Various file formats are used to save and use information later. If you need to reproduce a document with the mdx extension on your personal device, you need to understand how you can open the lock in Windows 10. To work, you need additional programs - the instructions are simple, just familiarize yourself with the possible options and select the appropriate one.
What is the mdx extension?
Files with the specified designation are required in the following situations:
- When working with some databases, certain sections are saved and recognized as index elements with mdx encoding (this option is rare);
- It is preferable to save some data as a generalized image (for example, music, game sections, etc.).
In most cases, mdx elements are objects formed into one package with .mds, .mdf formatting. The first is the encoding of documents with low weight, containing information about the disk from which the data was read. The second is an index type block for a specific database. Consolidation allows you to transfer the necessary documents via removable media to the following personal devices.
Attention! Using such encodings requires certain skills and abilities. Before starting work, you must study the instructions and explanations thereto and choose the appropriate processing method.
General description of the MDX format
This is the Deamon Tools emulator disk. Before MDX, it created a disk image as two files:
- MDF containing data from disk;
- MDS, which contained information about sessions and other media parameters.
MDX concentrates information on one medium. In addition, it compresses it like an archiver, saving space on the device.
A virtual disk comes in MDX, ISO, NRG and other formats, depending on the program that created it. A disk image is a virtual copy of physical media. The peculiarity of these is that they contain both information and a file system.
This is important, because if you copy the dock into a folder from the disk containing the OS, and then transfer it to another medium, it will not become installation media. The disk image also copies the file system, so if it is transferred to media, the new one will act as an installer.
Any physical media can be copied. Disk images serve not only for reproducing sources, but also for backing up information.
The computer treats the copied files as a physically inserted CD. Therefore, the use of images allows you to work with programs or play in the absence of physical media.
How to open files with this extension?
To decrypt and run documents, third-party services are used - Deamon Tools, Astroburn, Alcohol 120%, UltraISO. In addition, you can convert the mdx extension to ISO (if further actions with the document in the new format are possible in a particular case).
Daemon Tools
The application is often used to decode hard drive images or create new similar blocks. User action steps:
- download the program installation file, unpack and run the utility on a personal device (stationary, personal);
- open the software window;
- click on the plus icon at the top of the panel (right);
- Select the required image of a virtual or copied drive through Explorer, click on the “Open” button (or confirm with the “Enter” key).
In the bottom panel of the open window of the installed application, you need to left-click on the newly installed media image. The process will launch Explorer, where the contents of the file to be converted will be indicated.
Astroburn
The following program allows you to combine several images of external and internal drives generated in different formats into one system. Instructions for the user:
- download the installation package, activate and launch the software for further actions. Attention! You can download utilities and add-ons for your personal computer only from the official websites of manufacturers of third-party services. Using unknown pages, stock resources or file hosting services can lead to your PC becoming infected with viruses;
- Right-click on the empty space of the window and click on the line “Import from image”;
- select the desired element of the specified format;
- click the “Open” button.
After this, the contents of the block saved as mdx will be displayed on the monitor. Working with data is no different from standard interaction with documents through Explorer.
Alcohol 120%
The application is used frequently and has advanced functionality. An important point is that some functions are paid (you can try a two-week trial version). Principle of operation:
- launch the downloaded package of documents, install and open the program for further interaction;
- click on the item “Search for images”;
- call the context menu of the found objects, go to the line “Add selected files...”;
- then the item – “Mount to device”.
The software will open the contents of the saved element, and the autorun mode will be displayed for further use.
Ultra ISO
The utility is partially paid, there is an option with a trial period. User action steps:
- in the running application window, go to “File”, then “Open”;
- find the folder or section where the necessary information is stored;
- double-click on the selected elements, select “Mount to virtual drive”;
- Select the required documents and start the processing process with the “Mount” button.
The procedure takes a little time; upon completion, a list of available objects will be displayed on the computer monitor.
Options for opening an MDX file
MDX is an extension that is found when working with disk images. Usually in such cases we are used to seeing ISO files, but sometimes MDF and MDS are found. It was these 2 extensions that became the progenitors of the MDX format.
There are several most popular programs with which you can open disk images. But even if you have one of them installed, opening an MDX file is not always so easy.
Convert mdx to ISO
Changing the file format will allow you to work with documents using programs available for use. For example, standard archivers. The utilities described above are suitable for conversion. The scheme of work is common for everyone - launch, select elements and convert.
To transfer and activate an image of a hard drive on a new PC, elements with various extensions are used. Blocks labeled mdx are launched using additional services or through the ISO conversion process.
Why do you need an mdx file?
The user may encounter two cases when files have the .mdx extension:
- recognized and used as a database index file (but this option is extremely rare);
- This is an image that contains certain information (games, music, movies, etc.).
We will analyze the second case.
MDX images are files with the .mdf and .mds extensions combined into one package, which were used previously. The first one was used to store disk images, so it was large in size. The second, which contained several kilobytes, contained data about the disk itself. The combined tandem is used to distribute disk images over the Internet or using removable drives.
Such files are used for various purposes, but mainly to save information contained on optical drives, which can become damaged after repeated writing/reading.
Download UltraISO for free
Each of the proposed programs copes perfectly with the task – opening a file with the .mdx extension. These programs are known to many users, and also have a trial period, which is enough to mount the existing image.
It's rare that a computer user has not encountered archives and virtual disks. The formats “zip”, “rar”, “iso” are familiar archive extensions. However, there is an archive format called “mdx”, which can cause some difficulties when opening.
Download DAEMON Tools for free
2.
Another equally well-known program that allows you to run MDX is
Alcohol 120%
. This is a paid, but at the same time very powerful program that allows you not only to mount images, but also to create MDX files and burn bootable flash drives.
In addition, the program has a lightweight version - Alcohol 52%
, which, although it did not receive the lion’s share of the functionality of the full version, will cope with such a task as mounting an image.
Astroburn
This application has a sufficient number of functions to monitor virtual disks with different formats. Of course, the MDX format too.
How to open:
- You need to right-click on the empty space on the left side of the program. After this, we need to find the “Import from image” command;
- Then, you need to find this image on your computer and click on the “Open” button;
- In the right window of the application you will see elements of our archive.
Download Astroburn
Open MDX on your computer
Standard OS tools do not work with MDX; it is opened by emulators. If it is installed on your computer, double-click on the MDX file, or inside the program, click on the “+”, or the “Create image” button - there you indicate the location of the file on the computer.
How to open MDX format:
• Alcohol 120% – a common disk image emulator;
• Alcohol 52% – free version of the program;
• UltraISO is a free emulator that can open images and convert them to ISO format.
On windows 10
Before opening an MDX file in Windows 10, make sure that the necessary software is installed on your computer. Many people mistakenly think that you can open it without installing additional programs, but this is not true. The tenth version of Windows can indeed open virtual images, but only in ISO format. For the rest, you will have to use the set of utilities listed above.
On windows 7
Opening MDX on this OS is impossible using standard means. These softwares will help:
Opening methods
Since the main purpose of the format is to use it for images, it is logical that programs designed to work with images will open it.
The example “Windows Disk Imaging Tool” will be omitted because two factors speak against this program:
- The optimal configuration and performance for recording images was made only in Windows. Previous versions of the OS are often unable to read a disk that was written with their help a few minutes ago.
- The virtual drive creation factor appeared only in Windows1 and required improvement.
In general, missing the built-in Windows tool, I had to focus on requirements such as: creating new and editing existing virtual copies of disks. On the other hand, if the creation tool is characteristic of all the applications described below, then full editing is available only in one of them.
