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Ripping ROMs from Physical Media

How to legally dump ROMs, disc images, and save data from your own physical media for use with Provenance.

This guide covers how to create digital backups of game cartridges and discs you legally own, for use in Provenance. "Ripping" or "dumping" a ROM means copying the game data from physical media onto your computer or device.

Legal Notice: In some regions, creating ROM backups of games you legally own for your own personal use may be permitted, but laws and anti-circumvention rules vary by country and may change over time. Downloading or sharing ROMs for games you do not own, or distributing copyrighted game files, may infringe copyright or other rights. Always research and follow the laws in your jurisdiction before dumping, using, or distributing game files. This guide is for informational purposes and focuses on personal backups only.

Quick Navigation

Cartridge Dumping

Cartridge-based games require dedicated hardware — a "cart dumper" — to read the ROM data. Most dumpers connect to your computer via USB and come with software to save the game file.

Hardware Overview

Hardware
Systems Supported
Approx. Price
Open Source
URL

GB Operator (Epilogue)

GB, GBC, GBA

~$50

No

epilogue.co

GBxCart RW (insideGadgets)

GB, GBC, GBA

~$35

Yes

insidegadgets.com

Joey Jr (BennVenn)

GB, GBC, GBA

~$45

No

bennvenn.myshopify.com

Retrode 2

SNES, Genesis, N64/GB/GBA (adapters)

~$80 used

Yes

retrode.org

INLretro Dumper-Programmer

NES, SNES, N64, Genesis, GB, GBA+

~$80

Yes

inlretro.com

Open Source Cart Reader (OSCR)

50+ systems (NES, SNES, N64, Genesis, GB, GBA, etc.)

~$50 DIY

Yes

github.com/sanni/cartreader

GodMode9 (3DS CFW)

DS, 3DS

Free (software)

Yes

github.com/d0k3/GodMode9

Game Boy / GBC / GBA

Three well-supported options exist for dumping Game Boy family cartridges. All produce standard .gb, .gbc, or .gba ROM files and .sav save files compatible with Provenance.

GB Operator (Epilogue) — Recommended for beginners

The GB Operator is the easiest plug-and-play solution. It connects via USB-C and uses Epilogue's desktop app (macOS/Windows/Linux).

What you need:

  • GB Operator device

  • Epilogue desktop app

  • USB-C cable

Steps:

  1. Download and install the Epilogue app.

  2. Insert your Game Boy, GBC, or GBA cartridge into the GB Operator.

  3. Connect the GB Operator to your computer via USB-C.

  4. Open the Epilogue app — your cartridge should be detected automatically.

  5. Click Backup ROM to dump the game ROM to your computer.

  6. Optionally click Backup Save to dump any existing save data.

The app saves files to a folder of your choice. ROM files use standard extensions (.gb, .gbc, .gba) and save files use .sav.

.sav files dumped from a cartridge are directly compatible with Provenance's save system. Copy them alongside your ROM file when importing.

GBxCart RW (insideGadgets) — Open source option

The GBxCart RW is an open-source, lower-cost alternative. It uses the FlashGBX software (community-developed, cross-platform).

What you need:

Steps:

  1. Download FlashGBX from the GitHub releases page.

  2. Insert your cartridge into the GBxCart RW and connect to your computer.

  3. Open FlashGBX — the device should be auto-detected.

  4. Select Backup ROM to dump the game.

  5. Select Backup Save Data if you want to preserve the cartridge save.

FlashGBX also supports writing ROMs and saves back to cartridges (useful for restoring saves).

Joey Jr (BennVenn) — Windows-focused

The Joey Jr is a compact USB dumper from BennVenn. It uses BennVenn's own companion software.

Steps:

  1. Download the BennVenn software from bennvenn.myshopify.com (check the product page for the latest version).

  2. Insert your cartridge and connect the Joey Jr via USB.

  3. Open the companion app and select Dump ROM.

  4. Save the resulting file to your computer.

The BennVenn companion software is Windows-only. macOS/Linux users should consider the GB Operator or GBxCart RW instead.

NES / SNES / N64 / Genesis / SMS / Game Gear

Several hardware options support cartridge-based home consoles. The right choice depends on which systems you need and your budget.

Retrode 2 — No software required

The Retrode 2 appears as a USB mass storage device — your computer mounts it like a flash drive and the ROM is directly readable. No driver or app installation required.

