How to open MDF image file
First, let's try to understand how to manage to open the MDF image file, namely those that represent copies of CDs and DVDs. Below you will find those that, in my humble opinion, represent the most suitable programs to perform the operation in question, thanks to which you can burn to disc e mount the images in question are on Windows that of MacOS.
Daemon Tools (Windows/macOS)
The first tool that I recommend you to consider to be able to open an MDF file è daemon Tools. Using it, in fact, it is possible to mount MDF files in a virtual drive to use them as if they were diskettes inserted in the computer. The software is available for Windows and macOS. In the first case it is free but is possibly also available in the paid variants Pro (costs 8 euros / month) and Ultra (costs 5 euros / month), both including various additional features. For macOS, however, it is only available in a commercial version (the basic license costs 9 euros / month), but you can download the free trial version that works without limitations for 20 days.
To use it on Windows, visit the official website of the program and click on the button Download. Once the download is complete, open the .exe file obtained and click the button Si in the window that opens on the desktop. Then, press the button Free license and on that Install. Then select the option Free License, click here Agree & Continue, uncheck the box for installing extra programmi (Eg. Avast) and the first button Install. If during the setup you are also offered the installation of the controller Disc Soft, you agree to this by clicking on the button Install. Finally, press the button Run.
Now, click the buttons Skip Tutorial e Salta and, once the main window of the software is displayed, to mount the MDF file in such a way as to be able to explore its contents without necessarily having to burn it, click on the button Quickly mount (located at the bottom left), then select the MDF file you want to open.
Next, you will find the selected MDF file in the form of virtual CD / DVD drive in the section What PC o computer (depending on the version of Windows used) of the PC. And here it is!
If it is using instead MacOS, visit this other page of the Daemon Tools website and click on the entry Try It First. Successively, apri il package .dmg ottenuto e trascina l 'software icon in the folder Applications of macOS. Then right click on it and select apri twice in a row, so as to start the application going to circumvent the limitations imposed by Apple on applications from non-certified developers (an operation that must be carried out only at the first start).
Nella finestra che si apre, fai clic sul pulsado I agree, type the Password of your user account on macOS and presses the button Install assistant. If you are shown a warning about the system extension block, go to System Preference clicking on the relevant icon (the one with thegear) on the Dock barclick sulla voce Security and Privacy in the window that opens and then on the button Allow placed at the bottom. In the program window that will now open, click on the button Continue e poi quello Open DAEMON Tools.
Now that you see the main Daemon Tools window on your Mac, click on the buttons Race e Close, then mount your MDF file by clicking the button Quickly mount (bottom left) and selecting it through the Finder that opens.
If you want to burn the MDF file, instead, insert a blank disk into the computer's burner, define the type of operation you want to perform by clicking on the dedicated buttons placed on the toolbar (top) and use the menus and buttons available on the screen to complete the procedure.
Alcohol 120% (Windows)
If you want to burn MDF files or create new ones from CD or DVD and what you are using is a Windows PC, you can only contact Alcohol 120%, a great professional and commercial burning program (costs 39 euros), but available as a 30-day trial version, which supports a wide range of image files, including the rare MDF / MDS.
To be able to use it, connect to the program's website and press the button Download Trial. On the page that opens, click on the button Download located at the top right and then on the one in the center of the additional page that opens, in order to start the software download procedure.
A download complete, apri il .exe file obtained and, in the window that opens, click on the button first Yes and then on the buttons Next, Decline (to refuse installation of unnecessary extra software), OK, NEXT, Accept e OK, to install the drivers necessary for the correct functioning of the program and restart the PC. When the system is restarted, complete the installation by clicking on the buttons Yes, OK, NEXT (twice in a row) e end.
In the window that opens, click on the button OK, Then No and, once the main software screen is displayed, click on the item Burn Image contained in the left sidebar, select the MDS file to burn (the MDS file is the one that accompanies the MDF and contains the instructions to burn it) and click on the button Explore.
