The BIN/CUE CD image storage format was created by Jeff Arnold, developer of the CDRwin CD copying software. Here, we'll teach you how to burn BIN/CUE images using the highy popular Nero Burning ROM CD/DVD writing software. While the BIN/CUE image format is old, and the recording process using Nero is actually quite simple, this is still a very frequently asked question among less experienced burners. This article will give you some idea of the BIN/CUE format, and explain the recording process in detail.

First steps

A BIN/CUE should always consists of a binary file (.bin) that is an image of the contents of a compact disc, and an index file (.cue) that references the binary file and contains instructions about how that file should be burned to CD.

This CD image format has advantages and disadvantages compared to the ubiquitous ISO format. But that discussion is beyond the scope of this document.

First, make sure you have an up-to-date version of Nero. For this guide, we used version 6.6.0.8, but it should apply with minor changes to all the 6.x series. You can find the latest version from here.

The CUE file is a standard text file. Load it on a text editor like notepad and see if it is correctly referencing the .bin file.

On most data CDs, it should look like:

FILE "IMAGE.BIN" BINARY
  TRACK 01 MODE1/2352
    INDEX 01 00:00:00

Usually, both the .cue file and the .bin file have the same filename ("IMAGE" is the default). Just make sure the .bin file really has the same name referenced in the .cue file.

Also make sure the cue file contains no path information, like:

FILE "C:\IMAGES\IMAGE.BIN" BINARY
  TRACK 01 MODE1/2352
    INDEX 01 00:00:00

If that's the case in your CUE file, just remove the path information leaving the image filename alone.

After making sure all is right in your .cue file, load Nero Burning ROM. Go to menu Recorder -> Burn Image...

In the "Open" dialog box, select your cue file.

Make sure you have a writable disc in your CD-RW drive, and hit Burn.

After some minutes, you'll have a CD with your BIN/CUE image written to it.