CDI Converter

Extract text from CDI files

Select File
Drop or upload your .CDI file

Online File Converter

✈

How to extract text from your CDI file

Click the "Select File" button above, and choose your CDI file.
You’ll see a preview, if available.
Click the "Convert file to..." button to extract text information.

Convert CDI to another file type

To convert your CDI file to another format, you need Padus DiscJuggler or other Disk Image software.

Convert a file to CDI

To convert other file formats to the "Proprietary CD Backup" file type, you need software like Padus DiscJuggler or a similar tool.

About CDI files

The .CDI file is a proprietary disk image format originally created by Padus DiscJuggler. It gained legendary status in the emulation community for its unique ability to replicate complex CD structures, specifically multi-session data and CD-DA (audio) tracks required for self-booting Sega Dreamcast backups.

However, relying on .CDI today is problematic. Padus DiscJuggler is long discontinued, making the format largely abandonware. Users typically struggle to open these files on modern operating systems like Windows 11 or macOS because they lack native mounting support. Furthermore, while CDI was great for burning physical CD-Rs, it is inefficient for digital storage compared to modern compression standards.

To ensure future accessibility and compatibility with modern emulators (like Redream or Flycast), it is highly recommended to convert these files.

For Emulation & Archiving: Convert to CHD (Compressed Hunks of Data). This lossless format drastically reduces file size while preserving the exact disc structure.
For Virtual Drives: Convert to ISO (if single track) or BIN/CUE (to preserve audio tracks). This allows easy mounting with standard tools.
For Burning: While .CDI is still useful if you physically burn discs using ImgBurn, converting to CUE sheets offers better compatibility with non-proprietary software.

Convert.Guru analyzes your CDI file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.

Users also converted GDI, ISO, RAR, CHD, 7Z, APP, CDR, ZIP, CUE, RTF, ROM, PNG and BIN files.

FAQ

If you want to convert CDI file to CHD, GDI, ISO, IMG, DMG, VHD, VMDK, VDI, HDD, QCOW, QCOW2 or RAW, you can use Padus DiscJuggler or similar software from the "Optical Disc Image" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….

To convert VFD, DMG, OVA, IMA, VBOX, ADF, PVS, VHD, OVF, ISO, DSK or IMG files to CDI, try Padus DiscJuggler or another comparable tool in the "Optical Disc Image" category.

The CDI Converter Story

The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our CDI converter.