What is the 000 file format?
The .000 file extension is associated with IsoBuster, a disc-imaging and data recovery tool developed by Smart Projects, used for recovering data from damaged or corrupted optical discs and disc image files. A .000 file is the first data segment of a split disc image and can contain files, tracks, and sessions extracted from CD, VCD, SVCD, CD-ROM, CD-ROM XA, DVD, and similar optical disc formats.
.000 files are used to create generic multi-volume disc images comparable to a standard ISO archive. Unlike a plain .iso, however, the .000 segment carries no file-system signature of its own - it is a raw data chunk without its own header. The actual disc structure metadata (track layout, sessions, image settings) is stored in a companion .ibp or .ibq managed-image header file that IsoBuster writes alongside the data segments.
Generic multi-volume disc images use sequential numeric extensions for splitting:
.000- first (and often largest) data segment.001,.002,.003, … - subsequent segments in order
Additional notes about the .000 format:
- The companion
.ibp/.ibqheader is the authoritative source of disc structure information; the raw data segments are not self-describing. - The header file is not strictly essential - IsoBuster can still manage the data segments if the header is missing or damaged, though disc structure details may be lost.
- Contents of a disc image stored as
.000segments can be viewed and edited with IsoBuster. - The
.000extension is also used generically by split-archive tools unrelated to IsoBuster, so the presence of a companion.ibp/.ibqfile is the clearest indicator of an IsoBuster-managed image.
Security & safety
RISK: MEDIUMA .000 image segment is passive data and cannot execute by itself, but caution applies to what it CONTAINS: a disc image can hold installers and executables (scan before running anything extracted), and an unexpected .000 may actually be a split archive (which can carry malware once joined and extracted) or an encrypted TrueCrypt/VeraCrypt volume. Completeness matters for split sets - every numbered part must be present or the image/archive can't be rebuilt. Download IsoBuster/UltraISO/PowerISO only from their official sites; avoid 'ISO opener' download portals that bundle adware, and treat recovered disc images of copyrighted media according to local law.
Format details
in a nutshellFULL NAMEIsoBuster Managed Image File (first volume)
DEVELOPERSmart Projects (IsoBuster)since IsoBuster managed/split image files (.ibp/.ibq with .000, .001… data segments)
CATEGORYDisk Image Files
MIME TYPEapplication/octet-stream
TYPEFirst/segment file of a (possibly split) CD/DVD disc image created by IsoBuster
This extension is also used by…
- Generic split-archive / split-file first part - Many splitters (HJSplit, 7-Zip) write sequential .000/.001/.002 parts; the .000 is just the first chunk of a larger joined file (see the .001 page).
- TrueCrypt / VeraCrypt volume - TrueCrypt/VeraCrypt traditionally use .tc, but hidden/legacy encrypted container volumes are sometimes saved with a .000 (or numbered) extension.
- Generic backup/counter file - Some backup, fax and logging tools append .000 as a first-in-sequence counter unrelated to disc images.
Programs that open 000 files
Windows4 apps
IsoBuster
Freemium Open the companion .IBP (not the .000 directly); IsoBuster reassembles the segments and lets you browse, extract, or save the image as ISO. Free version reads images. 
7-Zip
Open-source If the .000 is actually a SPLIT archive (PK/7z/Rar header) or a split ISO: put all parts in one folder and open the .000 to join/extract. 
UltraISO
Paid Open the image to browse/extract or convert to ISO/BIN. (db site ezbsystems.com still hosts it.) 
PowerISO
Paid Mount/extract or convert disc images to ISO; a live alternative to the older MagicISO/Virtual CD. 