Supported natively (with included slots):

  • SNES / Super Famicom

  • Sega Genesis / Mega Drive

Supported with optional adapters:

  • N64, Game Boy (GB/GBC/GBA), Sega Master System, Game Gear, and more

Steps:

  1. Insert the cartridge into the appropriate slot on the Retrode 2.

  2. Connect the Retrode 2 to your computer via USB.

  3. Your computer mounts a virtual drive — open it in Finder (macOS) or Explorer (Windows).

  4. Copy the .sfc, .md, or other ROM file directly to your computer.

The Retrode 2 is discontinued but available used (eBay, forums). The N64 adapter has known compatibility issues with some cartridges — CIC/lockout chips may cause partial or failed dumps. Use INLretro or OSCR for more reliable N64 dumping.

INLretro Dumper-Programmer — Active development, NES native support

The INLretro is actively maintained and supports a wide range of cartridge formats including NES (with native mapper support), SNES, N64, Genesis, and many others.

Steps:

  1. Download the INLretro client software from inlretro.com.

  2. Connect the INLretro device via USB.

  3. Insert your cartridge into the appropriate adapter/slot.

  4. Open the client software and select your system.

  5. Click Dump to read the ROM to your computer.

INLretro is especially recommended for NES — it handles many mappers and PCB variants natively.

Open Source Cart Reader (OSCR) — Broadest system support

The OSCR (by sanni) is a DIY Arduino-based cart reader that supports 50+ systems. It dumps directly to an SD card — no computer software required during the dump.

What you need:

  • OSCR hardware (build from GitHub, or buy pre-assembled from community vendors)

  • SD card (FAT32 formatted)

  • Appropriate cart slot/adapter for your system

Steps:

  1. Insert a FAT32-formatted SD card into the OSCR.

  2. Insert the game cartridge into the correct slot.

  3. Power on the OSCR and navigate the menu to select your system.

  4. Select Dump ROM — the file is written directly to the SD card.

  5. Transfer the SD card to your computer and copy the ROM file.

The OSCR has the broadest system support of any cart reader. Community slot adapters are available for Neo Geo MVS/AES, WonderSwan, PC Engine HuCard, Atari 2600/5200/7800, and many more. Check the OSCR GitHub wiki for a full adapter list.

Nintendo DS & 3DS

Dumping DS and 3DS cartridges requires a hacked 3DS running GodMode9, a powerful homebrew tool.

Prerequisites: Your 3DS must have custom firmware (CFW) installed before using GodMode9. Follow the complete CFW setup guide at 3ds.hacks.guide — this installs Luma3DS and enables homebrew. This process is outside the scope of this wiki.

GodMode9 — Dumping DS & 3DS cartridges

GodMode9 is a full-access file system browser for the 3DS. It can dump game cartridges to the SD card.

What you need:

  • Nintendo 3DS with Luma3DS CFW installed

  • GodMode9 installed (typically already included with a standard CFW setup via 3ds.hacks.guide)

  • SD card with sufficient free space (3DS games can be up to 4 GB)

Steps:

  1. Power off your 3DS.

  2. Insert the game cartridge you want to dump.

  3. Hold the Start button and power on the 3DS to boot into GodMode9.

  4. Navigate to [C:] GAMECART using the D-pad.

  5. Select the .trim.3ds or .nds file shown (this is your cartridge).

  6. Press A to open the options menu, then select Copy to 0:/gm9/out (or your preferred output location on the SD card).

  7. Wait for the dump to complete, then power off the 3DS.

  8. Remove the SD card and transfer the dumped ROM file to your computer.

For DS cartridges inserted into a 3DS, the same process applies — GodMode9 will show the .nds file under [C:] GAMECART.

3DS ROM dumps (.3ds files) may need to be decrypted before Provenance can use them. See the Nintendo 3DS Guide for details on decrypted ROMs and compatible formats.

Other Systems

Other systems with OSCR adapter support

The OSCR (GitHub) supports adapters for many additional systems:

System
Method
Notes

Neo Geo MVS / AES

OSCR with Neo Geo adapter

MVS (arcade) and AES (home) cartridges

Atari 2600 / 5200 / 7800

INLretro or OSCR with Atari adapter

Check INLretro system support page

WonderSwan / WonderSwan Color

OSCR with WonderSwan adapter

Community-built adapter

PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16 HuCard

OSCR with PCE adapter

HuCard only (not CD-ROM²)

Sega Master System / Game Gear

Retrode 2 adapter or OSCR

Both use similar cartridge pinouts

For systems not listed here, search the OSCR GitHub issues and wiki — the community frequently adds new adapter designs.

