The DAA File - Everything You Need To Know
What Is a DAA File
DAA files are yet another disk image file format, invented and used by PowerISO DVD software. This means that a .daa file contains an exact copy of a CD or a DVD - whether it be a movie, a game or simply a few gigabytes of accounting data (damn my perverted imagination). Disk images are used for a variety of purposes :
- Backup DVD movies and CD disks and copy DVD.
- Store DVD rips (politically correctly - “backups”).
- Use in virtual CD/DVD emulators.
- Burn DVD copy at a later date.
- Upload and download DVD disks on the Internet.
If you’re reading this, chances are you got (that is, downloaded) a .daa file somewhere (that is, BitTorrent or the like) and are wondering what to do with it. Read on.
Sometimes, when somebody wants to put a “backup” copy of a DVD film or some other stuff online, the .daa file format is used instead of the more popular disk image formats (like ISO, BIN, CUE) because it supports certain advanced features -
- Compression - a CD/DVD copy stored in .daa file format may be slightly smaller than a corresponding .iso file.
- Multiple volume splitting – this means that you get multiple smaller DAA files instead of one huge disk image.
- Encryption/passwords – I don’t think this one is terribly useful, but you can password-protect your disk images if you use the DAA file type.
On a side note, it’s possible to get all the aforementioned benefits of DAA files by simply archiving the ISO disk copy with WinRAR. This is why you may often see .rar files in BitTorrent downloads (additional information - how to deal with RAR files).
How To Open DAA Files
There’s actually only one alternative when it comes to opening DAA files.
There are two ways to deal with DAA files - you can either convert them to another file format (e.g. the widely supported ISO) and use the converted file, or use PowerISO (shareware) to open them. I’ll discuss both possibilities.
Converting DAA to ISO
Suzanne DeAngelillis has posted a wonderful tutorial on how to convert DAA files to ISO and/or burn them to CD/DVD using only freeware Windows applications. You can find the tutorial further below on this page.
I’ve also created a graphical interface for the daa2iso converter - my DAA converter GUI. It’s a simpler, easier alternative you can use if you’re not familiar with command-line tools or find the tutorial confusing.
If you’re using Linux, check out AcetoneISO - it can extract DAA files or convert them to ISO files. AcetoneISO is free, open source CD/DVD software that integrates with KDE.
Using PowerISO
To open a file with the .daa file extension on Windows you can also use PowerISO. After you’ve installed this program you can just double-click any .daa file (which will launch PowerISO and open the file) and extract any files contained in the disk image.
PowerISO can also “mount” DAA files with an internal virtual drive it creates. This means you don’t need to burn the DAA file to a disk before you can use it. You can just mount it and play the .daa file as if it was a real CD/DVD.
The .daa file format is proprietary and is not supported by any CD / DVD burning software I know of, except PowerISO. However, if you mount the DAA file with the virtual drive, you can probably copy/rip/do whatever you like with the virtual “disk” using whichever software you prefer.
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June 10th, 2008 at 4:23 am
Bit Torrent is the place to find what u seek!
@Mob -
June 5th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
Thanks a lot man. Awesome!
May 28th, 2008 at 12:33 am
Haaha! What a great site! Love it.
March 23rd, 2008 at 9:22 pm
.. i prob would of spent the rest of my life tryin to open it with alcohol 120% if no one told me…phew!!! and thanks
March 22nd, 2008 at 10:33 pm
While installing poweriso, u can check d option to make it d default handler for .daa files. So doing ur 86 daa files take on d poweriso icon. Just doubleclick any of dem and poweriso revs up. Otherwise, after installing poweriso, right click any of the daa files and ‘open with’ poweriso. Go to Tools > Make cd/dvd image and in that menu click on .iso as ur preferred option.
March 15th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
I’ve looked around and found no tutorials immediately available. There’s probably some “File -> Save as…” or ‘Tools -> Convert…” option that you could use. Sorry, I don’t really have the time to install PowerIso and investigate.
March 14th, 2008 at 7:01 am
Question, if I may ask… I have the full version of PowerISO and I’m trying to convert 89 different .daa files that I downloaded into an ISO(s), however, I do not know how to use the program or even the basics for that matter. I am familair with how to use and burn ISO files, however, I can not find any detailed instructions on how to convert the .daa files into an ISO using PowerISO. Please help! Thanks in advance…
March 11th, 2008 at 8:41 am
Nice program! I’ve been looking for something to use on .daa files for months. As a test I’m trying the comment from Ambrose. (using 7zip) and it seems to be working.
