What is the CIF file format?
.cif is a disk image file created with the Roxio Easy CD Creator tool - a disc-burning application originally developed by Adaptec. A .cif file stores not only a copy of a CD, but also information about the disc structure, track layout, and file organization. Internally, it uses a binary RIFF chunked container with form type imag, wrapping an ISO 9660 filesystem image along with Easy CD Creator-specific metadata.
Opening .cif images. .cif images can be opened using dedicated software tools such as IsoBuster, CDmage, or AnyBurn. Modern Windows does not natively mount .cif files, so a compatible third-party utility is required. Once opened, disc contents can be accessed like any other storage attached to the computer, allowing users to browse files or launch CD installers.
Uses of .cif files. .cif disc image files are typically used for creating disc backup copies - be it program installation discs, private data folders (for example, family vacation photos), or ebook collections. The format is proprietary and now largely obsolete; migration to a plain .iso image is recommended for long-term compatibility.
Note: the .cif extension is also used by unrelated formats (including crystallographic data files). Confirm an Easy CD Creator image by checking that the file starts with RIFF (bytes 0-3) and contains imag at offset 8.
Security & safety
RISK: MEDIUMA CIF disc image is passive data, but it may contain an autorun installer or old software from the imaged CD - scan extracted files before running them. The bigger risk is obsolescence: CIF is proprietary and barely supported, so important data trapped in it should be converted to ISO while a working reader (IsoBuster) is still available. Avoid "CIF viewer/opener" download portals that bundle adware; prefer the official IsoBuster and AnyBurn sites.
Format details
in a nutshell- Crystallographic Information File (CIF) - IUCr plain-text format describing crystal structures; common in chemistry/materials science and unrelated to disc images.
- Caltech Intermediate Format - Text format describing integrated-circuit (VLSI) layout geometry as primitive 2D graphics.
- Colombo Ipermedia / Corel Ventura document - Obsolete electronic-document-management (Euro Sistemi) and Corel Ventura Publisher files that also used .cif.
Programs that open CIF files
Windows3 apps
IsoBuster
Freemium Open the CIF to browse and extract its files, or export it to ISO/BIN. The most reliable reader for legacy disc images. 
CDmage
Free Legacy utility that opens/repairs CD images including CIF; useful for damaged images. (Old software - download from a reputable mirror.)
AnyBurn
Free Use 'Convert image file format' to turn the CIF into ISO, then double-click the ISO to mount it. Free. Technical details
deep spec| Container format | RIFF chunked binary container with form type `imag` |
| Embedded filesystem | ISO 9660 directory layout |
| Magic bytes | `RIFF` at offset 0-3; `imag` at offset 8 |
| Byte order | Little-endian |
| Encoding | Binary |
| Compression | None - raw disc sector data stored as-is |
| Typical file size | 1 MB - 700 MB (bounded by CD capacity) |
| MIME type | `application/octet-stream` |
| Platform | Windows only; no native support in Linux or macOS |
| Compatible software | Easy CD Creator 3.x-5.x (authoring); IsoBuster, CDmage, AnyBurn (extraction and reading) |
| Extension overloading | `.cif` is also used by Crystallographic Information Files and several other unrelated formats - always verify by magic bytes before processing |
| Format status | Proprietary and obsolete; superseded by `.iso` disc images for broad compatibility |
| Disc type | CD-ROM data discs with an ISO 9660 filesystem layout |
| Released | Late 1990s (Adaptec/Roxio Easy CD Creator) |
| Latest version | Used through Easy CD Creator 5.x; obsolete after Roxio moved to other image formats |
| Specification | www.file-extensions.org |
CIF conversions
Community Q&A
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