creating ISO images of such DVDs (single-layer, no protection, data-only). The File Sys on this DVD is ISO9660, UDF (1.02).

 

 

Note: If I create an image from the mounted ISO, the MDS file is created regardless of whether I use the MDS for mounting or the ISO file directly. Also, the ISO\MDS pair in both instances is completely identical to each other and to the original pair created from the physical disc (I used MD5 for comparison).