If direct conversion tools are hard to find or use, converting to an ISO file first and then to BIN/CUE is an alternative:
Never delete your original MDF/MDS files until you have verified the conversion.
Verification Checklist:
Let’s get practical. Below are three reliable methods to convert your files.
If you have old CD or DVD backups, you might have encountered MDF and MDS files. These are proprietary formats created by Alcohol 120% software. While functional, they are not as widely supported as the universal BIN/CUE format. Converting them ensures compatibility with most emulators (like ePSXe, PCSX2, or Dolphin), modern disc mounting software, and media players. convert mdf mds to bin cue
bchunk is a command-line tool that can convert various CD image formats, including MDF/MDS to BIN/CUE. You can find it on SourceForge or through your distribution’s package manager if you're on Linux.
Once you have successfully converted MDF/MDS to BIN/CUE, you might stop. But you shouldn't. BIN/CUE is better than MDS/MDF, but it is inefficient. A 700MB CD image still takes 700MB on your hard drive. If direct conversion tools are hard to find
Enter CHD (Compressed Hunks of Data). Originally created for MAME (arcade emulation), CHD is lossless compression specifically for CD images.