Disc Ripping

Use the table below to find the right method for your system, then follow the instructions in the relevant section.

Equipment Overview

Method
Works For
What You Need

Standard CD-ROM drive

PS1, Sega CD, Saturn, 3DO, TG-CD, PC-FX, Neo Geo CD

Any modern optical drive

DVD-ROM drive

PS2

DVD-capable drive

Specialized GD-ROM drive

Dreamcast

Yamaha CRW2200 or Plextor PX-W4012 (rare)

Console-side dump (CleanRip)

GameCube, Wii

Wii with Homebrew Channel + SD card or USB drive

Network dump

PS2, Dreamcast, PSP

Softmodded console + network

Xbox not supported: Original Xbox backups are out of scope for this guide — Provenance does not support the original Xbox.

Standard CD Games (PS1, Sega CD, Saturn, 3DO, TG-CD, PC-FX, Neo Geo CD)

Most CD-based games can be ripped with any standard optical drive. The output is a .bin + .cue pair — see Formatting ROMs — Multi-file ROMs for how to package them for import.

Tool: cdrdao (free, command-line)

  1. Install Homebrew if you haven't already.

  2. Install cdrdao:

  3. Insert the disc and find the device path:

    Note the device (typically /dev/disk2).

  4. Rip the disc as a raw image:

  5. Convert the .toc file to .cue:

You now have game.bin and game.cue. Archive both in a single .zip or .7z before importing.

Tool: ImgBurn (free GUI)

  1. Download and install ImgBurn.

  2. Insert the disc.

  3. Select Mode → Read Disc.

  4. Set the Destination to a folder on your PC.

  5. For PlayStation 1 discs, click the Options tab and set:

    • Read Sub Channel Data from Disc: Yes

    • Type: User Data + Sub-Channel Q

  6. Click the Read button (disc-to-folder icon).

ImgBurn outputs a .bin and .cue file. Archive both before importing into Provenance.

Tool: cdrdao (same commands as macOS)

  1. Install cdrdao via your package manager:

  2. Find your disc device:

    It's usually /dev/sr0.

  3. Rip the disc:

For scratched or damaged data-only discs, ddrescue can attempt a more robust read. This produces a single-track .bin; for mixed-mode or audio CDs (PS1, Sega CD, Saturn), use cdrdao above instead:

Verify your rip with Redump: Calculate the MD5 hash of your .bin file (md5 game.bin on macOS, md5sum game.bin on Linux, certutil -hashfile game.bin MD5 on Windows) and search redump.org to confirm it matches the known-good dump. A matching hash means your rip is accurate.

TurboGrafx-CD / PC Engine CD: These systems require a System Card BIOS file to run. See BIOS Requirements for the correct files.

Saturn multi-disc games: Saturn titles that span multiple discs need an .m3u playlist file. See Formatting ROMs — Multi-disc Games for instructions.

Sega CD: All three regional BIOS files are required (USA, Europe, Japan) depending on the game's region. See BIOS Requirements.

PlayStation 2

PS2 discs are standard DVDs and can be ripped with a DVD-ROM drive. Dual-layer discs (larger games) may fail on macOS optical drives — a USB DVD drive or network dump is more reliable.

Method A: DVD drive on PC

Use ImgBurn in Mode → Read Disc. Output format: ISO. No special subchannel settings needed.

ddrescue handles read errors better than a simple dd, which is important for dual-layer discs.

Method B: Network dump (OPL/FreeMcBoot)

If you have a softmodded PS2 running FreeMcBoot and Open PS2 Loader (OPL), you can dump discs over the network without a PC DVD drive. See the Network / Softmod Ripping section below.

Output format for PS2: .iso

Network Dump (PS2, Dreamcast, PSP)

A network dump means using a modified console to stream game data over your local network to a computer, instead of reading the disc directly with a PC drive.

Typical flow:

  • Softmod or homebrew-enable your console (e.g. FreeMcBoot/OPL on PS2, homebrew loader on Dreamcast/PSP).

  • Run a dumping utility on the console that exposes the disc or UMD over the network.

  • Connect from your computer (often via a small helper app or web interface) and save the disc image to storage.

  • Import the resulting ISO/CSO (or other supported format) into Provenance as you would any other ROM.