Linux1 app
cabextract
Open-source Only relevant if the .000 is actually a split Microsoft CAB segment - extracts cabinet data. Not for IsoBuster .000 images. Technical details
deep spec| File role | First data segment of an IsoBuster-managed split or single-volume optical disc image |
| Companion metadata file | .ibp or .ibq header file stores track layout, session structure, and image settings alongside the raw data segments |
| File signature (magic bytes) | None - the segment begins with raw disc sector data; no proprietary header precedes the content |
| ISO 9660 anchor offset | When the assembled image is ISO 9660, the volume descriptor string CD001 appears at byte offset 0x8001 of the full joined stream, not at the start of the .000 file |
| Disc formats covered | CD, CD-ROM, CD-ROM XA, VCD, SVCD, DVD, DVCD, and other optical disc types |
| Segment naming scheme | Sequential numeric extensions - .000 (first), .001, .002, .003, … enabling ordered multi-part storage across up to 1000 segments |
| Sector encoding | Binary raw optical disc sectors; typically 2048 bytes per sector for data tracks (Mode 1/Mode 2 Form 1) or 2352 bytes for raw/audio tracks |
| MIME type | application/octet-stream (no format-specific MIME type registered) |
| Developer | Smart Projects (IsoBuster) |
| Header dependency | Session, track, and scrambling metadata resides entirely in the companion .ibp/.ibq; data segments alone are opaque raw binary |
| Companion file criticality | The .ibp/.ibq is not mandatory for basic access - IsoBuster can attempt disc-structure recovery from data segments alone if the header is absent or damaged |
| Platform support | IsoBuster (originating tool) is Windows-only; raw segments can be processed on Linux and macOS with compatible ISO or cabinet utilities |
| Extension ambiguity | .000 is also used as a generic split-archive first-part marker by tools unrelated to IsoBuster; the presence of an .ibp/.ibq file confirms an IsoBuster-managed image |
| Interoperability | Compatible applications include IsoBuster, UltraISO, PowerISO, and 7-Zip; cabextract handles .000 segments on Linux for supported content types |
| Released | IsoBuster managed/split image files (.ibp/.ibq with .000, .001… data segments) |
| Specification | www.isobuster.com |
000 conversions
Possible
.000 .ISOGUIDE
Yes - open the companion .IBP file in IsoBuster and export the image as ISO.
How to convert
.000 .BINGUIDE
Yes - open the companion .IBP in IsoBuster or UltraISO and export to BIN/CUE.
How to convert
.000 .IMGGUIDE
Yes - open the image in IsoBuster (via its .IBP header file) and export it as .img.
How to convert
.000 .CDIGUIDE
Yes, conversion is possible via IsoBuster, but you need the companion .IBP file and all segment parts before…
How to convert
.000 .MDFGUIDE
Yes - open the .IBP in IsoBuster or the .000 in UltraISO, then export as MDF/MDS.
How to convert
Not possible
Community Q&A
asked by usersNo questions yet - be the first to ask about 000 files.
Frequently asked questions
How do I open a .000 file?
If it came from IsoBuster, open the matching .IBP file in IsoBuster (not the .000 itself) - it reassembles the image segments. If it's a split file (file.000, file.001 …), put all parts in one folder and open the .000 with 7-Zip to join them. Where the file came from tells you which.
What program opens a .000 disc image?
IsoBuster is the native tool (free for reading images); UltraISO and PowerISO can also open, mount or convert disc images. For a split-archive .000, use 7-Zip.
How do I convert a .000 file to ISO?
Open the image in IsoBuster (via its .IBP) or UltraISO and use Extract/Save image as ISO. If the .000 set is simply a split ISO, joining the parts (7-Zip or 'copy /b') already gives you the .iso.
Why won't my .000 file open in IsoBuster?
Because it's probably not an IsoBuster image. The .000 extension is also used for the first part of a split file (open it in 7-Zip with the other parts) and sometimes for a TrueCrypt/VeraCrypt encrypted volume. Check the file's source.
I only have the .000 and no .IBP / other parts - can I use it?
Usually not. An IsoBuster image needs its .IBP header, and a split set needs every numbered part. A lone .000 is just the first slice of something larger and can't be reassembled on its own.
Is a .000 file the same as a .001 file?
They're the same idea - sequentially numbered segments of a larger file - just with different starting numbers. IsoBuster numbers image data from .000; many splitters start at .001. Either way you join all the parts to rebuild the original.
References
1IsoBuster - Image File Creation Settings (managed images, .IBP/.IBQ + segments)www.isobuster.com
2IsoBuster - official sitewww.isobuster.com
