001,002,etc
If you come across a game in the .00X format, it is a split WinRAR archive. Open the .001 file with WinRAR and click extract. This is the most common format the uploads of this site are in.
7z.001,7z.002,etc
You will rarely see this split format, but if you come across it, use 7-zip to extract it. WinRAR will not work.
7z
This is the standard 7-zip compression format. Use 7-zip to extract.
BIN
A BIN file is a CD image file. A BIN file should always be accompanied by a CUE file. Sega Dreamcast games in this format will not be selfboot and will need the Utopia Boot Disc. You can burn these image files using almost any image burning program and you should burn the CUE file.
CDI
The standard Dreamcast image format, almost every Dreamcast image on this site will be a CDI file. The CDI format supports selfboot Dreamcast games. Burn these images using BootDreams, Alcohol 120% or Discjuggler.
CUE
See BIN.
MDS/MDF
The standard file format that is used by Alcohol 120%. You will not see many Dreamcast games in this format, but if you do come across one, burn with Alcohol 120%.
NFO
You might think these are system information files, but they are not. They tell you information about the game that it applies to. You right click on them and click "open with...", choose Wordpad and click "always open this type of file with this program".
NRG
Nero's image format. You might find a few Dreamcast games in this format, but not on this site. Burn with imgburn or Nero.
PAR,PAR2
Files designed to fix corrupt sectors in a file. There really isn't much need for these anymore, it is mostly used on Usenet.
RAR
RAR is the standard WinRAR compression format. Extract with 7-zip or WinRAR.
SFV
These files will check the integrity of a split archive. Install QuickSFV and open the SFV file. If a game will not extract, run this file (if there is one) and it will tell you the bad files!
TAR
TAR is a archive format that does not compress the files. This is useful for grouping together a bunch of files that are already compressed. Compressing compressed files in a ZIP, RAR or 7z takes a lot of time to create and a lot of time to extract, and the end result will not be any smaller than a TAR file. Extract with 7-zip or WinRAR.
ZIP
ZIP is a standard compression format. Extract with 7-zip or WinRAR.
Any important ones I missed?
Topic: [PC] File Extension Guide (Read 5652 times)