For consoles without a reliable PC-compatible drive (like Dreamcast GD-ROM or UMD-based systems), network dumping is often the most practical way to get a complete image of your own discs. See Network / Softmod Ripping below for step-by-step instructions.

Dreamcast GD-ROM

GD-ROM is a proprietary format. Standard PC optical drives can only read the low-density area (~1 GB) of a GD-ROM disc — the game data lives in the high-density area and is inaccessible to ordinary drives. You need a specialized drive or a network dump method.

Method A: Specialized GD-ROM drive (rare)

Two drives are known to work with GD-ROM ripping tools:

  • Yamaha CRW2200 — most common recommended drive

  • Plextor PX-W4012 — also works

These drives typically cost $100–$300+ and are hard to find. If you have one, use GD-ROM Explorer or other compatible GD-ROM ripping software with the appropriate PC tools.

Method B: Network dump via httpd-ism (recommended)

httpd-ism network dump method

This method uses an original Dreamcast equipped with the official Broadband Adapter and the httpd-ism boot disc to serve GD-ROM data over HTTP.

Requirements:

  • Dreamcast console

  • Dreamcast Broadband Adapter (HIT-0400)

  • httpd-ism boot disc (burned CD-R)

  • PC on the same local network

Steps:

  1. Boot the httpd-ism disc on the Dreamcast.

  2. Note the IP address displayed on screen.

  3. On your PC, open a browser and navigate to http://[dreamcast-ip]/ — you'll see a file listing of the GD-ROM tracks.

  4. Download all track files (typically track01.iso, track02.raw, etc.) to a folder on your PC.

  5. Download the accompanying .gdi descriptor file.

Alternative: DreamShell is a more modern alternative that also supports network dumping via SD card or network adapter. Consult the DreamShell documentation for setup details.

Output format: .gdi (a descriptor file referencing multiple track files)

After dumping, convert to a single .chd file for easier import:

See Advanced ROM Management — CHD Format for more on chdman.

GameCube & Wii

Nintendo optical discs use a proprietary format that standard PC drives cannot read directly. CleanRip is the recommended homebrew tool that runs on the Wii itself.

CleanRip (recommended) — dump from the console

Requirements:

  • Wii console with the Homebrew Channel installed

  • SD card or USB drive formatted as FAT32 with 8+ GB free. FAT32 is required — the Wii cannot read exFAT or NTFS. CleanRip automatically splits Wii ISOs (~4.7 GB) into 4 GB chunks to work around FAT32's file size limit; the split files can be rejoined with a tool like wit (Wiimms ISO Tools) after transfer to your PC.

  • CleanRip homebrew app

Steps:

  1. Download CleanRip and copy it to your SD card: SD:/apps/CleanRip/boot.dol

  2. Boot the Wii and launch the Homebrew Channel.

  3. Launch CleanRip.

  4. Select your dump destination (SD or USB).

  5. When prompted, insert the GameCube or Wii disc.

  6. Select the disc type and confirm settings (leave defaults unless you know otherwise).

  7. CleanRip will dump the disc — allow 10–40 minutes depending on disc size.

  8. Copy the resulting .iso file to your PC.

PC drive alternative (less reliable)

Specific LG and Asus drives with certain firmware can read Wii/GameCube discs using raw read commands.

Known compatible drives (partial list):

  • LG GH22NS30 (with patched firmware)

  • Asus DRW-24B1ST

Tools:

  • Friidump — open-source, reads via raw SCSI commands

  • Rawdump — Windows-only alternative

This method is less reliable than CleanRip, requires finding a compatible drive, and may fail on dual-layer Wii discs. CleanRip is strongly preferred.

Output format: .iso (for both GameCube and Wii)

For folder structures and further configuration, see the GameCube & Wii system guide.

PSP UMD

UMD discs cannot be read by a standard PC drive. Dumping requires Custom Firmware (CFW) running on the PSP itself. See the Network / Softmod Ripping section for details.

Other Disc Systems

System
Method
Notes

3DO

Standard CD drive

Same as PS1 section above. Output: .bin + .cue

Neo Geo CD

Standard CD drive

Same as PS1 section above. Output: .bin + .cue

PC Engine CD / TurboGrafx-CD

Standard CD drive

Same as PS1 section above. Requires System Card BIOS — see BIOS Requirements

PC-FX

Standard CD drive

Same as PS1 section above. Requires PC-FX BIOS — see BIOS Requirements

Sega CD / Mega CD

Standard CD drive

Same as PS1 section above. All 3 regional BIOS files required — see BIOS Requirements

After ripping, convert disc images to CHD format for smaller files and single-file convenience. See Advanced ROM Management for chdman commands.