March 7th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
jhgjytyg
March 1st, 2008 at 12:21 am
You could try asking Luigi - the guy who wrote one of the converters…
February 29th, 2008 at 11:44 pm
Ok, I have tried everything even loading linux on my other hard drive and converting it with the free poweriso. It always fails at 97% and says the file is too big to convert… is it a lost hope or can you guys think of anything to try
January 30th, 2008 at 8:48 pm
The free program, 7-zip, can extract the contents of a daa to a folder, helpful for at least some .daa file at least. It’s an excellent arciving program, it does loads of formats, and will have a go at anything. Hope that helps.
January 30th, 2008 at 3:55 am
Used and Abused - lovely, thanks and cheers
January 18th, 2008 at 11:07 pm
Thank you Luigi Auriemna & White Shadow
The conversion utility you produced was great, and thanks to the GUI, dead simple to use.
FYI - it works on windows vista (unlike most other programs annoyingly)
Cheers
Stevey
January 17th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
If you entered the filename manually, try using the “…” (Browse) button instead, maybe that’ll work.
January 17th, 2008 at 4:14 am
it says the file im trying to convert doesnt exist…but i have just now downloaded it…and waited a good 3 hours!! its 496mb….and the only format i could find the file in….
January 15th, 2008 at 8:47 pm
thanks a lot mate…much appreciated!
January 15th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
Don’t know, I haven’t used limewire. I usually use µTorrent.
January 15th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
thank you so much i will check these. but do you think using limewire to download a torrent is ok?
thanks again for your help
January 15th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
There are many BitTorrent guides available online, just do a Google search. Here’s one - BTFAQ.
For some sites like Mininova, well, Torrentz.com is nice (there are lots more though)…
January 15th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Hi
thank you to all you wonderful people for all the help!! i had to fix my girl friends computer and in doing so had to download some .daa files and i am not a windows person at all. but thanks to your kindness and patience in explaining the whole process i could convert them nicely.
i had one query and was a bit confused about it…what is a good safe torrent downloading software. currently what i am doing is (someone advised me) visiting this site called http://www.mininova.org for any stuff and then downloading the torrents using “limewire”. but i am not sure if thats the way to do it or is there any better way!!!?? someone suggested “flashget”.
and is there any other site for torrents like “Mininova” ?? all this is a bit new to me!!
so right now a bit confused, could someone kindly advice
cheers!!
January 12th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
A true gentleman. thank you kindly sir.
January 12th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Yes, probably. In fact, if someone downloaded a disk image from the Internet, one would expect to find the keygen on the disk, as it is often included. Failing that, searching for “softwarename keygen” would probably work.
January 12th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
fair comment!- quick question then- of someone had ‘lost’ their licence key could someone use keygen to find a licence- genuinely out of my dept at moment but getting there!- cheers for getting back to my request
January 12th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
Hey Mob, you don’t actually expect me to post a pirated licence key on my semi-legit site, do you?
Just google it, it should be easy to find.
January 12th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
LICENCE KEY ANY ONE???
Actually that moment of joy has surpassed to the brain stretching agony of finding a licence key for adobe prem pro CS3. I’m sure that this is a walk in the park for many of you fine people adding your comments to this blog- but I’m relatively new to the whole thing. Could some perhaps offer some much needed guidance as to where and how I can find a key. Thanks in advance- I hope!
January 12th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
IT WORKS!!!- I’ve been pottering around trying to convert this bloody file for days now and I’ve just managed to do it (thanks to your very helpful website, which I just discovered this morning) So I just wanted to thank you guys for helping a total computer illiterate like myself, successfully convert a daa to an iso and then burn a disc. Genuinely, I’m a 30 something who doesn’t even know how to compress a file yet- so this really was a big help to me. So once again thanks to all the guys involved in making this whole process relatively painless. Keep up the great work. All I need now is to find a licence for Adobe Prem. Pro CS3 and I’ laughing!!
January 12th, 2008 at 4:08 am
Hi. I found opening the GUI daa converter allowed me to extract the 3 files successfully. Saving the GUI & then extracting didn’t work for me; kept getting error messsage. Not a very big leap but handy for some?
Thanks to you all!
January 9th, 2008 at 4:48 am
Yes!! Every thing worked perfect. Thank you very much Ms. Suzanne and Mr. Shadow and have both a happy new 2008 for you and your families. We need more people like you. Thank you again, Andrew.
January 6th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
thanks for this guide on how to convert daa to iso:no problem on Vista ultimate 32 bit.
i’ve used the gui program and successfully convert to iso..