Have you ever come across an NRG file and wondered what it is? NRG files are a type of disc image file that contains all data on an optical disc (like a CD or DVD). In other words, NRG files are exact copies of the disks from which they were created, but how do you open an NRG file and why might you use one anyway?.
What is an NRG file?
NRG files are disc images created using Nero Burning ROM, a popular optical disc authoring software. The NRG file format is Nero’s proprietary format and as such can only be opened using Nero Burning ROM or another NRG file opener.
Although Nero Burning ROM is not required to read an NRG file, it is the only software capable of opening and modifying them. Nero Burning ROM is paid software, so if you’re looking for a free NRG file opener, your best bet is to use one of the many NRG file converters available online. However, there is a quick guide to converting NRG files below.
NRG files are typically used for backing up optical discs because they provide an exact copy of the original disc. This is especially useful for discs that are difficult or impossible to replace, such as video game discs or music CDs. Additionally, NRG files take up less space than the original disc, so they are perfect for storing on a hard drive or other storage device.
How to open an NRG file
As mentioned above, the only way to open an NRG file is with Nero Burning ROM or similar software. If Nero Burning ROM is not already installed on your computer, you can download a free trial version from the Nero website.
To download: Nero Burning ROM for the Windows ($59.95 license fee, limited free trial available)
Once Nero Burning ROM is installed, the steps below should guide you.
- Open the program and click the Open button in the main window.
- Select the NRG file you want to open and click Open.
Nero Burning ROM will now load the NRG file and display its contents. You can then burn the NRG file to an optical disc, extract it to a folder, or view it as an image.
If you don’t want to install Nero Burning ROM, your only other option is to convert the NRG file to a more common format, such as ISOusing a free file converter.
How to Convert NRG to ISO with AnyBurn
AnyBurn is a lightweight program that can create, burn and convert NRG files to ISO format. AnyBurn is free and available for Windows 10, 8 and 7.
To download: AnyBurn for the Windows (Free)
Once AnyBurn is installed, you can convert NRG files to ISO format by following the steps below.
- Start AnyBurn and click on the Convert image file format from the main window.
- Click the browse button and select the NRG file you want to convert.
- Click the drop-down menu next to Output format and select ISO.
- Click the Convert button to start converting NRG file to ISO.
After the conversion is completed, you will find the ISO file in the specified output folder. You can now use a free iso file opener to open and view the contents of the file.
Why use an NRG file?
NRG files are useful for backing up optical discs and storing them on a hard drive or other storage device. NRG files are also useful for creating disc images that can be used to burn copies of the original disc.
Other than that, there is no reason to use NRG files on other disk image formats, such as ISO or BIN. In fact, NRG files are less common than other disc image formats, so you may encounter more compatibility issues if you use NRG files.
NRG files are disk copies
NRG files are Nero’s proprietary disk image format. NRG files are simply exact copies of the discs they were created from and can be used to back up optical discs or store them on a hard drive. NRG files can only be opened using Nero Burning ROM or a specialized NRG file converter.
You can convert an NRG file to a more common disc image format, such as ISO, using one of the many free NRG file converters. Once the NRG file is converted to ISO, you can open it using any ISO file opener.