Network / Softmod Ripping

Some systems can dump games directly from the console using custom firmware (CFW) or homebrew software — no dedicated hardware dumper required.

Nintendo 3DS

Using GodMode9 on a CFW 3DS (Luma3DS)

3DS ROM dumping requires a 3DS running custom firmware. The most common CFW is Luma3DS, installed via the 3ds.hacks.guide process.

What you need:

  • A 3DS/2DS with Luma3DS CFW installed

  • GodMode9 (included with most CFW setups)

Steps:

  1. Power on your 3DS and hold Start to boot into GodMode9

  2. Navigate to [C:] GAMECART if you have a physical card inserted, or [A:] SYSNAND SD for installed titles

  3. Select your game and choose Copy to 0:/gm9/out

  4. The output is a .3ds file (encrypted) or use the Decrypt option for a decrypted .cia

  5. Transfer the file to your computer via the SD card

  6. Import into Provenance — see the Nintendo 3DS Guide for compatible formats

Nintendo DS

Dumping DS cards via flashcard

DS game cards require a flashcard (such as an R4) and a homebrew dumping tool on a DS or DSi.

DS card dumping via homebrew requires a homebrew-enabled DS/DSi. Refer to dsi.cfw.guide for setup guides.

Steps:

  1. Enable homebrew on your DS/DSi using the guide above

  2. Use a DS ROM dumping homebrew app (search GBAtemp for current tools)

  3. Dump the card to your SD card as a .nds file

  4. Transfer to your computer and import into Provenance

PlayStation 2 (FreeMcBoot)

PS2 support is in development — PlayStation 2 emulation in Provenance is currently experimental and not fully available in stable releases. These instructions are provided for when PS2 support ships.

Using FreeMcBoot + Open PS2 Loader (OPL)

PS2 can dump disc images to a USB drive or network share using homebrew tools via a modded memory card.

What you need:

  • PS2 console with FreeMcBoot memory card

  • Open PS2 Loader (OPL) installed on the memory card

  • USB drive (FAT32 formatted)

Steps:

  1. Boot your PS2 with the FreeMcBoot memory card

  2. Launch OPL from the FreeMcBoot menu

  3. Insert your PS2 disc

  4. Use OPL's Install Game feature to rip the disc to a USB drive or network share

  5. The output is an .iso file

  6. Transfer to your computer and import into Provenance (or convert to .chd — see Format Conversion)

SNES / NES Classic (hakchi)

Exporting ROMs from a Nintendo Classic Mini

If you own a SNES Classic or NES Classic, you can export the pre-installed ROMs using hakchi2 CE or hakchi (a console mod tool).

What you need:

  • SNES Classic or NES Classic console

  • hakchi2 CE (Windows/macOS via Wine)

  • USB cable (Micro-USB for NES Classic, USB-C for SNES Classic)

Steps:

  1. Follow the hakchi2 CE setup guide to install custom firmware on your Classic console

  2. Connect the console to your computer via USB

  3. In hakchi2 CE, go to Synchronize selected games to view installed ROMs

  4. Export the ROM files from the hakchi2 CE working directory (found in your Documents folder)

  5. Import the exported ROMs into Provenance

SNES Classic ROMs are standard .sfc files; NES Classic ROMs are standard .nes files — both work directly in Provenance.

Save Data Dumping

Backing up save data lets you preserve progress from your original cartridges and memory cards.

Game Boy / GBA Saves

Tool
Method
Notes

GB Operator

Open Epilogue app → Dump Save

Easiest; saves as .sav

GBxCart RW

Open FlashGBX → Read Save

Open-source; supports all GB/GBC/GBA

To use a dumped save in Provenance: place the .sav file in the same folder as your ROM with the same base filename (e.g., Pokemon Red.gb → Pokemon Red.sav).

PS1 Memory Cards

Using MemcardRex

MemcardRex is a free tool for reading PS1 memory cards via a USB memory card reader.