Finally, insert a blank disk into the CD / DVD drive of your PC, check that in correspondence with the section CD / DVD burner the computer burner is selected, adjust the options relating to the writing mode (if you don't know where to put your hands, leave everything as it is) and the number of copies and press the button Start to burn your CD / DVD.
If you want to create an MDF file, click on the item Create image placed in the menu on the left, insert the disk from which you want to extrapolate the image into the computer, select it from the drop-down menu CD / DVD device at the top right, and click the button Start down.
If you want, before creating the image file, select the tab Reading Options in the program window and choose the output path and the name you want to assign to the file.
ImgBurn (Windows)
If you prefer to turn to a completely free solution, you can try burning MDF files with the freeware program as well ImgBurn but, it should be borne in mind, it does not always work 100% with this type of images: it is a well-known and appreciated program for Windows “specialized” in copying and burning image files of CDs and DVDs. It is very easy to use and its interface can be fully translated into cittàn.
To download the program to your PC, visit its official website, select the item Mirror x - Provided by MajorGeeks and click the link Download @ MajorGeeks, in the new page that opens. Next, link to this other page and download the translation file in the language of the city.
At this point, open the .exe file just got it, click on the buttons Si e Next, select the voice I accept the terms of the License Agreement, click on the button again Next four times in a row and, to complete the setup, press the buttons Yes e Close.
Extract the file of the translation fromZIP archive that you have previously downloaded and copy it to the folder C: Program FilesImgBurnLanguages. If in doing this you are asked for confirmation to complete the operation, please agree to it.
At this point, insert the disk on which you want to burn into the burner of your computer, open ImgBurn through the appropriate link that has been added to the desktop and, in the software window that opens, select the option Burn an image.
Click now on gialla poster che trovi in corrispondenza della sezione Origin and select the MDS file (the one that, as seen in the step dedicated to Alcohol 120%, accompanies the MDF and contains the instructions for burning it) to burn, check that in the drop-down menu Destination the CD / DVD / Blu-Ray drive in which you inserted the disk is selected (otherwise select it yourself), then start the process of writing the disk by clicking on the large icon with the two CDs which is at the bottom left.
Utility Disk (macOS)
I use a Mac, you need to open an MDF file but the use of Daemon Tools has not convinced you? Well, then you will surely be happy to know that you can mount and burn MDF files even without installing extra resources. By practicing a little "trick" you can do everything directly with Disk Utility, the tool included in macOS for managing disks.
What you need to do to succeed is to change the file extension from .mdf a . Iso. To do this, locate the MDF file in relation to which you are interested in intervening, select it, press the button Submit on the keyboard and change the file extension as I just indicated. Then press the button again Submit and presses the button Use .iso in the window that opens.
Now, to open the image of your interest, double-click on it and, within a few moments, a window of the Finder which will show you its contents. To burn the image, instead, right click on it with the right mouse button and choose the item Burn disc image “file name.iso” to disc give the menu check if you press.
How to open MDF database
In some cases, as I told you at the beginning of the article, MDF files can also be gods database SQL to open with the programming suite Microsoft Visual Studio. The basic version of the latter is free and is available for both Windows and macOS. In this case, it is therefore necessary to download the latter on the computer and recall the opening of the file from there. Let's see immediately how to use it.
First connect to the Microsoft Visual Studio website and click on the button Download / Free download che trovi in corrispondenza della dicitura Community, in order to start the download of the no-cost version of the program.
A scaricamento ultimato, is stai using Windows, april il .exe file ottenuto and click your Si, Continue e Installat the bottom right of the newly displayed screen. Then, follow the setup wizard that is proposed to you.
If it is using instead MacOS, bees the package .dmg just got it and double-click the arrow attached to the window you see on your desk. Then follow the installation wizard. Afterwards, start the application by right clicking on its icon in the folder Applications and selecting the voice apri for from the menu that opens (an operation that must be carried out only at the first start to bypass the macOS restrictions against applications from non-certified developers).
When installation is complete, choose the item Fillet in the menu at the top left of the software window, choose the option apri, That Fillet and select the MDF file related to the SQL database you want to open. Done!
How to open MDF
