Install a Game With Bin/cue Files Using Daemon Tools

You just came across a classic game, and you can't wait to get playing, but all you have are a pile of .bin files. Thankfully, you don't even have to burn these to disks to start playing, you just need mounting software like Daemon Tools. Follow this guide to get those .bin files loaded.

Steps

Understand .bin and .cue files

  1. Learn how a BIN file is created. A .bin file is a binary file that can contain a wide variety of data. The most common form of a .bin file is a CD or DVD image. The file is created by copying the content of a CD into a single file that can be either burned onto a disc or mounted into a virtual drive.
    • .bin and .cue files need to have the same file name, and should be located in the same folder.
  2. Verify your CUE file. In order to mount or burn a .bin image, you must have a .cue file. The .cue file tells the mounting or burning software where the .bin file is located. Luckily, you can make or adjust a .cue file very easily.
    • To create a new .cue file, right-click in the folder where the .bin file is located. Select New, then Text Document. Notepad should open. Enter the following lines into the Notepad document:

      FILE "filename.bin" BINARY
      TRACK 01 MODE1/2352
      INDEX 01 00:00:00
    • Change “filename” to the name of the .bin file you are loading.
    • Click File, then Save As… name the file the same as the .bin file, and change the extension from .txt to .cue. Click Save.
    • If you need to check to make sure a .cue file that you received is correctly formatted, simply open it with Notepad and check that the lines above are correct. To open a .cue file with Notepad, right-click on it and select Open With… Select notepad from the list of programs, or search for it if it does not appear.

Install Daemon Tools

  1. Download Daemon Tools. The Lite version is free for home users and works perfectly for mounting images. You can download it here.
  2. Install Daemon Tools. Open the downloaded file. Click Run or OK if Windows prompts you with a security warning. Select your preferred language and press Next. Read and agree to the License Agreement to continue.
    • Select Free License. Paid is for corporations; the program is free for home users.
    • Choose your components and file associations. Unless you have different programs that you use for different disc image files, you can leave the File Associations set to their default. If you would like to have Daemon Tools install a gadget so that you can access the program from the desktop, leave the Windows Gadget box checked.
    • Select Custom Installation, and uncheck the “Install SweetPacks” box. If you don’t Daemon Tools will install a new toolbar on your browser, and change your homepage. Hit Cancel in the window that pops up. Click Skip in the next window to bypass another extra program install. Finally, click “Don’t allow MountSpace to use my statistics”
  3. Choose where to install Daemon Tools. The default location is usually fine. Windows may pop up dialogues in the bottom right as the virtual drives are installed on the machine.
  4. Enable the tray agent. This will put a Daemon Tools icon next to your system clock for easy access. To turn on the tray agent, open Daemon Tools and click the Preferences icon. It looks like a gear and is located on the right side of the tool bar.
    • With Preferences open, check the “Use tray agent” box. The Daemon Tools icon will appear on the bottom right of your screen.
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Mount the Image

  1. Open the CUE file in Daemon Tools. There are a couple of different ways to do this. You can drag the .cue file onto the icon for the virtual drive in the bottom window of Daemon Tools if you have the program open. The image will mount automatically and the computer will act as if the CD was just inserted.
  2. Open the CUE file with the tray agent. Right-click on the Daemon Tools icon. Select Virtual Devices, then the drive that was created. If there is nothing currently mounted, it will say No Media. Click on Mount Image… Browse for your .cue file and open it. The image will be mounted and the computer will act as if the CD was just inserted.

Install the Game

  1. Follow installation instructions. If Autoplay is enabled, the installation program should begin automatically.
    • If Autoplay is not enabled, and nothing happens when you mount the image, open Computer or My computer. Right click on the virtual drive and select Open.
  2. Swap discs. If you need to change discs during the installation process, unmount the first image by right clicking on the virtual drive in Daemon Tools and click Unmount.
    • Mount the image of the next disc that you need using the above steps, and proceed with the installation.
  3. Keep the image mounted. Most games require that the CD or DVD be inserted to play. You will need to keep the image mounted in order to play in this case. You may need to change images to the Play disc as opposed to the Install disc(s).

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