What you need:

  • PS1 memory card reader (e.g., a PS1-to-USB adapter)

  • MemcardRex (Windows/Linux via Wine)

Steps:

  1. Connect your PS1 memory card reader to your computer

  2. Open MemcardRex and select Open Memory Card

  3. Choose your memory card reader device

  4. MemcardRex reads the card and displays all save slots

  5. Export individual saves as .mcd or the full card as a memory card image

  6. Provenance can use these saves for PS1 games (place alongside the ROM)

PlayStation 2 Saves

PS2 save data can be exported using Open PS2 Loader (OPL) or uLaunchELF on a FreeMcBoot-enabled console, then transferred via USB.

Using uLaunchELF to copy saves

  1. Boot your PS2 with the FreeMcBoot memory card

  2. Launch uLaunchELF from the FreeMcBoot menu

  3. Navigate to mc0:/ (Memory Card slot 1) or mc1:/

  4. Find your save folder (named by game ID, e.g., BASLUS-12345)

  5. Copy it to mass:/ (USB drive) using the file manager

  6. Transfer to your computer

Nintendo 64 Saves

N64 saves are stored on the cartridge itself (SRAM or EEPROM) or on a Controller Pak (memory pak). Most cart dumpers also dump the save:

Dumper
Save Method

INLretro

Dump RAM option dumps SRAM/EEPROM alongside the ROM

Retrode 2

The mounted drive includes a .srm save file alongside the ROM

Controller Pak saves require a dedicated tool — search GBAtemp for current N64 Controller Pak reader projects.

Format Conversion

When you obtain disc images from your own physical media, they may not always be in a format that Provenance accepts directly. This section covers converting between common formats.

Already covered elsewhere:

Quick Reference

Source Format
Target Format
Tool
Platform
Notes

.bin + .cue

.chd

chdman

All

See Advanced ROM Management

.gdi (Dreamcast)

.chd

chdman

All

chdman createcd -i game.gdi -o game.chd

.iso (CD / DVD)

.chd

chdman

All

CD: chdman createcd -i game.iso -o game.chd · DVD: chdman createdvd -i game.iso -o game.chd

.nrg (Nero)

.iso

nrg2iso

All

Free CLI tool

.mdf + .mds (Alcohol)

.bin + .cue (preferred) / .iso (data-only)

IsoBuster / mdf2iso

Win / All

Prefer BIN/CUE for mixed-mode or audio; use ISO only for pure data discs

.cdi (DiscJuggler)

.gdi

cdirip

All

Mainly for Dreamcast dumps

.bin.ecm

.bin

unecm

All

See Formatting ROMs

.pbp (PSP game EBOOT)

— (no conversion)

—

All

PSP titles in .pbp can be used as-is

.pbp (PSX-on-PSP EBOOT)

.bin + .cue

PSX2PSP

Win

For PS1 games packaged as PSP EBOOTs

Format Reference Table

System
Raw Dump Format
Recommended Provenance Format

PS1

.bin + .cue

.chd

PS2

.iso

.chd

PSP

.iso

.iso or .cso

GameCube

.iso

.iso, .gcm, .gcz, .ciso

Wii

.iso

.iso or .wbfs

Dreamcast

.gdi or .cdi

.chd

Sega CD

.bin + .cue

.chd

Saturn

.bin + .cue

.chd

See Formatting ROMs for the complete extension list for all systems.

NRG → ISO (Nero Image Format)

Nero Burning ROM creates .nrg disc images that are not directly usable with Provenance. Use nrg2iso to convert them to standard ISO files.

Install nrg2iso:

Download from SourceForge: search "nrg2iso" and download the Windows binary.

Convert:

After converting, you can import the .iso directly into Provenance, or convert it further to .chd for better compression (see Advanced ROM Management).

MDF/MDS → BIN/CUE (or ISO for data-only discs)

Alcohol 120% creates .mdf (image data) + .mds (metadata) pairs. For best compatibility, convert to .bin + .cue (then optionally to .chd for compression). Only convert to .iso if you are sure the disc is data-only (no CD audio tracks).

Saturn and other mixed-mode CD dumps often come as .mdf + .mds. Keep both files in the same folder and, if you run into issues, convert the dump to a standard format like BIN/CUE or CHD.

Option 1: IsoBuster (Windows, GUI)

  1. Open IsoBuster and load the .mds file

  2. Right-click the disc icon → Extract CD Image → Extract RAW

  3. Save as .bin — a .cue file is generated automatically

Option 2: mdf2iso (Cross-platform CLI)

mdf2iso converts the MDF/MDS pair to a standard .iso image. For CD-based games, use createcd to convert the ISO to CHD; for DVD-based games, use createdvd:

CDI → GDI (DiscJuggler / Dreamcast)

DiscJuggler .cdi files are a proprietary Dreamcast disc format. Use cdirip to extract them into a GDI layout, which can then be converted to CHD.

Install and run cdirip:

This outputs track files in GDI layout (a .gdi file plus .raw/.bin tracks). Then convert to CHD:

See Advanced ROM Management for full chdman documentation.

PBP (PSP EBOOT.PBP)

.pbp files come in two distinct types — handle them differently:

PSP games (CFW backups)

PSP games ripped from UMD typically produce .iso files. Provenance's PPSSPP core accepts both .iso and .pbp formats directly — no conversion needed.

PSX-on-PSP titles

Some PSP firmware allowed playing PS1 games packaged as EBOOT.PBP. These wrap a PS1 game inside a PSP container.

Recommended approach:

  1. Import the EBOOT.PBP directly into Provenance as a PlayStation game (not as PSP/PPSSPP).

If a particular PSX-on-PSP .pbp does not work correctly when imported as a PlayStation title, you can extract the underlying PS1 disc image:

  1. Use PSX2PSP (Windows) in reverse/extract mode

  2. Point it at the EBOOT.PBP

  3. Extract to .bin + .cue

  4. Import the .bin + .cue (or convert to .chd) into Provenance as a PS1 game

Do not import PSX-on-PSP .pbp files as PSP games — the PPSSPP core will not run PS1 content correctly. Always treat them as PlayStation titles; only extract to .bin + .cue as a fallback if a specific .pbp has issues.

GDI → CHD (Dreamcast)

GDI is the standard ripping format for Dreamcast discs. Convert to CHD for better compression and single-file convenience.

Install chdman:

Download chdman.exe from the MAME project at mamedev.org.

Convert:

For batch conversion of a folder of Dreamcast GDI dumps:

Multi-Disc M3U Playlists

Games that span multiple discs (e.g., Final Fantasy VII) need an .m3u playlist file so Provenance can switch discs mid-game.

Create an .m3u file in the same folder as your disc images with one line per disc:

Name the .m3u file after the game: Final Fantasy VII.m3u. Import the .m3u file into Provenance — it will appear as a single game entry.

See Formatting ROMs for more details on multi-disc setup.

After Dumping

Once you have your ROM files:

  1. Check the format — Review Formatting ROMs to confirm you have the correct file extension for your system

  2. Convert if needed — CD-based games may need conversion to .chd for space savings (see Advanced ROM Management)

  3. Import into Provenance — See Importing ROMs for all import methods

  4. Check BIOS requirements — Some systems need BIOS files — see BIOS Requirements

Dumped ROMs from your own hardware are the highest quality source — no compression artifacts, correct region, and exact checksums. These will produce the best results in Provenance.

Troubleshooting

My dumper isn't recognized by my computer

  • Try a different USB cable (use a data cable, not a charge-only cable)

  • Try a different USB port — avoid USB hubs for dumpers

  • On macOS, check System Settings → Privacy & Security if the driver is blocked

  • Install any required drivers from the manufacturer's site (some dumpers need CH340 or FTDI drivers)

  • Restart your computer after installing drivers

The ROM dump seems too small or is obviously wrong

  • The cartridge may have dirty contacts — clean with isopropyl alcohol (90%+) and a cotton swab, then retry

  • Reseat the cartridge — remove and reinsert it firmly

  • Some cartridges have battery-backed SRAM; the battery may be dead, but this shouldn't affect ROM dumping

  • Verify the mapper setting if using the INLretro — an incorrect mapper produces garbled output

The dumped ROM doesn't work in Provenance

  • Check that the file extension is correct for your system (see Formatting ROMs)

  • Compare the file size against known-good values — a 4 MB SNES ROM should be exactly 4,194,304 bytes

  • For CD-based games, ensure you have both the .bin and .cue files, or convert to .chd

  • Try renaming the file to remove special characters — stick to alphanumeric names

GB Operator / GBxCart shows "No cartridge detected"

  • Clean the cartridge contacts with isopropyl alcohol

  • Ensure the cartridge is fully inserted and seated

  • Try a different USB port or cable

  • Some aftermarket or bootleg cartridges may not be recognized — official Nintendo cartridges should always work

See Also

Need help? Ask on Discord.

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